Scotch Game: Göring Gambit, Main Line
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Statistics from Lichess
418,894 games: White 57.4% / Draw 3.8% / Black 38.7%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 354,401354K | ||
| 25,57926K | ||
| 14,55815K | ||
| 8,0568,056 | ||
| 4,0684,068 | ||
| 2,5762,576 | ||
| 2,3162,316 | ||
| 1,5681,568 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 6, 2026
Engine evaluation
−0.09 The position is about equal
Best play: 6. Bd3 Nge7 7. O-O O-O 8. a3 Bxc3 9. bxc3 Ng6 10. Bb1 d6
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
Rating changes little here: Black scores 45% under 1400, 44% at 2200 and up (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 141K | |
| 1400–1799 | 323K | |
| 1800–2199 | 226K | |
| 2200 and up | 19K | |
| Masters, over the board | 67 |
Master games
- Velimirovic, D. – Tarjan, J. E.
- Loncar, R. – Bosiocic, M.
- Jiménez Ariza, J. M. – Martín Molinero, R.
- Varitski, I. – Turov, M.
- Jiménez Ariza, J. M. – Quevedo García, V.
Rated blitz, rapid and classical Lichess games by rating band, and over-the-board games of players rated 2200+ from the Lichess masters database, updated Sep 27, 2026
Overview
Scotch Game: Göring Gambit, Main Line (ECO C44, Open Games) is a gambit in the Scotch Game: Göring Gambit, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. c3 dxc3 5. Nxc3 Bb4 (5 moves).
In 418,894 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 57.4%, Black 38.7% and 3.8% were drawn. White's most played move here is 6. Bc4, in 85% of those games.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to play against the Scotch Game: Göring Gambit, Main Line
The most played answer, 6. Bc4, also scores best for White: 60.8%, with White winning 58.8% and Black 37.3% of 354K games. Of the main answers, 6. Bd2 scores lowest: 49.6%. Stockfish's first choice is 6. Bd3.
Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: White's wins plus half the draws, in rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500. How to play against other popular openings
Popularity by year
The Scotch Game: Göring Gambit, Main Line has gained ground since 2016: 0.024% of Lichess games in 2025, up from 0.016%.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.016% | 5,736 |
| 2017 | 0.015% | 8,123 |
| 2018 | 0.014% | 11,215 |
| 2019 | 0.013% | 16,060 |
| 2020 | 0.012% | 34,986 |
| 2021 | 0.012% | 46,616 |
| 2022 | 0.013% | 48,009 |
| 2023 | 0.014% | 52,731 |
| 2024 | 0.02% | 71,417 |
| 2025 | 0.024% | 84,946 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.027% | 29,312 |
Share of rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500 (blitz, rapid and classical) that reach this position, by year; 2026: January to April. Which openings are rising and falling
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Scotch Game: Göring Gambit, Main Line (C44)”. Lichess data as of 6 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/scotch-game-goring-gambit-main-line