Scotch Game: Lolli Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
543,318 games: White 55.7% / Draw 5.2% / Black 39.1%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 446,052446K | ||
| 62,74863K | ||
| 22,60923K | ||
| 5,9935,993 | ||
| 5,0225,022 | ||
| 187187 | ||
| 187187 | ||
| 185185 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.57 White is slightly better
Best play: 4. Nxd4 exd4 5. Qxd4 Qf6 6. Qc4 c6 7. Nc3 b5 8. Qd3 b4
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 42% under 1400, 43% at 2200 and up (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 977K | |
| 1400–1799 | 852K | |
| 1800–2199 | 192K | |
| 2200 and up | 5,551 | |
| Masters, over the board | 13 |
Master games
- Hansen, C. – Keitlinghaus, L.
- Haugen, A. – Taylor, T. J.
- Zelcic, R. – Keitlinghaus, L.
- Pavasovic, D. – Gostisa, L.
- Nedev, T. – Drazic, S.
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: Lolli Variation (ECO C44, Open Games) is a variation of the Scotch Game, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 Nxd4 (3 moves).
In 543,318 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 55.7%, Black 39.1% and 5.2% were drawn. White's most played move here is 4. Nxd4, in 82% of those games.
It branches into 2 named variations; the most played is Scotch Game: Napoleon Gambit.
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: Lolli Variation
4. Nxe5 scores best for White: 60.2%, with White winning 58.3% and Black 37.9% of 63K games. The most played answer, 4. Nxd4, scores lowest: 58.5% in 446K games. Stockfish's first choice is 4. Nxd4.
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: Lolli Variation peaked in 2021 at 0.023% of Lichess games and has slipped since: 0.02% in 2025.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.022% | 8,006 |
| 2017 | 0.02% | 10,762 |
| 2018 | 0.017% | 13,395 |
| 2019 | 0.018% | 22,964 |
| 2020 | 0.022% | 63,114 |
| 2021 | 0.023% | 90,272 |
| 2022 | 0.021% | 80,269 |
| 2023 | 0.022% | 82,191 |
| 2024 | 0.021% | 73,611 |
| 2025 | 0.02% | 69,367 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.02% | 21,593 |
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
Variations (2)
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Scotch Game: Lolli Variation (C44)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/scotch-game-lolli-variation