Scotch Game: Mieses Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
715,004 games: White 47.5% / Draw 5.8% / Black 46.6%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 401,425401K | ||
| 283,505284K | ||
| 22,63123K | ||
| 4,6054,605 | ||
| 1,4471,447 | ||
| 320320 | ||
| 272272 | ||
| 213213 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 1, 2026
Engine evaluation
0.00 The position is about equal
Best play: 6... Qe7 7. Qe2 Nd5 8. c4 Ba6 9. b3 g6 10. Ba3 Nb4 11. Bb2
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
Rating changes little here: White scores 52% under 1400, 51% at 2200 and up and 53% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 260K | |
| 1400–1799 | 400K | |
| 1800–2199 | 350K | |
| 2200 and up | 167K | |
| Masters, over the board | 5,803 |
Master games
- Carlsen, M. – Aronian, L.
- Nakamura, H. – Carlsen, M.
- Kasparov, G. – Caruana, F.
- Carlsen, M. – Aronian, L.
- Caruana, F. – Aronian, L.
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: Mieses Variation (ECO C45, Open Games) is a variation of the Scotch Game: Schmidt Variation, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nxc6 bxc6 6. e5 (6 moves).
In 715,004 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 47.5%, Black 46.6% and 5.8% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 6…Qe7, in 56% 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: Mieses Variation
The most played answer, 6…Qe7, also scores best for Black: 52.3%, with Black winning 49.0% and White 44.4% of 401K games. Of the main answers, 6…Nd5 scores lowest: 46.3%. Stockfish's first choice is also 6…Qe7.
Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: Black'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: Mieses Variation peaked in 2017 at 0.034% of Lichess games and has slipped since: 0.025% in 2025.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.03% | 10,688 |
| 2017 | 0.034% | 18,438 |
| 2018 | 0.033% | 25,971 |
| 2019 | 0.031% | 39,114 |
| 2020 | 0.031% | 92,016 |
| 2021 | 0.027% | 105,438 |
| 2022 | 0.026% | 96,020 |
| 2023 | 0.027% | 102,576 |
| 2024 | 0.027% | 96,066 |
| 2025 | 0.025% | 88,111 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.027% | 29,180 |
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: Mieses Variation (C45)”. Lichess data as of 1 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/scotch-game-mieses-variation