Scotch Game: Napoleon Gambit
Play any move on the board to explore from there, or step through the line with ‹ › and the arrow keys.
Statistics from Lichess
7,577 games: White 56.2% / Draw 4.1% / Black 39.7%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 1,7111,711 | ||
| 1,4561,456 | ||
| 1,2711,271 | ||
| 900900 | ||
| 775775 | ||
| 354354 | ||
| 273273 | ||
| 171171 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.24 The position is about equal
Best play: 5... d5 6. Bxd5 Ne7 7. Qxd4 Be6 8. Qa4+ Bd7 9. Qc4 Nxd5 10. exd5
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Scotch Game: Napoleon Gambit (ECO C44, Open Games) is a gambit in the Scotch Game: Lolli Variation, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 Nxd4 4. Nxd4 exd4 5. Bc4 (5 moves).
In 7,577 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 56.2%, Black 39.7% and 4.1% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 5…c5, in 23% of those games.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
Write a description or report a mistake
How to play against the Scotch Game: Napoleon Gambit
5…d6 scores best for Black: 45.5%, with Black winning 42.7% and White 51.6% of 1,456 games. The most played answer, 5…c5, scores lowest: 38.9% in 1,711 games. Stockfish's first choice is 5…d5.
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
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Scotch Game: Napoleon Gambit (C44)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/scotch-game-napoleon-gambit