Scotch Game: Scotch Gambit, Sarratt Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
787,619 games: White 53.7% / Draw 4.0% / Black 42.3%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 529,647530K | ||
| 146,668147K | ||
| 77,61478K | ||
| 15,30415K | ||
| 4,6354,635 | ||
| 3,5273,527 | ||
| 2,8552,855 | ||
| 2,4452,445 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026
Engine evaluation
0.00 The position is about equal
Best play: 5... Nh6 6. Nxf7 Nxf7 7. Bxf7+ Kxf7 8. Qh5+ g6 9. Qxc5 d5 10. O-O
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
The stronger the players, the better this line does for White: White scores 52% under 1400, 58% at 2200 and up (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 481K | |
| 1400–1799 | 849K | |
| 1800–2199 | 347K | |
| 2200 and up | 24K | |
| Masters, over the board | 103 |
Master games
- Grischuk, A. – Karjakin, S.
- Grischuk, A. – Dominguez Perez, L.
- Kovalev, V. – Kramnik, V.
- Mamedov, R. – Anand, V.
- Mamedov, R. – Dominguez Perez, 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: Scotch Gambit, Sarratt Variation (ECO C44, Open Games) is a gambit in the Scotch Game: Haxo Gambit, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Bc4 Bc5 5. Ng5 (5 moves).
In 787,619 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 53.7%, Black 42.3% and 4.0% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 5…Nh6, in 67% of those games.
It branches into 2 named variations; the most played are Scotch Game: Vitzthum Attack and Scotch Game: Cochrane-Shumov Defense.
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: Scotch Gambit, Sarratt Variation
The most played answer, 5…Nh6, also scores best for Black: 47.9%, with Black winning 45.8% and White 50.0% of 530K games. Of the main answers, 5…Ne5 scores lowest: 36.1%. Stockfish's first choice is also 5…Nh6.
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: Scotch Gambit, Sarratt Variation has gained ground since 2016: 0.032% of Lichess games in 2025, up from 0.025%.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.025% | 8,782 |
| 2017 | 0.022% | 12,271 |
| 2018 | 0.022% | 17,308 |
| 2019 | 0.024% | 29,535 |
| 2020 | 0.03% | 87,277 |
| 2021 | 0.031% | 121,061 |
| 2022 | 0.03% | 113,227 |
| 2023 | 0.034% | 127,963 |
| 2024 | 0.032% | 116,132 |
| 2025 | 0.032% | 109,926 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.03% | 32,703 |
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: Scotch Gambit, Sarratt Variation (C44)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/scotch-game-scotch-gambit-sarratt-variation