Zukertort Opening: Arctic Defense, Drunken Knight Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
10,135 games: White 47.2% / Draw 4.4% / Black 48.4%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 2,8382,838 | ||
| 2,4162,416 | ||
| 1,7121,712 | ||
| 1,2151,215 | ||
| 964964 | ||
| 188188 | ||
| 178178 | ||
| 145145 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 29, 2026
Engine evaluation
+1.36 White is better
Best play: 4. Be3 c6 5. a3 Na6 6. h4 h5 7. Nc3 Nc7 8. Qd2 d5
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Zukertort Opening: Arctic Defense, Drunken Knight Variation (ECO A04, Flank Openings) is a variation of the Zukertort Opening: Arctic Defense, reached after 1. Nf3 f6 2. e4 Nh6 3. d4 Nf7 (3 moves).
In 10,135 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 47.2%, Black 48.4% and 4.4% were drawn. White's most played move here is 4. Bc4, in 28% 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 Zukertort Opening: Arctic Defense, Drunken Knight Variation
4. Bd3 scores best for White: 52.5%, with White winning 50.2% and Black 45.1% of 964 games. The most played, 4. Bc4, scores 50.9% in 2,838 games, and 4. e5 scores lowest: 47.3%. Stockfish's first choice is 4. Be3.
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
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Zukertort Opening: Arctic Defense, Drunken Knight Variation (A04)”. Lichess data as of 29 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/zukertort-opening-arctic-defense-drunken-knight-variation