Zukertort Opening: Herrstrom Gambit
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Statistics from Lichess
115,086 games: White 49.8% / Draw 4.1% / Black 46.1%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 71,65872K | ||
| 12,64613K | ||
| 11,71712K | ||
| 4,7254,725 | ||
| 2,9142,914 | ||
| 2,4872,487 | ||
| 2,4212,421 | ||
| 1,9231,923 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026
Engine evaluation
+1.62 White is clearly better
Even so, Black scores 48.1% here in practice: wins plus half the draws in rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500.
Best play: 2. Nxg5 e5 3. d4 Be7 4. Nh3 exd4 5. Nf4 d5 6. g3 c5
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Zukertort Opening: Herrstrom Gambit (ECO A04, Flank Openings) is a gambit in the Zukertort Opening, reached after 1. Nf3 g5 (1 move).
In 115,086 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 49.8%, Black 46.1% and 4.1% were drawn. White's most played move here is 2. Nxg5, in 62% 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: Herrstrom Gambit
The most played answer, 2. Nxg5, also scores best for White: 53.8%, with White winning 51.8% and Black 44.2% of 72K games. Of the main answers, 2. g3 scores lowest: 49.1%. Stockfish's first choice is also 2. Nxg5.
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: Herrstrom Gambit (A04)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/zukertort-opening-herrstrom-gambit