Zukertort Opening: Lemberger Gambit
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Statistics from Lichess
1,249,383 games: White 41.8% / Draw 4.0% / Black 54.2%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 952,582953K | ||
| 107,709108K | ||
| Petrov's Defense | 65,20165K | |
| 31,72832K | ||
| 28,17228K | ||
| 25,29625K | ||
| 20,08820K | ||
| Sicilian Defense: Nimzowitsch Variation | 7,1797,179 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 9, 2026
Engine evaluation
−0.73 Black is better
Best play: 2... Nxe4 3. d4 g6 4. Bd3 Nf6 5. c4 Bg7 6. Nc3 O-O 7. Bg5
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 worse this line does for White: White scores 49% under 1400, 45% at 2200 and up (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 1.7M | |
| 1400–1799 | 1.1M | |
| 1800–2199 | 655K | |
| 2200 and up | 45K | |
| Masters, over the board | 11 |
Master games
- Hernandez Guerrero, G. E. – Delgado Ramirez, N.
- Hracek, Z. – Polak, T.
- Lingnau, C. – Pinter, J.
- Mogranzini, R. – Piscopo, P.
- Buturin, V. – Tomescu, V.
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
Zukertort Opening: Lemberger Gambit (ECO A05, Flank Openings) is a gambit in the Zukertort Opening, reached after 1. Nf3 Nf6 2. e4 (2 moves).
In 1,249,383 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 41.8%, Black 54.2% and 4.0% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 2…Nxe4, in 76% 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: Lemberger Gambit
The most played answer, 2…Nxe4, also scores best for Black: 58.5%, with Black winning 56.6% and White 39.5% of 953K games. Of the main answers, 2…e5 scores lowest: 48.5%. Stockfish's first choice is also 2…Nxe4.
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 Zukertort Opening: Lemberger Gambit has gained ground since 2016: 0.047% of Lichess games in 2025, up from 0.033%.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.033% | 11,884 |
| 2017 | 0.035% | 19,144 |
| 2018 | 0.039% | 30,718 |
| 2019 | 0.043% | 54,197 |
| 2020 | 0.048% | 140,433 |
| 2021 | 0.052% | 202,088 |
| 2022 | 0.051% | 193,034 |
| 2023 | 0.051% | 190,303 |
| 2024 | 0.049% | 176,648 |
| 2025 | 0.047% | 163,444 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.046% | 50,595 |
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
Transpositions
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Zukertort Opening: Lemberger Gambit (A05)”. Lichess data as of 9 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/zukertort-opening-lemberger-gambit