Zukertort Opening: Lisitsyn Gambit
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Statistics from Lichess
222,162 games: White 51.0% / Draw 3.7% / Black 45.3%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 180,208180K | ||
| 17,03017K | ||
| 9,9919,991 | ||
| French Defense: Knight Variation, Franco-Hiva Gambit | 4,7514,751 | |
| Latvian Gambit | 2,7952,795 | |
| 1,7841,784 | ||
| 1,4511,451 | ||
| Nimzowitsch Defense: Colorado Countergambit | 1,3601,360 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 1, 2026
Engine evaluation
0.00 The position is about equal
Best play: 2... fxe4 3. Ng5 d5 4. d3 Qd6 5. Nc3 h6 6. Nb5 Qc6 7. Nxc7+
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
Rating changes little here: White scores 51% under 1400, 53% at 2200 and up and 52% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 93K | |
| 1400–1799 | 129K | |
| 1800–2199 | 124K | |
| 2200 and up | 28K | |
| Masters, over the board | 331 |
Master games
- Bu, X. – Zhang, Z.
- Kazhgaleyev, M. – Nikolic, P.
- Lautier, J. – Bareev, E.
- Vaganian, R. A. – Georgiev, K.
- Murzin, V. – Kobalia, M.
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: Lisitsyn Gambit (ECO A04, Flank Openings) is a gambit in the Zukertort Opening: Dutch Variation, reached after 1. Nf3 f5 2. e4 (2 moves).
In 222,162 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 51.0%, Black 45.3% and 3.7% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 2…fxe4, in 81% 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: Lisitsyn Gambit
The most played answer, 2…fxe4, also scores best for Black: 48.2%, with Black winning 46.3% and White 50.0% of 180K games. Of the main answers, 2…Nf6 scores lowest: 42.6%. Stockfish's first choice is also 2…fxe4.
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: Lisitsyn Gambit has gained ground since 2016: 0.0096% of Lichess games in 2025, up from 0.007%.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.007% | 2,503 |
| 2017 | 0.008% | 4,417 |
| 2018 | 0.0081% | 6,334 |
| 2019 | 0.0086% | 10,766 |
| 2020 | 0.0079% | 23,259 |
| 2021 | 0.0078% | 30,574 |
| 2022 | 0.0083% | 31,196 |
| 2023 | 0.0086% | 32,291 |
| 2024 | 0.0091% | 32,707 |
| 2025 | 0.0096% | 33,424 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.01% | 10,916 |
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: Lisitsyn Gambit (A04)”. Lichess data as of 1 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/zukertort-opening-lisitsyn-gambit