Zukertort Opening: Queen's Gambit Invitation
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Statistics from Lichess
7,007,934 games: White 52.2% / Draw 5.2% / Black 42.6%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 1,992,8632M | ||
| 1,646,4951.6M | ||
| English Opening: Agincourt Defense | 1,257,5591.3M | |
| French Defense: Knight Variation | 911,017911K | |
| 359,822360K | ||
| 270,416270K | ||
| 253,517254K | ||
| 197,992198K |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 13, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.20 The position is about equal
Best play: 2. c4 Nf6 3. d4 d5 4. Nc3 c5 5. cxd5 cxd4 6. Qxd4 exd5
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 Black: Black scores 48% under 1400, 44% at 2200 and up and 41% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 3.1M | |
| 1400–1799 | 4.5M | |
| 1800–2199 | 3.9M | |
| 2200 and up | 646K | |
| Masters, over the board | 4,298 |
Master games
- Kramnik, V. – Carlsen, M.
- Kramnik, V. – Carlsen, M.
- So, W. – Carlsen, M.
- So, W. – Carlsen, M.
- So, W. – Carlsen, 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 26, 2026
Overview
Zukertort Opening: Queen's Gambit Invitation (ECO A04, Flank Openings) is a gambit in the Zukertort Opening, reached after 1. Nf3 e6 (1 move).
In 7,007,934 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 52.2%, Black 42.6% and 5.2% were drawn. White's most played move here is 2. d4, in 28% of those games.
It continues into one named variation, Zukertort Opening: Shabalov Gambit.
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: Queen's Gambit Invitation
2. g3 scores best for White: 57.3%, with White winning 54.6% and Black 40.0% of 1.6M games. The most played, 2. d4, scores 54.3% in 2M games, and 2. e4 scores lowest: 50.9%. Stockfish's first choice is 2. c4.
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
Popularity by year
The Zukertort Opening: Queen's Gambit Invitation has stayed between 0.26% and 0.3% of Lichess games a year since 2016 (0.28% in 2025).
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.28% | 99,823 |
| 2017 | 0.29% | 157,402 |
| 2018 | 0.3% | 234,560 |
| 2019 | 0.29% | 362,810 |
| 2020 | 0.27% | 801,842 |
| 2021 | 0.26% | 997,989 |
| 2022 | 0.26% | 985,624 |
| 2023 | 0.26% | 993,191 |
| 2024 | 0.27% | 969,635 |
| 2025 | 0.28% | 977,909 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.28% | 307,021 |
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 (1)
Transpositions
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Zukertort Opening: Queen's Gambit Invitation (A04)”. Lichess data as of 13 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/zukertort-opening-queens-gambit-invitation