Zukertort Opening: Quiet System
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Statistics from Lichess
748,151 games: White 47.0% / Draw 6.3% / Black 46.7%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 291,082291K | ||
| 174,754175K | ||
| 110,540111K | ||
| 44,30044K | ||
| 43,86444K | ||
| 36,36536K | ||
| 24,13824K | ||
| 10,97411K |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 9, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.05 The position is about equal
Best play: 2... e6 3. d4 d5 4. Bd3 b6 5. b3 Bd6 6. Bb2 Bb7 7. c4
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 better this line does for White: White scores 48% under 1400, 51% at 2200 and up and 53% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 281K | |
| 1400–1799 | 302K | |
| 1800–2199 | 411K | |
| 2200 and up | 176K | |
| Masters, over the board | 1,149 |
Master games
- Carlsen, M. – Ding Liren
- Nakamura, H. – Caruana, F.
- Nakamura, H. – Firouzja, A.
- Nakamura, H. – Karjakin, S.
- Aronian, L. – 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 27, 2026
Overview
Zukertort Opening: Quiet System (ECO A05, Flank Openings) is a variation of the Zukertort Opening, reached after 1. Nf3 Nf6 2. e3 (2 moves).
In 748,151 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 47.0%, Black 46.7% and 6.3% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 2…g6, in 39% 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: Quiet System
The most played answer, 2…g6, also scores best for Black: 51.1%, with Black winning 47.8% and White 45.6% of 291K games. Of the main answers, 2…e6 scores lowest: 48.3%. Stockfish's first choice is 2…e6.
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: Quiet System has gained ground since 2016: 0.028% of Lichess games in 2025, up from 0.022% (its peak: 0.034% in 2020).
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.022% | 7,832 |
| 2017 | 0.024% | 13,028 |
| 2018 | 0.026% | 20,032 |
| 2019 | 0.032% | 39,443 |
| 2020 | 0.034% | 99,088 |
| 2021 | 0.029% | 111,839 |
| 2022 | 0.028% | 104,683 |
| 2023 | 0.028% | 105,541 |
| 2024 | 0.029% | 104,191 |
| 2025 | 0.028% | 98,377 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.03% | 32,863 |
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
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Zukertort Opening: Quiet System (A05)”. Lichess data as of 9 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/zukertort-opening-quiet-system