Zukertort Opening: Santasiere's Folly
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Statistics from Lichess
106,471 games: White 51.1% / Draw 5.2% / Black 43.7%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 30,89531K | ||
| 21,04721K | ||
| 9,6729,672 | ||
| 8,7848,784 | ||
| 8,5088,508 | ||
| 6,9046,904 | ||
| 3,8243,824 | ||
| 3,0363,036 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 26, 2026
Engine evaluation
−0.06 The position is about equal
Best play: 2... Nf6 3. Bb2 e5 4. Nxe5 Bxb4 5. e3 Nbd7 6. Nf3 Nb6 7. a4
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Zukertort Opening: Santasiere's Folly (ECO A06, Flank Openings) is a variation of the Polish Opening, with d5, reached after 1. b4 d5 2. Nf3 (2 moves).
In 106,471 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 51.1%, Black 43.7% and 5.2% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 2…Nf6, in 29% 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: Santasiere's Folly
2…c6 scores best for Black: 48.1%, with Black winning 45.0% and White 48.9% of 8,508 games. The most played, 2…Nf6, scores 47.6% in 31K games, and 2…Nc6 scores lowest: 41.3%. Stockfish's first choice is 2…Nf6.
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
Transpositions
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Zukertort Opening: Santasiere's Folly (A06)”. Lichess data as of 26 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/zukertort-opening-santasieres-folly