Zukertort Opening: The Potato
Play any move on the board to explore from there, or step through the line with ‹ › and the arrow keys.
Statistics from Lichess
19,178 games: White 49.5% / Draw 4.5% / Black 46.0%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 4,4464,446 | ||
| 4,4094,409 | ||
| 3,7393,739 | ||
| 1,5091,509 | ||
| 1,1381,138 | ||
| 1,0951,095 | ||
| 911911 | ||
| 392392 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 27, 2026
Engine evaluation
−0.10 The position is about equal
Best play: 2... c5 3. e3 Nc6 4. d4 Bg4 5. Be2 e6 6. h3 Bh5 7. O-O
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Zukertort Opening: The Potato (ECO A06, Flank Openings) is a variation of the Zukertort Opening, reached after 1. Nf3 d5 2. a4 (2 moves).
In 19,178 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 49.5%, Black 46.0% and 4.5% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 2…c5, in 23% of those games.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
Write a description or report a mistake
How to play against the Zukertort Opening: The Potato
2…Bf5 scores best for Black: 49.8%, with Black winning 47.6% and White 48.1% of 1,138 games. The most played, 2…c5, scores 49.0% in 4,446 games, and 2…e6 scores lowest: 47.0%. Stockfish's first choice is 2…c5.
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
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Zukertort Opening: The Potato (A06)”. Lichess data as of 27 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/zukertort-opening-the-potato