Zukertort Opening: Wade Defense
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Statistics from Lichess
513,342 games: White 50.3% / Draw 4.9% / Black 44.8%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 167,827168K | ||
| 111,956112K | ||
| 94,18694K | ||
| 75,63876K | ||
| 40,21540K | ||
| 8,3178,317 | ||
| 6,9906,990 | ||
| 2,2992,299 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.95 White is better
Best play: 3. d4 Nd7 4. Be3 g6 5. Nc3 Bg7 6. Qd2 c5 7. Bb5 Bxf3
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 Black: Black scores 45% under 1400, 48% at 2200 and up (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 419K | |
| 1400–1799 | 598K | |
| 1800–2199 | 217K | |
| 2200 and up | 7,097 | |
| Masters, over the board | 24 |
Master games
- Gutman, L. – Hort, V.
- Hansen, C. – Karlsson, L.
- Dizdarevic, E. – Kovacevic, V.
- Nevednichy, V. – Miljanic, B.
- Schmittdiel, E. – Vonthron, H.
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: Wade Defense (ECO A04, Flank Openings) is a variation of the Zukertort Opening: Pirc Invitation, reached after 1. Nf3 d6 2. e4 Bg4 (2 moves).
In 513,342 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 50.3%, Black 44.8% and 4.9% were drawn. White's most played move here is 3. Be2, in 33% 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: Wade Defense
3. Bc4 scores best for White: 54.1%, with White winning 52.0% and Black 43.8% of 76K games. The most played answer, 3. Be2, scores lowest: 52.2% in 168K games. Stockfish's first choice is 3. d4.
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: Wade Defense dipped to 0.017% of Lichess games in 2018 and has recovered since: 0.021% in 2025.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.024% | 8,611 |
| 2017 | 0.02% | 11,160 |
| 2018 | 0.017% | 13,412 |
| 2019 | 0.017% | 21,404 |
| 2020 | 0.018% | 51,709 |
| 2021 | 0.019% | 74,060 |
| 2022 | 0.019% | 72,289 |
| 2023 | 0.02% | 75,440 |
| 2024 | 0.022% | 79,688 |
| 2025 | 0.021% | 73,519 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.021% | 22,993 |
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: Wade Defense (A04)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/zukertort-opening-wade-defense