Zukertort Opening: Ware Defense
Play any move on the board to explore from there, or step through the line with ‹ › and the arrow keys.
Statistics from Lichess
63,147 games: White 54.6% / Draw 4.7% / Black 40.7%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 17,92018K | ||
| 14,64715K | ||
| 10,94311K | ||
| 6,7036,703 | ||
| 2,4532,453 | ||
| 2,2922,292 | ||
| 2,1902,190 | ||
| 2,0372,037 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 27, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.81 White is better
Best play: 2. e4 e6 3. d4 d5 4. e5 c5 5. c3 Nc6 6. Bd3 c4
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Zukertort Opening: Ware Defense (ECO A04, Flank Openings) is a variation of the Zukertort Opening, reached after 1. Nf3 a5 (1 move).
In 63,147 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 54.6%, Black 40.7% and 4.7% were drawn. White's most played move here is 2. d4, in 28% 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: Ware Defense
2. g3 scores best for White: 57.9%, with White winning 55.5% and Black 39.8% of 15K games. The most played answer, 2. d4, scores lowest: 56.8% in 18K games. Stockfish's first choice is 2. e4.
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
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Zukertort Opening: Ware Defense (A04)”. Lichess data as of 27 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/zukertort-opening-ware-defense