- ECO code
- D02
- Moves
- 1.d4 d5 2.Nf3
- Family
- Queen's Pawn Game
- To move
- Black
- Master games
- 1,968
- Average game length
- 43 moves
- Years covered
- 1862–2026
Queen's Pawn Game: Zukertort Variation is the opening filed under ECO code D02, reached after 1.d4 d5 2.Nf3. It belongs to the Queen's Pawn Game family and is known as the Zukertort Variation; in the resulting position it is Black to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 1,968 games on this line — the 60th most played opening in the collection. The oldest game on this line is from 1862 and the most recent from 2026. The busiest decade in this collection is the 2020s, with 857 games. An average game here lasts 43 moves.
White wins 38% of those games, 33% end in a draw, and Black wins 29%. That is close to the collection average (White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28%).
From this position the most popular move is 2...Nf6, played in 1,390 games, followed by 2...e6 (228) and 2...c5 (182). 2...Nf6 leads into Queen's Pawn Game: Symmetrical Variation. After 2...Nf6 White scores 39% and Black 28%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Grischuk,A (140 games); on the Black side, Shirov,A (110).
2 named variations branch off this position and have their own page here, among them Queen's Pawn Game: Symmetrical Variation; Queen's Pawn Game: London System.
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Results in master games
- White 38% (751)
- Draws 33% (646)
- Black 29% (571)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2...Nf6 | 1,390 | 39/33/28 | Queen's Pawn Game: Symmetrical Variation |
| 2...e6 | 228 | 42/33/25 | — |
| 2...c5 | 182 | 40/29/31 | — |
| 2...c6 | 87 | 26/42/32 | — |
| 2...Bf5 | 28 | 11/25/64 | — |
| 2...Nc6 | 23 | 39/39/22 | — |
| 2...Bg4 | 15 | 33/13/54 | — |
| 2...Nd7 | 9 | 22/45/33 | — |
Variations from this position
- Queen's Pawn Game: Symmetrical Variation · 2...Nf6 · 1,390 games
- Queen's Pawn Game: London System · 2...Nf6 3.Bf4 · 306 games
How the position is reached
- Queen's Pawn Game · 1.d4 · 45,810 games
- Queen's Pawn Game · 1.d4 d5 · 11,560 games
Played most often by
As White
- Grischuk,A 140
- Rubinstein, Akiba 98
- Alekhine, Alexander 56
As Black
- Shirov,A 110
- Abdusattorov,Nodirbek 69
- Marshall, Frank James 57
Games per decade
- 1860s 1
- 1890s 34
- 1900s 138
- 1910s 128
- 1920s 130
- 1930s 77
- 1940s 31
- 1950s 19
- 1960s 27
- 1970s 12
- 1980s 55
- 1990s 121
- 2000s 144
- 2010s 194
- 2020s 857
Master games on this line
| White | Black | Result | Year | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abdusattorov,Nodirbek | Holt,C | 1-0 | 2026 | Titled Tue 28th Apr 2026 |
| Nihal,Sarin | Vachier Lagrave,M | 1-0 | 2026 | Chess.com Open Playoffs |
| Nakamura,Hi | Sjugirov,S | 1-0 | 2026 | Titled Tue 24th Feb 2026 |
| Nakamura,Hi | Punin,Andrii | 1-0 | 2026 | Titled Tue 5th May 2026 |
| Theodorou,Nikolas | Caruana,F | 0-1 | 2026 | Chess.com Open PlayIn3 |
| Gukesh,D | Aravindh,Chithambaram VR. | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | 88th Tata Steel Masters |
Frequently asked questions
What is the Queen's Pawn Game: Zukertort Variation?
It is the opening with ECO code D02, reached after 1.d4 d5 2.Nf3. It belongs to the Queen's Pawn Game family.
Is the Queen's Pawn Game: Zukertort Variation good for White or for Black?
In 1,968 master games on this line White wins 38%, 33% are drawn and Black wins 29%. The collection average is White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28% — so this line is a slightly better bargain for Black than the field as a whole.
What is the main continuation of the Queen's Pawn Game: Zukertort Variation?
2...Nf6 — played in 1,390 of the master games on this line, which leads into Queen's Pawn Game: Symmetrical Variation.
Which grandmasters play the Queen's Pawn Game: Zukertort Variation?
On the White side Grischuk,A (140), Rubinstein, Akiba (98), Alekhine, Alexander (56); on the Black side Shirov,A (110), Abdusattorov,Nodirbek (69), Marshall, Frank James (57).
Every number on this page is computed from Katuranga's master game collection; names and ECO codes follow the lichess opening book (CC0).
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