- ECO code
- A05
- Moves
- 1.Nf3 Nf6
- Family
- Zukertort Opening
- To move
- White
- Master games
- 6,439
- Average game length
- 45 moves
- Years covered
- 1889–2026
Zukertort Opening is the opening filed under ECO code A05, reached after 1.Nf3 Nf6. It belongs to the Zukertort Opening family; in the resulting position it is White to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 6,439 games on this line — the 21st most played opening in the collection. The oldest game on this line is from 1889 and the most recent from 2026. The busiest decade in this collection is the 2020s, with 2,425 games. An average game here lasts 45 moves.
White wins 40% of those games, 37% end in a draw, and Black wins 23%. Compared with the collection average (White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28%), Black scores worse here by 5 percentage points.
From this position the most popular move is 2.c4, played in 3,604 games, followed by 2.g3 (1,757) and 2.b3 (580). After 2.c4 White scores 36% and Black 21%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Nakamura,Hi (599 games); on the Black side, Vachier Lagrave,M (174).
3 named variations branch off this position and have their own page here, among them King's Indian Attack: Symmetrical Defense; Zukertort Opening: Nimzo-Larsen Variation; King's Indian Attack.
Reading about an opening is not the same as knowing it. Play this line against the Katuranga bot, then let the engine mark your brilliant moves, mistakes and blunders in Analysis — the fastest way to find out which of these moves you actually understand.
Results in master games
- White 40% (2,616)
- Draws 37% (2,365)
- Black 23% (1,458)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.c4 | 3,604 | 36/43/21 | — |
| 2.g3 | 1,757 | 42/32/26 | — |
| 2.b3 | 580 | 61/19/20 | Zukertort Opening: Nimzo-Larsen Variation |
| 2.d4 | 367 | 42/35/23 | — |
| 2.e3 | 108 | 62/20/18 | — |
| 2.d3 | 10 | 50/30/20 | — |
| 2.b4 | 6 | 17/33/50 | — |
| 2.Nd4 | 3 | 0/100/0 | — |
Variations from this position
- King's Indian Attack: Symmetrical Defense · 2.g3 g6 · 711 games
- Nimzo-Larsen Variation · 2.b3 · 580 games
- King's Indian Attack · 2.g3 d5 · 527 games
How the position is reached
- Zukertort Opening · 1.Nf3 · 14,933 games
Played most often by
As White
- Nakamura,Hi 599
- Keymer,Vincent 306
- Kramnik,V 166
As Black
- Vachier Lagrave,M 174
- Mamedyarov,S 165
- Grischuk,A 143
Games per decade
- 1880s 1
- 1890s 3
- 1910s 1
- 1920s 85
- 1930s 66
- 1940s 36
- 1950s 197
- 1960s 163
- 1970s 281
- 1980s 424
- 1990s 596
- 2000s 701
- 2010s 1,460
- 2020s 2,425
Master games on this line
| White | Black | Result | Year | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jumabayev,R | Abdusattorov,Nodirbek | 0-1 | 2026 | FIDE World Rapid Team |
| Svane,R | Nepomniachtchi,I | 0-1 | 2026 | Titled Tue 12th May 2026 |
| Li,Di | Giri,A | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | FIDE World Rapid Team |
| Firouzja,Alireza | Niemann,Hans Moke | 1-0 | 2026 | GCT Super Blitz Poland |
| Nakamura,Hi | Duda,J | 0-1 | 2026 | Titled Tue 9th Jun 2026 |
| Keymer,Vincent | Giri,A | 0-1 | 2026 | GCT Super Blitz Croatia |
Frequently asked questions
What is the Zukertort Opening?
It is the opening with ECO code A05, reached after 1.Nf3 Nf6. It belongs to the Zukertort Opening family.
Is the Zukertort Opening good for White or for Black?
In 6,439 master games on this line White wins 40%, 37% are drawn and Black wins 23%. The collection average is White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28% — so this line is no worse than usual for White than the field as a whole.
What is the main continuation of the Zukertort Opening?
2.c4 — played in 3,604 of the master games on this line.
Which grandmasters play the Zukertort Opening?
On the White side Nakamura,Hi (599), Keymer,Vincent (306), Kramnik,V (166); on the Black side Vachier Lagrave,M (174), Mamedyarov,S (165), Grischuk,A (143).
Every number on this page is computed from Katuranga's master game collection; names and ECO codes follow the lichess opening book (CC0).
Try this line on the board
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