- ECO code
- A04
- Moves
- 1.Nf3
- Family
- Zukertort Opening
- To move
- Black
- Master games
- 14,933
- Average game length
- 45 moves
- Years covered
- 1872–2026
Zukertort Opening is the opening filed under ECO code A04, reached after 1.Nf3. It belongs to the Zukertort Opening family; in the resulting position it is Black to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 14,933 games on this line — the 10th most played opening in the collection. The oldest game on this line is from 1872 and the most recent from 2026. The busiest decade in this collection is the 2020s, with 6,749 games. An average game here lasts 45 moves.
White wins 41% of those games, 34% end in a draw, and Black wins 25%. Compared with the collection average (White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28%), Black scores worse here by 3 percentage points.
From this position the most popular move is 1...Nf6, played in 6,439 games, followed by 1...d5 (5,559) and 1...c5 (1,523). 1...Nf6 leads into Zukertort Opening (A05). After 1...Nf6 White scores 40% and Black 23%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Nakamura,Hi (1,516 games); on the Black side, Vachier Lagrave,M (470).
11 named variations branch off this position and have their own page here, among them Zukertort Opening (A05); Zukertort Opening (A06); 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 41% (6,006)
- Draws 34% (5,125)
- Black 25% (3,802)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1...Nf6 | 6,439 | 40/37/23 | Zukertort Opening (A05) |
| 1...d5 | 5,559 | 41/34/25 | Zukertort Opening (A06) |
| 1...c5 | 1,523 | 36/35/29 | Zukertort Opening: Sicilian Invitation |
| 1...g6 | 609 | 37/21/42 | Zukertort Opening: Kingside Fianchetto |
| 1...d6 | 245 | 38/22/40 | — |
| 1...f5 | 192 | 44/30/26 | — |
| 1...e6 | 156 | 41/30/29 | — |
| 1...b6 | 94 | 24/26/50 | — |
Variations from this position
- Zukertort Opening (A05) · 1...Nf6 · 6,439 games
- Zukertort Opening (A06) · 1...d5 · 5,559 games
- King's Indian Attack · 1...d5 2.g3 · 2,104 games
- Sicilian Invitation · 1...c5 · 1,523 games
- Réti Opening · 1...d5 2.c4 · 752 games
- King's Indian Attack: Symmetrical Defense · 1...Nf6 2.g3 g6 · 711 games
- Kingside Fianchetto · 1...g6 · 609 games
- King's Indian Attack: Double Fianchetto · 1...d5 2.g3 g6 · 602 games
- Nimzo-Larsen Variation · 1...Nf6 2.b3 · 580 games
- King's Indian Attack · 1...Nf6 2.g3 d5 · 527 games
- Nimzo-Larsen Attack: Classical Variation · 1...d5 2.b3 · 449 games
Played most often by
As White
- Nakamura,Hi 1,516
- Keymer,Vincent 730
- Giri,A 412
As Black
- Vachier Lagrave,M 470
- Nakamura,Hi 385
- Nepomniachtchi,I 371
Games per decade
- 1870s 1
- 1880s 13
- 1890s 18
- 1900s 12
- 1910s 4
- 1920s 170
- 1930s 139
- 1940s 64
- 1950s 284
- 1960s 323
- 1970s 491
- 1980s 721
- 1990s 1,111
- 2000s 1,185
- 2010s 3,648
- 2020s 6,749
Master games on this line
| White | Black | Result | Year | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| So,W | Lee,Justin | 1-0 | 2026 | Titled Tue 17th Feb 2026 |
| Caruana,F | Duda,J | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | GCT Super Rapid Poland |
| Gukesh,D | Fedoseev,Vl3 | 0-1 | 2026 | GCT Super Blitz Poland |
| Erigaisi,Arjun | Taher,Yoseph Theolifus | 1-0 | 2026 | 3rd 3-0 Thu 26th Feb 2026 |
| Jumabayev,R | Abdusattorov,Nodirbek | 0-1 | 2026 | FIDE World Rapid Team |
| Svane,R | Nepomniachtchi,I | 0-1 | 2026 | Titled Tue 12th May 2026 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the Zukertort Opening?
It is the opening with ECO code A04, reached after 1.Nf3. It belongs to the Zukertort Opening family.
Is the Zukertort Opening good for White or for Black?
In 14,933 master games on this line White wins 41%, 34% are drawn and Black wins 25%. 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?
1...Nf6 — played in 6,439 of the master games on this line, which leads into Zukertort Opening (A05).
Which grandmasters play the Zukertort Opening?
On the White side Nakamura,Hi (1,516), Keymer,Vincent (730), Giri,A (412); on the Black side Vachier Lagrave,M (470), Nakamura,Hi (385), Nepomniachtchi,I (371).
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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