Bird Opening: Dutch Variation, Batavo Gambit
1. e4 c5 2. f4 d5 3. Nf3 dxe4
The Bird Opening: Dutch Variation, Batavo Gambit is a chess opening classified as ECO B21, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. f4 d5 3. Nf3 dxe4. It is a line of the Bird Opening. White is to move.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 631 times by this move order. White won 44%, 4% were drawn and Black won 52%. The most popular continuation is 4. Ng5 (59% of games).
Engine evaluation: −0.51 (Stockfish, depth 34; best line 4. Ne5 Nd7 5. Nc3 g6 6. d4 exd3)
- ECO
- B21
- Moves
- 6 plies
- FEN
rnbqkbnr/pp2pppp/8/2p5/4pP2/5N2/PPPP2PP/RNBQKB1R w KQkq - 0 4- PGN
1. e4 c5 2. f4 d5 3. Nf3 dxe4
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 44 | |
| 1500-1999 | 466 | |
| 2000+ | 121 | |
| All | 631 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 4. Ng5 | 373 (59%) | |
| 4. Ne5 | 233 (37%) | |
| 4. Ng1 | 15 (2%) | |
| 4. Bc4 | 2 (0%) | |
| 4. Bb5+ | 1 (0%) | |
| 4. d3 | 1 (0%) |
Master games
15 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 13%, draw 27%, Black 60%). The strongest:
- GM Jergus Pechac (2510) – GM Roven Vogel (2537) 1-0 · TCh-AUT 2025-26 · 2025-12-14
- FM Marton Prorok (2350) – GM Sergey Grigoriants (2550) 0-1 · TCh-HUN 2022-23 · 2023-04-22
- FM Marton Prorok (2350) – GM Zdenko Kozul (2539) 0-1 · TCh-HUN 2022-23 · 2023-02-19
- Jan Mikes (2307) – Dusan Schwarz (2293) 1/2-1/2 · TCh-AUT 2nd Ost 2018-19 · 2018-10-07
- FM Marton Prorok (2332) – IM Sandor Farago (2247) 1-0 · FSIM September 2017 · 2017-09-11
Search all games of the Bird Opening: Dutch Variation, Batavo Gambit and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- EmirGamis (2364) – NM FedirBohatyrchuk1892 (2513) 0-1 · 2026-09-06 · 180 + 0s
- jaquematico (2331) – civotnezc (2499) 1-0 · 2026-09-06 · 600 + 0s
- jaquematico (2350) – googlecoms (2309) 1-0 · 2026-09-05 · 600 + 0s
Comes from
Sicilian Defense: McDonnell Attack (1… c5 2. f4) 1. e4 c5 2. f4
More Bird Opening lines (all)
- Bird Opening A02
- Bird Opening: Batavo-Polish Attack A02
- Bird Opening: Double Duck Formation A02
- Bird Opening: From's Gambit A02
- Bird Opening: From's Gambit, Bahr Gambit A02
- Bird Opening: From's Gambit, Langheld Gambit A02
- Bird Opening: From's Gambit, Lasker Variation A02
- Bird Opening: From's Gambit, Lipke Variation A02
- Bird Opening: Hobbs Gambit A02
- Bird Opening: Hobbs-Zilbermints Gambit A02
- Bird Opening: Horsefly Defense A02
- Bird Opening: Lasker Gambit A02
Opening names and moves from the Lichess openings dataset; statistics from the Lichess open database, 2026-09 (CC0), sample of 12.6 million games, bots excluded; evaluations from Lichess cloud analysis (all CC0). Master games from The Week in Chess #920–#1664 by Mark Crowther, used with permission.