Center Game: Kupreichik Variation
1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. Qxd4 Nc6 4. Qe3 Nf6 5. Nc3 Bb4 6. Bd2 O-O 7. O-O-O Re8 8. Bc4 d6 9. Nh3
The Center Game: Kupreichik Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO C22, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. Qxd4 Nc6 4. Qe3 Nf6 5. Nc3 Bb4 6. Bd2 O-O 7. O-O-O Re8 8. Bc4 d6 9. Nh3. It is a line of the Center Game. Black is to move.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 2 times by this move order. White won 50%, 50% were drawn and Black won 0%. The most popular continuation is 9… Be6 (100% of games).
Engine evaluation: −0.57 (Stockfish, depth 31; best line 9… a5 10. Rhe1 Ne5 11. Be2 Bxh3 12. Qxh3)
- ECO
- C22
- Moves
- 17 plies
- FEN
r1bqr1k1/ppp2ppp/2np1n2/8/1bB1P3/2N1Q2N/PPPB1PPP/2KR3R b - - 1 9- PGN
1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. Qxd4 Nc6 4. Qe3 Nf6 5. Nc3 Bb4 6. Bd2 O-O 7. O-O-O Re8 8. Bc4 d6 9. Nh3
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 2000+ | 2 | |
| All | 2 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 9… Be6 | 2 (100%) |
Master games
4 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 25%, draw 0%, Black 75%). The strongest:
- Javier Amores Gago (2167) – IM Nicolai Getz (2353) 0-1 · XV Sant Marti Open A · 2013-07-18
- FM Casper Liu (2278) – FM Mert Acikel (2222) 0-1 · Titled Tue 18th Jul Early · 2023-07-18
- Cezary Borowy (2019) – Stanislaw Praczukowski (2100) 1-0 · 174th YMCA Autumn A 2016 · 2016-11-11
- Ali Nailer (1780) – Oguz Oner (1960) 0-1 · Turkish Cup 2018 · 2018-02-01
Search all games of the Center Game: Kupreichik Variation and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- taras05 (2443) – IM AjedrezEstrategico (2490) 1/2-1/2 · 2026-09-06 · 180 + 0s
- MatthewAndSaimon (2475) – ogni_aerodROMA (2390) 1-0 · 2026-09-05 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Center Game: Berger Variation 1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. Qxd4 Nc6 4. Qe3 Nf6
More Center Game lines (all)
- Center Game (1… e5 2. d4) C20
- Center Game (2… exd4 3. Qxd4) C21
- Center Game: Halasz-McDonnell Gambit C21
- Center Game: Halasz-McDonnell Gambit, Crocodile Variation C21
- Center Game: Kieseritzky Variation (2… exd4 3. Nf3) C21
- Center Game: Kieseritzky Variation (3. Nf3 c5) C21
- Center Game: Kieseritzky Variation (3… c5 4. Bc4) C21
- Center Game: Lanc-Arnold Gambit C21
- Center Game: Lanc-Arnold Gambit, Schippler Gambit C21
- Center Game: Ross Gambit C21
- Center Game: von der Lasa Gambit C21
- Center Game: Charousek Variation C22
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.