Center Game: Lanc-Arnold Gambit, Schippler Gambit
1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. Nf3 Bc5 4. c3 dxc3 5. Bc4
The Center Game: Lanc-Arnold Gambit, Schippler Gambit is a chess opening classified as ECO C21, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. Nf3 Bc5 4. c3 dxc3 5. Bc4. 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 53 times by this move order. White won 66%, 4% were drawn and Black won 30%. The most popular continuation is 5… Nf6 (28% of games).
Engine evaluation: −0.35 (Stockfish, depth 34; best line 5… d5 6. Bxd5 cxb2 7. Bxb2 Nf6 8. Nc3)
- ECO
- C21
- Moves
- 9 plies
- FEN
rnbqk1nr/pppp1ppp/8/2b5/2B1P3/2p2N2/PP3PPP/RNBQK2R b KQkq - 1 5- PGN
1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. Nf3 Bc5 4. c3 dxc3 5. Bc4
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 23 | |
| 1500-1999 | 28 | |
| 2000+ | 2 | |
| All | 53 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 5… Nf6 | 15 (28%) | |
| 5… cxb2 | 10 (19%) | |
| 5… d6 | 9 (17%) | |
| 5… Qe7 | 3 (6%) | |
| 5… Qf6 | 3 (6%) | |
| 5… Ne7 | 2 (4%) | |
| 5… Nc6 | 2 (4%) | |
| 5… Bxf2+ | 2 (4%) |
Master games
1 over-the-board game is classified under this line (White 100%, draw 0%, Black 0%). The strongest:
- CM Matfey Rogov (2291) – GM David Paravyan (2620) 1-0 · Titled Tue 17th Dec Late · 2024-12-17
Search all games of the Center Game: Lanc-Arnold Gambit, Schippler Gambit and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- Essameldeen1 (2110) – KillerExclusive (2142) 1-0 · 2026-09-06 · 180 + 0s
- faisal134yusufzai (2025) – Archon_ua (2066) 0-1 · 2026-09-04 · 180 + 0s
- EmirovB (2030) – Timur88 (1958) 1-0 · 2026-09-04 · 600 + 0s
Comes from
Center Game: Lanc-Arnold Gambit 1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. Nf3 Bc5 4. c3
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: Ross Gambit C21
- Center Game: von der Lasa Gambit C21
- Center Game: Berger Variation C22
- Center Game: Charousek Variation C22
- Center Game: Hall 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.