Center Game: l'Hermet Variation
1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. Qxd4 Nc6 4. Qe3 f5
The Center Game: l'Hermet Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO C22, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. Qxd4 Nc6 4. Qe3 f5. It is a line of the Center Game. White is to move.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 16 times by this move order. White won 31%, 6% were drawn and Black won 63%. The most popular continuation is 5. exf5+ (50% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.91 (Stockfish, depth 44; best line 5. exf5+ Be7 6. Qh3 Nf6 7. Nf3 Nb4)
- ECO
- C22
- Moves
- 8 plies
- FEN
r1bqkbnr/pppp2pp/2n5/5p2/4P3/4Q3/PPP2PPP/RNB1KBNR w KQkq - 0 5- PGN
1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. Qxd4 Nc6 4. Qe3 f5
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 10 | |
| 1500-1999 | 4 | |
| 2000+ | 2 | |
| All | 16 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 5. exf5+ | 8 (50%) | |
| 5. Nc3 | 3 (19%) | |
| 5. f3 | 2 (13%) | |
| 5. Nd2 | 1 (6%) | |
| 5. e5 | 1 (6%) | |
| 5. Bd2 | 1 (6%) |
Highest-rated Lichess games
- lovestorycc (2336) – Cryspon (2318) 1-0 · 2026-09-06 · 180 + 0s
- zemer (2151) – yacoubnor (2156) 0-1 · 2026-09-06 · 180 + 2s
- altaiea (1892) – amirabedi (1866) 1-0 · 2026-09-07 · 300 + 3s
Comes from
Center Game: Paulsen Attack Variation 1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. Qxd4 Nc6 4. Qe3
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: Berger 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.