Center Game: Ross Gambit
1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. Bd3
The Center Game: Ross Gambit is a chess opening classified as ECO C21, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. Bd3. 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 1,000 times by this move order. White won 48%, 2% were drawn and Black won 50%. The most popular continuation is 3… Nc6 (52% of games).
Engine evaluation: −0.49 (Stockfish, depth 50; best line 3… Nc6 4. Ne2 Bc5 5. O-O a5 6. h3)
- ECO
- C21
- Moves
- 5 plies
- FEN
rnbqkbnr/pppp1ppp/8/8/3pP3/3B4/PPP2PPP/RNBQK1NR b KQkq - 1 3- PGN
1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. Bd3
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 418 | |
| 1500-1999 | 548 | |
| 2000+ | 34 | |
| All | 1,000 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 3… Nc6 | 524 (52%) | |
| 3… c5 | 108 (11%) | |
| 3… d6 | 85 (9%) | |
| 3… Nf6 | 68 (7%) | |
| 3… d5 | 65 (7%) | |
| 3… Bc5 | 63 (6%) | |
| 3… Bb4+ | 26 (3%) | |
| 3… Qf6 | 14 (1%) |
Master games
2 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 0%, draw 0%, Black 100%). The strongest:
- FM Josef Ask (2130) – GM Thomas Ernst (2301) 0-1 · Jonkoping Open 2025 · 2025-07-27
Search all games of the Center Game: Ross Gambit and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- Heriantoy256 (2143) – aarush_2024009 (2132) 0-1 · 2026-09-07 · 600 + 0s
- TheGreatestloser (2152) – BJELOPOLJACC (2108) 1-0 · 2026-09-06 · 180 + 0s
- cambelisa (2088) – elefas (2129) 1-0 · 2026-09-02 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Center Game Accepted 1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4
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: von der Lasa Gambit C21
- Center Game: Berger Variation C22
- 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.