On Lichess, across N = 261,183 games between players rated 900 to 1700 (September 2026 data), White scores 51.4% with the Bird Opening, 1.. The f4 pawn controls e5, and the plan is to pile defenders onto that square and d4 with the knight on f3, the pawn on e3 and the bishop on b2. Close to 4 in 10 opponents reply .
Lichess games from September 2026 (30,577,162 rated 900 to 1700) and 31,791 over-the-board games rated 2300+ from the last 12 months. Data updated: October 14, 2026.
27 named lines in this family; 1 with their own page.
The opening's share in each Lichess rating band.
At your level, 4 in 10 opponents answer , and so do online players rated 2200+. The stronger players go for more often, though: 1 game in 7, against 7 in 100 at your level. After , 2. is standard for both groups. The split comes next. Club players reply in 3 of every 10 games, while strong players choose it only 7 times in 100 and prefer or . After , your rating range leans toward 3., while strong players split almost evenly between 3. and 3..
| Move | Lichess 900–1700 | White's score | Online, 2200+ | Over the board, 2300+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 39.7% | 51.1% | 38.3% | 66.7% | |
| 11.5% | 52.5% | no data | no data | |
| 7.5% | 51.1% | 14.0% | 33.3% | |
| 7.5% | 50.9% | 10.3% | no data | |
| 6.8% | 50.7% | no data | no data | |
| 5.9% | 50.7% | 11.1% | no data | |
| no data | no data | 6.4% | no data | |
| no data | no data | 4.8% | no data |
| Move | Lichess 900–1700 | White's score | Online, 2200+ | Over the board, 2300+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 71.2% | 52.0% | 85.5% | 100.0% | |
| 10.8% | 51.9% | 1.5% | no data | |
| 6.3% | 50.2% | 4.2% | no data | |
| 3.9% | 48.9% | no data | no data | |
| 2.7% | 49.6% | 1.6% | no data | |
| 1.2% | 41.0% | no data | no data | |
| no data | no data | 2.6% | no data | |
| no data | no data | 2.2% | no data |
| Move | Lichess 900–1700 | White's score | Online, 2200+ | Over the board, 2300+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29.6% | 51.6% | 7.2% | no data | |
| 14.2% | 52.1% | 31.8% | no data | |
| 13.1% | 51.3% | no data | no data | |
| 12.0% | 53.4% | no data | no data | |
| 10.4% | 53.0% | 22.6% | no data | |
| 9.2% | 50.0% | 7.9% | no data | |
| no data | no data | 15.4% | no data | |
| no data | no data | 6.1% | no data |
| Move | Lichess 900–1700 | White's score | Online, 2200+ | Over the board, 2300+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 42.9% | 51.4% | 39.2% | no data | |
| 31.2% | 53.9% | 39.5% | no data | |
| 11.3% | 52.7% | no data | no data | |
| 7.0% | 52.1% | 4.0% | no data | |
| 3.0% | 53.5% | 9.7% | no data | |
| 1.9% | 42.7% | 2.2% | no data | |
| no data | no data | 2.7% | no data |
| Move | Lichess 900–1700 | White's score | Online, 2200+ | Over the board, 2300+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29.6% | 54.4% | no data | no data | |
| 24.7% | 54.1% | 18.1% | no data | |
| 17.6% | 54.4% | 7.3% | no data | |
| 10.8% | 49.5% | 9.1% | no data | |
| 7.7% | 51.8% | 28.5% | no data | |
| 4.4% | 50.7% | 28.2% | no data | |
| no data | no data | 5.6% | no data |
From 1., the line strong players repeat most is 2. 3. 4. 5.. It's built around two squares, e5 and d4, and leaves your pawns on f4 and e3 facing Black's on d5 and c5. Black fights for d4; each of your moves answers by adding another piece to those squares.
1. puts a pawn where it controls e5, so Black can't easily plant a knight there. 2. comes before any other pawn move because from f3 the knight covers e5 and d4 at once. 3. shores up the f4 pawn, adds a second defender to d4 and opens the f1 bishop's diagonal toward d3, c4 and b5.
Black hits d4 twice, with and . That's why 4. comes right then: it clears b2 so 5. can drop the bishop onto the long diagonal. From there it's the third defender of d4, a third guard on e5 alongside the f4 pawn and the knight, and it eyes the knight on f6. By the end of the line you have three pieces on d4 against Black's two.
The cost of 1. is on the kingside: the pawn has left f2, so the e1–h4 diagonal is open. Finish developing before you push pawns on that wing. Castling short is the norm: in 116,250 of the 261,183 games at your level, both sides castle kingside.
Up to , this is the Bird Opening: Lasker Variation, with 759 games at your level. There, after 3., the most common reply is , followed by , which pins the f3 knight to your queen. That knight is the piece guarding d4 and e5, so the bishop is going after it.
Against , the most popular move at your level, stick with 3. and the same setup rather than 3.: a pawn on g3 hands Black's h-pawn something to hit.
| Move | Strong games | Chosen by |
|---|---|---|
| 11,316 | 38.3% | |
| 4,332 | 85.5% | |
| 3,681 | 31.8% | |
| 1,394 | 39.5% | |
| 592 | 28.5% | |
| 168 | 67.3% | |
| 86 | 74.4% | |
| 102 | 52.9% |
After 1. 2. , 3. is an inaccuracy that 4 in 10 players at your level choose. It gives Black's h-pawn a target: and hit g3, and after 5., sends your g2 bishop back to f1. With 3. White scores 54 of every 100 points; with 3., 50.
42 in 100 play it in this position. It gives away 0.8 pawns of advantage. It scores 50.2%; scores 54.4%.
Against , 2. declines the pawn and is a mistake. After the knight has to move, and in the punishing line it goes back to g1. Black follows with , and the pawns on e4 and d5 give Black space at no cost. White scores 53 of every 100 points with 2. and 48 with 2..
12 in 100 play it in this position. It gives away 2 pawns of advantage. It scores 47.6%; scores 53.2%.
2. against is a blunder that drops a pawn. Nothing protects f5: after the c8 bishop's diagonal is open, and after 3. it grabs the pawn with . It shows up in 2 of every 100 games, and White scores 43 of every 100 points with it.
2 in 100 play it in this position. It gives away 4.3 pawns of advantage. It scores 42.5%; scores 53.2%.
In the Williams Gambit, after 1. 2. , 3. is an inaccuracy: the bishop eyes f7, but nothing attacks the e4 pawn. 3. does, to win the pawn back. After 3., Black develops with , and prepares to push the b-pawn at your bishop. White scores 45 of every 100 points.
18 in 100 play it in this position. It gives away 1 pawn of advantage. It scores 45.4%; scores 49.9%.
2. against is a small inaccuracy. After 3. , Black takes the center with the d5 pawn and you no longer have an f-pawn. At your level opponents often don't punish it: White scores 54 of every 100 points with it, slightly more than with 2..
5 in 100 play it in this position. It gives away 0.8 pawns of advantage. It scores 54.1%; scores 53.2%.
2. against is a mistake. After 3. both e-pawns are gone and the e-file is open in front of your king. And once you play 4., none of your pawns covers e4, the square the f6 knight is eyeing. White scores 47 of every 100 points with it.
4 in 100 play it in this position. It gives away 1.1 pawns of advantage. It scores 47.3%; scores 53.2%.
| White | Black | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 116,250 | ||
| Not castled | 41,008 | |
| 34,762 | ||
| Not castled | Not castled | 25,792 |
| Not castled | 16,529 | |
| 9,622 |
| White | Black | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 18 | ||
| Not castled | 2 | |
| Not castled | Not castled | 1 |
| Not castled | 1 | |
| Not castled | 1 | |
| 1 |
1. · 95,005 amateur games · 11 over the board
1. is the most common reply, with 95,005 games; White scores 51 of every 100 points.
1. · 15,527 amateur games · 3 over the board
offers a pawn, and the right answer is to take it with 2.. 15,527 games.
1. 2. · 8,672 amateur games
After , 2. gives up a pawn; White scores just 47 of every 100 points.
1. 2. · 4,304 amateur games · 2 over the board
After 2., brings the knight out to hit the e5 pawn; 4,304 games.
1. 2. · A02
1,105 amateur games · White's score: 53.1%
1. 2. · A03
832 amateur games · White's score: 54.0%
1. 2. · A02
795 amateur games · White's score: 56.0%
1. 2. 3. · A03
759 amateur games · White's score: 50.6%
1. · A02
593 amateur games · White's score: 54.6%
1. 2. · A02
479 amateur games · White's score: 51.1%
1. · A02
436 amateur games · White's score: 56.8%
1. 2. · A02
230 amateur games · White's score: 45.7%
1. · A02
161 amateur games · White's score: 49.1%
1. 2. 3. 4. · A03
127 amateur games · White's score: 47.6%
1. 2. · A02
84 amateur games · White's score: 55.4%
1. 2. · A02
36 amateur games · White's score: 52.8%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. · A03
6 amateur games · White's score: 58.3%
1. 2. 3. · A02
5 amateur games · White's score: 0.0%
1. 2. 3. 4. · A02
2 amateur games · White's score: 0.0%
1. 2. 3. 4. · A02
2 amateur games · White's score: 50.0%
Against , the strong players' line is 2. 3. 4. 5.. You guard d4 with the e3 pawn, the knight and the bishop, and the f4 pawn keeps watch on e5. Against , take the pawn with 2..
The results are close to even. Across 261,183 games between players rated 900 to 1700, White scores 51 of every 100 points. In 10,991 online games between players rated 2200+, White scores 53. The gap is small, so knowing why each move aims at e5 and d4 matters more than memorizing a line.
The core line is short. Against , you play 2., 3., 4. and 5., all aimed at d4 and e5. Beyond that, learn the answer to : take with 2.. 2. runs into , and 2. drops a pawn.
It's rare: fewer than 1 in 100 games at your level. It gets more popular as ratings rise, from 7 in 1000 games between 900 and 1100 to 1 in 100 between 1500 and 1700. Among online players rated 2200+ there are 10,991 games.