The Austrian Defense is 1. 2. : you mirror your opponent's gambit and hit d4 with your c-pawn instead of propping up d5. Strong players answer with 3. more than anything else, so the position opens early. In N = 20,494 Lichess games between 900 and 1700 (September 2026 data), you score 45% with Black.
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.
3 named lines in this family; 1 with their own page.
The opening's share in each Lichess rating band.
At your level, opponents spread across five moves: 3. in 24 of every 100 games, 3. in 22, 3. in 21, 3. in 16 and 3. in 14. Lichess players rated over 2200 pick 3. in 62 of every 100. After 3., 7 in 10 players at your level take back with , while strong players split almost evenly between and , 49 and 46 of every 100. In games between players over 2200, Black scores 52 of every 100. You can also reach this position through 1. 2. or 1. 2. .
| Move | Lichess 900–1700 | White's score | Online, 2200+ | Over the board, 2300+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24.2% | 56.1% | 62.3% | 100.0% | |
| 22.4% | 54.4% | 13.0% | no data | |
| 20.9% | 52.3% | 6.6% | no data | |
| 15.7% | 53.7% | 8.4% | no data | |
| 13.9% | 53.9% | 9.3% | no data | |
| 1.1% | 52.8% | no data | no data | |
| no data | no data | 0.5% | no data |
| Move | Lichess 900–1700 | White's score | Online, 2200+ | Over the board, 2300+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 69.6% | 55.6% | 46.2% | 50.0% | |
| 17.5% | 58.0% | 4.1% | no data | |
| 4.8% | 51.8% | 49.1% | 50.0% | |
| 3.5% | 47.9% | 0.7% | no data | |
| 2.7% | 63.5% | no data | no data | |
| 0.9% | 63.0% | no data | no data |
| Move | Lichess 900–1700 | White's score | Online, 2200+ | Over the board, 2300+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 49.5% | 48.2% | 31.7% | no data | |
| 39.3% | 55.6% | 16.9% | no data | |
| 11.3% | 56.5% | 24.7% | no data | |
| no data | no data | 24.5% | no data | |
| no data | no data | 2.2% | no data |
| Move | Lichess 900–1700 | White's score | Online, 2200+ | Over the board, 2300+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 59.5% | 54.6% | no data | no data | |
| 40.5% | 44.4% | 92.5% | no data | |
| no data | no data | 7.5% | no data |
The strong players' line is 3. 4. , a queen trade on d5, then 6. . The idea is to let your opponent hold extra pawns for a moment and win them back with pieces rather than pawns. You end up in a queenless position with your f8 bishop aimed at the c5 pawn.
After 3. you don't recapture right away. attacks the d5 pawn, which has no defender. That's the Gusev Countergambit. 4. grabs a second pawn, so for one move you're two pawns down.
wins one back. Your queen on d5 hits the c5 pawn and, down the open d-file, stares at the queen on d1. Among strong players, 9 in 10 choose here, and your opponent trades queens in 95 of every 100 of those games. After , your knight sits in the center and threatens to jump to b4 and then c2. From there it would give check and hit the a1 rook, because nothing of your opponent's covers c2.
6. takes b4 away from your knight. Then opens the diagonal for your f8 bishop, which now attacks c5. That pawn has no defender. Your opponent has to give it back or prop it up with the b-pawn. That's why the order matters: knight to the center first, then open the diagonal.
If your opponent meets with 4., as 1 in 4 strong players do, takes a pawn that nothing defends.
At your level the route goes wrong at . After 4., 6 in 10 players choose that capture, and it doesn't show up in a single strong game. With queens still on the board, your d5 knight plugs the d-file. If it moves, your opponent trades queens on d8 and you have to take back with the king, giving up castling. You score 45 of every 100 with and 56 with .
| Move | Strong games | Chosen by |
|---|---|---|
| 1,244 | 62.6% | |
| 774 | 49.1% | |
| 372 | 31.7% | |
| 134 | 92.5% | |
| 118 | 94.9% | |
| 112 | 100.0% | |
| 103 | 50.5% | |
| 45 | 55.6% |
After 3., hits d4, which the e3 pawn already guards, and leaves d5 without pawn support. After 4. only your queen can recapture: 5. kicks it, , and 6. kicks your knight next, . Players choose it 17 times in 100; you score 45, against 48 with : at your level it rarely gets punished.
17 in 100 play it in this position. It gives away 2.8 pawns of advantage. It scores 44.8%; scores 48.1%.
After 3., again leaves d5 without pawn support. After 4. , 5. attacks your queen, , and 6. attacks it again. Your queen has to keep covering c7, where the knight would land with check and hit the a8 rook: . Players choose it 19 times in 100; you score 43, against 49 with .
19 in 100 play it in this position. It gives away 2.1 pawns of advantage. It scores 42.5%; scores 48.9%.
After 3., develops a piece but doesn't defend d5. 4. takes that pawn and attacks your knight. would lose your queen, because your opponent's queen takes it and nothing of yours recaptures. After you're two pawns down. With you hold d5. Played 5 times in 100; you score 27, against 51.
5 in 100 play it in this position. It gives away 6 pawns of advantage. It scores 27.0%; scores 51.0%.
After 3. 4., lets your opponent open the center on their terms. 5. 6. kicks your knight with a pawn, , and 7. kicks the other one, . Your opponent gains space with tempo. With you trade your c-pawn for the d4 pawn first. Played 34 times in 100; you score 44, against 51.
34 in 100 play it in this position. It gives away 2.6 pawns of advantage. It scores 43.7%; scores 51.3%.
After 3. 4., gives your opponent time for 5., which guards d4: after 6. the knight recaptures. With right away, your pawn hits the c3 knight, and if your opponent recaptures with the queen, attacks it. Played 37 times in 100; you still score 51, against 57: at your level it costs little.
37 in 100 play it in this position. It gives away 3.3 pawns of advantage. It scores 51.3%; scores 56.9%.
After 3., wins the pawn back, but with the queen. 4. blocks the check and develops. After 5. , 6. hits your queen again and sends it home after four queen moves. It isn't serious, but your opponent develops in the meantime. Played 17 times in 100; you score 43, against 51 with .
17 in 100 play it in this position. It gives away 1 pawn of advantage. It scores 42.6%; scores 51.0%.
| White | Black | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 6,757 | ||
| Not castled | Not castled | 4,877 |
| Not castled | 3,261 | |
| Not castled | 2,443 | |
| Not castled | 832 | |
| 812 |
| White | Black | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | ||
| Not castled | 4 | |
| Not castled | Not castled | 2 |
| Not castled | 1 |
1. 2. 3. · D06
299 amateur games · White's score: 51.3%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. · D06