Chessy
Kangaroo Defense: Keres Defense, Transpositional Variation for White
After 1.d4 e6 2.c4 Bb4+ 3.Nc3, you reach a position where Black has already spent time giving a check, but White can keep the game simple and healthy. The drill below lets you practise the moment where Black must choose a plan, and where your job is to stay calm, develop sensibly, and avoid helping the bishop check become more annoying than it should be. Stockfish calls the position dead level, so this is about good decisions, not memorising a long trap line.
Play the Kangaroo Defense: Keres Defense, Transpositional Variation against the engine
Free, no signup — you play white, the engine adapts to your level.
Play the drill now and practise the key decisions for White. Create a free account to track your opening training and review your results.
Create a free account →What this position is really about
The key theme here is not to chase tactics at any cost. In this position, the game is still balanced, and White should aim to build a normal centre and finish development without loosening the king.
Black has already put a bishop on b4+ and forced Nc3, so the opening question is whether Black can use that check to make White's setup awkward. Your task is to meet the position with steady, useful moves and not overreact.
What the engine prefers for Black
Stockfish rates this +0.18, a tiny edge for White. That means you are basically equal here.
The engine's best move is Nf6, and the continuation given is Nf6 e3 c5 Ne2. That tells you the main practical lesson: Black's most reliable approach is to develop and keep pressure on the centre rather than trying to force something immediately. If you are White, stay focused on development and do not assume the check has given you anything concrete yet.
What the database says players do
This exact position has been played 410,149 games in the Lichess database, so the drill is based on a very well-tested tabiya. White wins 55.8%, draws 3.7%, and Black wins 40.5%.
The most common continuation is Bxc3+ in 170,995 games, and Nf6 is also very popular with 82,217 games. Other major choices include Nc6, d5, c5, and Qf6. The numbers show that this position is not rare, but they also show that Black still has several reasonable tries, so you should learn the ideas rather than one fixed line.
Common Black replies to know
If you are facing this opening over the board, the replies you are most likely to meet are Bxc3+, Nf6, Nc6, d5, c5, and Qf6. That makes this a good drill for recognising plans rather than remembering one forcing sequence.
Two of those replies are flagged as inaccuracies: Bxc3+ and Qf6. The engine prefers Nf6 over both, so it is worth learning to respond confidently when Black chooses the more ambitious-looking option instead of the most solid one.
Results across 410,149 Lichess games
| Most-played continuation | Games | White wins |
|---|---|---|
| Bxc3+ | 170,995 | 55.3% |
| Nf6 | 82,217 | 54.3% |
| Nc6 | 27,242 | 58.2% |
| d5 | 24,239 | 56.1% |
| c5 | 17,551 | 52.9% |
| Qf6 | 17,218 | 57.8% |
Frequently asked questions
Is the Kangaroo Defense: Keres Defense, Transpositional Variation good for White?
In this exact position, the evaluation is +0.18, which is a tiny edge for White. That means the game is basically level and White should simply play sensible chess. You are not trying to refute anything immediately; you are trying to keep a comfortable position.
What is the best move for Black here?
The engine's best move is Nf6. The suggested continuation is Nf6 e3 c5 Ne2, which shows that Black should develop and keep the position flexible. In practice, that is the move you should expect most often in the drill.
What do most players choose from this position?
The most-played continuation is Bxc3+ with 170,995 games. Nf6 is also common with 82,217 games, while Nc6, d5, c5, and Qf6 appear less often. Because several moves are popular, this is a good position to learn ideas rather than memorising one answer.
Which Black moves are mistakes here?
Bxc3+ is listed as an inaccuracy, and Qf6 is also listed as an inaccuracy. In both cases, the engine says Nf6 was better. That makes the drill useful for learning which replies Black should avoid when trying to stay in balance.
How many games feature the Kangaroo Defense: Keres Defense, Transpositional Variation?
Over 410K Lichess games have reached the Kangaroo Defense: Keres Defense, Transpositional Variation position. White wins 55.8%, Black wins 40.5%, with 3.7% draws — based on real rated games.