Chessy
Queen's Pawn Game: Mason Attack with 2...c6
You've pushed 1.d4, Black answered 1...d5, and you surprised them with 2.f4 — the Mason Attack. Black now plays 2...c6, getting ready to support their centre or develop on the queenside. You continue 3.e3, opening your bishop's diagonal and keeping your options open. The engine gives this position -0.27, a tiny edge for Black, which means you are ever so slightly worse from the start. Don't let that number worry you: in real human games White actually wins 52% of the time from here. Let's look at how to make that happen.
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The Mason Attack (1.d4 d5 2.f4) is a tricky system that aims to build a strong centre while keeping the game off familiar theory. After 2...c6 3.e3, White's pawns on d4, e3, and f4 form a solid but flexible wall. Your light-squared bishop is free to develop, and you haven't committed your knights yet — you can adapt to whatever Black tries. The main idea is to gain space on the kingside with moves like g4 later, or to simply outplay your opponent in a quiet positional game. Black often plays ...Bf5 next, which lets you chase that bishop with g4 and open lines for your attack.
The Engine's Best Move: What to Expect
Stockfish says Black's strongest reply is 3...Bf5, developing the bishop outside the pawn chain. From there the engine's ideal continuation runs: 4.g4 Bd7 5.h3. You kick the bishop immediately with 4.g4, gaining space on the kingside and forcing Black to retreat. Then 5.h3 prevents ...Bg4 and prepares to develop your kingside pieces. This line is sharp but gives you clear attacking chances on the side of the board where you already have two pawns pushing forward.
What the Statistics Tell Us
Across nearly 314,000 games on Lichess, the numbers reveal something interesting. White scores 52.0% overall — a healthy win rate despite the engine's slight preference for Black. The most popular Black replies are 3...Bf5 (125,783 games, White scores 50.9%) and 3...Nf6 (100,634 games, White scores 51.8%). Both are tough but playable. A few replies actually score better for White: after 3...e6 White wins 55.1%, and after 3...Nd7 White wins 53.9%. If Black plays 3...g6, the score drops to 49.5% for White — still close to even.
The Mistake to Punish
The database flags 3...f5 as a known inaccuracy that costs Black roughly 0.8 pawns in evaluation. After 1.d4 d5 2.f4 c6 3.e3, if Black pushes 3...f5, they weaken their kingside and give you a clear target. The engine says Black would have been much better off playing 3...Nf6 instead. When you face 3...f5, you can continue developing naturally and look to exploit the holes Black has created — especially on the e6 square and along the h5-e8 diagonal.
Results across 313,789 Lichess games
| Most-played continuation | Games | White wins |
|---|---|---|
| Bf5 | 125,783 | 50.9% |
| Nf6 | 100,634 | 51.8% |
| e6 | 36,396 | 55.1% |
| g6 | 9,287 | 49.5% |
| f5 | 7,363 | 52.6% |
| Nd7 | 6,382 | 53.9% |
Frequently asked questions
Is the Mason Attack a good opening for White?
In practical play, yes — White wins 52% of the time from this position across almost 314,000 games. The engine does give Black a tiny edge (-0.27), but that evaluation matters less at club level than having a clear plan and catching your opponent off guard with non-mainstream moves.
What is the best move for Black against the Mason Attack with 3.e3?
According to Stockfish, Black's strongest reply is 3...Bf5, developing the bishop outside the pawn chain. The engine's ideal continuation from there is Bf5 g4 Bd7 h3. In practice, 3...Nf6 is also very common and scores well for Black.
Should I play g4 as White in the Mason Attack?
Yes — after the common reply 3...Bf5, the engine recommends 4.g4 to chase the bishop away and gain kingside space. You follow up with 5.h3 to prevent any ...Bg4 pin. This aggressive plan is exactly what gives the Mason Attack its sting.
What happens if Black plays 3...f5 in the Mason Attack?
The database identifies 3...f5 as an inaccuracy that costs Black about 0.8 pawns. It weakens the kingside and gives White a clear target. You should continue developing naturally and look to exploit the weaknesses Black has created on the light squares.
How many games feature the Queen's Pawn Game: Mason Attack: c6?
Over 313K Lichess games have reached the Queen's Pawn Game: Mason Attack: c6 position. White wins 52.0%, Black wins 43.5%, with 4.5% draws — based on real rated games.