Zukertort Opening: c5 – A Surprising Way to Fight for the Centre

By playing 2.e4 after 1.Nf3 c5, you claim a big pawn centre before Black has committed their own pawn to d5. This is the same core idea behind many aggressive lines against the Sicilian—you take space and open lines for your pieces. The knight on f3 already controls d4 and e5, so you're well placed to follow up with d4 yourself. The engine's preferred continuation shows exactly this: after Black's most common reply Nc6, you play 3.d4, challenging Black's c5-pawn directly. If Black captures (3…cxd4), you recapture with 4.Nxd4 and your knight lands on an excellent central square. You've built a classical centre while Black is still catching up in development.

The Lichess database covers over 135 million games from this position, so we have a reliable picture of what Black actually plays. Here's the full breakdown of the most popular moves, sorted by how often they appear: - Nc6 (61.7 million games, White scores 48.5%) – The engine's top choice. Black develops and eyes d4. You answer 3.d4, heading into comfortable Sicilian territory. - d6 (41.8 million games, White scores 47.8%) – Black prepares to play …Nf6 or …g6 without blocking their dark-squared bishop. Your plan is the same: push d4, gain space, and develop quickly. - e6 (19.7 million games, White scores 46.9%) – Black locks the centre with …e6, preparing a French-style setup. Your edge dips slightly here, but you still have a plus. Keep central pressure and don't rush. - g6 (5.5 million games, White scores 46.9%) – A hypermodern approach. Black fianchettoes against your centre. Push d4 and play actively while Black's kingside is still undeveloped. - a6 (3 million games, White scores 48.1%) – A waiting move, often intending …b5 or …Nc6 next. Your best reply is still d4, punishing the slow start. - Nf6 (1,259,962 games) – This one is interesting: White scores 51.8% here, the highest win rate against any Black reply. If Black attacks your e4-pawn immediately with 2…Nf6, you're doing very well. Develop naturally with d3 and you'll maintain your advantage.

Notice something important: White's score never drops below 46.9% against any major Black move. The engine gives +0.39, a small but consistent edge for you. That plus comes from a simple strategic fact – you control the centre and Black doesn't. In the main line (1.Nf3 c5 2.e4 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4), you have a knight on d4, pawns on e4 and e2, and easy development for both bishops. Black's c5-pawn is gone, and they have no immediate counter-threat. This is exactly the kind of position where a slightly stronger club player will outplay their opponent by building pressure move by move. Your task is not to checkmate in ten moves—it's to keep the initiative, develop smoothly, and make Black solve problems.

The overall database statistic is remarkably balanced: White wins 48.1%, draws 3.9%, Black wins 48.0%. Over 135 million games, White and Black win at virtually identical rates—less than a rounding error apart. That tells you two things. First, this is a fighting opening with plenty of room for both sides to outplay each other. You won't get a free win just by knowing the first few moves. Second, the 3.9% draw rate is very low, meaning most games are decisive—so don't play for a draw here. The slight engine edge (+0.39) gives you a real but fragile advantage; if you don't handle it well, Black can equalise. The goal is to make your small plus count by staying active and principled.