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King's Pawn Game: Leonardis Variation: what to play after d3?
Best move
Nc6-0.16
By playing Nc6, you prioritize flexible development and immediate central pressure. This c6 controls the vital d4 and e5 squares, preparing to meet White's slow setup with active…
- Games played
- 40M
- To move
- Black
- Evaluation
- -0.16
- Depth
- 25
Game counts: Lichess opening book. Move ranking and evaluation: Stockfish. How this page is built
Why Nc6 is the best move
Nc6! — Excellent Choice!
✅ One of 3 top moves — you found a winning strategy!
Why this move is excellent:
By playing Nc6, you prioritize flexible development and immediate central pressure. This c6 controls the vital d4 and e5 squares, preparing to meet White's slow setup with active piece play.
Multiple Valid Strategies
| Move | Eval | Style / Strategic Idea |
|---|---|---|
| Nc6 | -0.16 | Flexible Development: Controls the center while keeping options open for the kingside. |
| Nf6 | -0.14 | Classical Pressure: Directly challenges the e4 and prepares for quick castling. |
| Bc5 | -0.03 | Active Piece Play: Develops the "Italian" bishop to eye the weak f2 square. |
Different paths, same destination: While most humans (18%) instinctively reach for the aggressive Bc5, your choice of Nc6 is actually the engine's favorite! Only 2% of players find this precise move. It is a more sophisticated approach that prevents White from easily expanding while maintaining a rock-solid structural foundation.
Your Continuation
After Nc6:
Nc3 Nf6 Nd5 Nxd5
What Made This Move Good
You correctly saw: That White's passive d3 allows you to develop naturally without fear of immediate central tension. By placing the knight on c6, you ensure that any future attempt by White to play d4 is met with sufficient force.
📚 Takeaway: In positions with multiple good moves, trust your style! You found a rare, high-level engine move that prioritizes long-term stability over immediate tactical threats.
What else gets played here
Move choices from 40M games in the opening book, with the engine's evaluation of each.
| Move | Evaluation | Played | Games | White score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nc6Engine pick | -0.16 | 18M | 50% | |
| Nf6 | -0.14 | 8.92M | 50% | |
| d6 | +0.15 | 5.48M | 52% | |
| Bc5 | -0.03 | 4.59M | 49% | |
| d5 | +0.03 | 3.41M | 49% |
The line
More positions in the King's Pawn Game
- Best movee5Pawn e7 → e5King's Pawn Game1.5B games
- Best moveNxe5Knight f3 → e5King's Pawn Game: Busch-Gass Gambit21M games
- Best moveNf6Knight g8 → f6King's Pawn Game: Napoleon Attack14M games
- Best moveBc4Bishop f1 → c4King's Pawn Game: Wayward Queen Attack12M games
- Best moveg6Pawn g7 → g6King's Pawn Game: Wayward Queen Attack4.11M games
- Best moveQxd5Queen d8 → d5King's Pawn Game: Leonardis Variation1.19M games
Frequently asked questions
What is the best move for Black in the King's Pawn Game: Leonardis Variation?
Nc6 (-0.16). By playing Nc6, you prioritize flexible development and immediate central pressure. This c6 controls the vital d4 and e5 squares, preparing to meet White's slow setup with active…
Why is Nc6 the best move here?
By playing Nc6, you prioritize flexible development and immediate central pressure. This c6 controls the vital d4 and e5 squares, preparing to meet White's slow setup with active piece play.
How often does this position occur?
This position has been reached 40M times in the opening book.