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Zukertort Opening: what to play after Bf5?
Best move
d4-0.30
By playing d4, you immediately stake a claim in the center and provide support for your advanced e5. This move also blunts the influence of the f5 and prepares to develop your…
- Games played
- 5.5K
- To move
- White
- Evaluation
- -0.30
- Depth
- 18
Game counts: Lichess opening book. Move ranking and evaluation: Stockfish. How this page is built
Why d4 is the best move
d4! — Excellent Choice!
✅ One of 2 top moves — you found the most principled way to play!
Why this move is excellent:
By playing d4, you immediately stake a claim in the center and provide support for your advanced e5. This move also blunts the influence of the f5 and prepares to develop your queenside pieces.
Multiple Valid Strategies
In this specific setup, you had two paths to maintain the balance. Both are objectively strong, but they offer different flavors:
| Move | Eval | Style / Strategic Idea |
|---|---|---|
| d4 | -0.30 | Classical: Direct central control and space. |
| e3 | -0.45 | Solid: Reinforces d4 and opens the light-squared bishop. |
Different paths, same destination: While e3 is a very popular human choice (played by 23% of players), d4 is the engine's preferred way to fight for the initiative. It creates a more robust central presence, whereas e3 focuses on quick development of the kingside.
Your Continuation
After d4, the game likely proceeds with central tension:
e6 c4 Nd7 Nxd7
What Made This Move Good
You correctly saw: That the e5 is your strongest asset. By placing a pawn on d4, you ensure that Black cannot easily challenge your knight without making concessions. You effectively neutralized the pressure on c2 and prepared a standard, powerful opening structure.
📚 Takeaway: When you have two great moves, choose the one that fits your style. Today, you chose the most ambitious central control!
What else gets played here
Move choices from 5.5K games in the opening book, with the engine's evaluation of each.
| Move | Evaluation | Played | Games | White score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| d4Engine pick | -0.30 | 0 | — | |
| e3 | -0.45 | 0 | — | |
| d3 | -0.55 | 0 | — | |
| c3 | -0.57 | 0 | — | |
| c4 | -0.59 | 0 | — |
The line
More positions in the Zukertort Opening
- Best moved4Pawn d2 → d4Zukertort Opening: Kingside Fianchetto31M games
- Best moveNg5Knight f3 → g5Zukertort Opening: Tennison Gambit30M games
- Best movec4Pawn c2 → c4Zukertort Opening28M games
- Best moveBf5Bishop c8 → f5Zukertort Opening: Tennison Gambit17M games
- Best moveNf6Knight g8 → f6Zukertort Opening: Kingside Fianchetto17M games
- Best moved4Pawn d2 → d4Zukertort Opening: Black Mustang Defense13M games
Frequently asked questions
What is the best move for White in the Zukertort Opening?
d4 (-0.30). By playing d4, you immediately stake a claim in the center and provide support for your advanced e5. This move also blunts the influence of the f5 and prepares to develop your…
Why is d4 the best move here?
By playing d4, you immediately stake a claim in the center and provide support for your advanced e5. This move also blunts the influence of the f5 and prepares to develop your queenside pieces.
How often does this position occur?
This position has been reached 5.5K times in the opening book.