King's Gambit
The opening of chess's Romantic era. White offers a pawn on move two to tear open the f-file and race for the black king.
| First moves | 1.e4 e5 2.f4 |
|---|---|
| ECO codes | C30-C32 (declined), C33-C39 (accepted) |
| Character | Sharp, open, gambit |
| Best for | Attacking players who want unbalanced positions from move two |
Tap a move to see it on the board. Open any line on the analysis board, or play it out against a bot from where it ends.
Related openings
Vienna Game
White develops the queen's knight first and keeps f4 in reserve. The game can stay quiet or turn into a sharp gambit full of tricks.
Italian Game
The classical way to open a chess game: develop, aim at f7, castle. The best first opening for most players.
Evans Gambit
White throws in a b-pawn to gain time for c3 and d4, turning a quiet Italian into a fast attack.
What White is playing for
After White offers the f-pawn to deflect the e5 pawn. If Black takes, White gets the center with d4 and a half-open f-file aimed straight at f7, the weakest square in Black's camp. The price is a loosened king: the e1-h4 diagonal is open, and is a real threat in many lines.
It was one of the most popular openings until the late nineteenth century, when better defensive technique sent it into decline. Engines today rate the position after as slightly better for Black, by less than half a pawn, which is a long way from a refutation. Black can equalize with accurate play, but most players see far less often than and have to find that play over the board. On Lichess, comes up in under 10% of games, against 63 to 72% for , depending on rating.
The main lines
- (King's Knight's Gambit). The main line. stops and prepares d4. Black's main options are to hold the pawn with , return it with , or play the Fischer Defense, .
- (Kieseritzky). White undermines the pawn chain at once. The positions are wild but well mapped, and writers such as John Shaw and Joseph Gallagher treat it as the main line after .
- (Bishop's Gambit). White allows and moves the king to f1, betting that the queen sortie wastes more time than the king move costs.
- Declining: or . eyes g1 so White cannot castle short easily. In the Falkbeer, , Black answers with a gambit of its own: the traditional gives up a pawn for quick development.
How to meet it as Black
Taking the pawn () is the most principled answer, but you do not need to keep it forever. The safest practical approach is to accept, develop quickly, and give the pawn back with at the right moment to open lines for your own pieces.
If you prefer to avoid theory, is a sound way to decline: White cannot win the e5 pawn with because of , and the bishop stops White castling comfortably.
Frequently asked questions
Is the King's Gambit sound?
Engines rate it as slightly better for Black, by less than half a pawn, so it is far from refuted. On Lichess, White scores about 56% after in games below 2000, slightly more than after . Above 2000 the figure falls to about 52%, slightly below . Top players still play it now and then. Magnus Carlsen used it against Wang Yue in 2010, and Hikaru Nakamura against Carlsen at Norway Chess 2023.
Should I accept the King's Gambit?
Accepting () is the engines' first choice and Black's most common reply on Lichess, in about half of all games. Take the pawn, keep your pieces active, and be ready to return it with rather than clinging to it at the cost of development.
What is the best response to the King's Gambit?
The main recommendations are followed by (the Fischer Defense) or against , and the Falkbeer, , for players who want to counterattack at once.