8a7b6c5d4e3f2g1h

1. e4 e5 2. f4

Shown from White's side. ECO C30.

Opening guide · an opening for White

King's Gambit

The King's Gambit starts 1. e4 e5 2. f4. White offers the f pawn to pull Black's e pawn away from the centre and to open the f file for an attack. Black can take the pawn, the Accepted line, or decline it. The games are sharp, and both kings can come under fire early.

Games in our sample
45,910
White wins
51.8%
Draws
3.4%
Black wins
44.8%
Open this position on the analysis boardResults by rating

How the King's Gambit scores at each rating

Each row is one rating band. The share is how much of all the games in that band started with this opening.

RatingGamesShareWhite winsDrawsBlack wins
under 10001,3390.6%50.3%3.7%46.0%
1000 to 11993,0030.9%54.1%2.9%43.1%
1200 to 13996,0811.3%53.2%2.9%44.0%
1400 to 15999,9311.6%53.4%3.0%43.6%
1600 to 179912,7992.0%51.8%3.2%45.0%
1800 to 19999,1921.8%50.6%3.7%45.7%
2000 to 21993,0581.2%47.3%5.4%47.3%
2200 and over5070.4%44.0%5.7%50.3%
All ratings45,9101.5%51.8%3.4%44.8%

Counted from 3,156,949 rated blitz, rapid and classical games played on Lichess from 2026-10-01 to 2026-10-02 (the first 5,000,000 games of the month's public file; bullet and unrated games left out). The rating is the average of the two players' Lichess ratings. Source: the Lichess open database (public domain).

Main lines

The named lines of the King's Gambit that were played most in our sample, each with the position it reaches.

  • 8a7b6c5d4e3f2g1h

    Queen's Knight Defense

    1. e4 e5 2. f4 Nc6

    8,116 games · White 50.8% · draws 3.3% · Black 45.9%

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  • 8a7b6c5d4e3f2g1h

    MacLeod Defense

    1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Nf3 Nc6

    5,283 games · White 54.7% · draws 3.3% · Black 42.0%

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  • 8a7b6c5d4e3f2g1h

    King's Knight's Gambit

    1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Nf3

    3,453 games · White 55.7% · draws 2.8% · Black 41.4%

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  • 8a7b6c5d4e3f2g1h

    Fischer Defense

    1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Nf3 d6

    3,329 games · White 52.2% · draws 3.5% · Black 44.3%

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  • 8a7b6c5d4e3f2g1h

    Modern Defense

    1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Nf3 d5

    2,107 games · White 49.5% · draws 4.0% · Black 46.5%

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  • 8a7b6c5d4e3f2g1h

    Schallopp Defense

    1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Nf3 Nf6

    1,736 games · White 52.6% · draws 3.6% · Black 43.8%

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Ideas for White

  • After 2...exf4 play 3. Nf3 to stop the queen check on h4, then aim for d4 and win the f4 pawn back.
  • The open f file and a bishop on c4 both point at f7.

Ideas for Black

  • Accepting is the critical test. The pawn can be held with ...g5 or returned with ...d5 for free development.
  • Declining with 2...Bc5 is sound: the bishop stops White from castling short for now.

Questions

What are the moves of the King's Gambit?
1. e4 e5 2. f4. In the ECO classification it is filed under C30.
How does the King's Gambit score?
In 45,910 games with it in our sample, White won 51.8%, 3.4% were drawn and Black won 44.8%.
At which ratings is the King's Gambit played most?
Among players rated 1600 to 1799 it is 2.0% of all games in our sample, its highest share. Its lowest share, 0.4%, is among players rated 2200 and over.
Which line of the King's Gambit is played most?
King's Gambit Declined: Queen's Knight Defense (1. e4 e5 2. f4 Nc6), with 8,116 games in our sample.

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