8a7b6c5d4e3f2g1h

1. d4 d5 2. e4

Shown from White's side. ECO D00.

Opening guide · an opening for White

Blackmar-Diemer Gambit

The Blackmar-Diemer Gambit starts 1. d4 d5 2. e4. White gives up a pawn, and after 2...dxe4 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. f3 offers to trade it off to open lines and develop quickly. White gets attacking chances against the king, and Black gets an extra pawn if the attack is held off.

Games in our sample
14,525
White wins
50.2%
Draws
3.7%
Black wins
46.1%
Open this position on the analysis boardResults by rating

How the Blackmar-Diemer 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 10001,1930.5%43.9%4.7%51.4%
1000 to 11991,4640.5%45.0%4.3%50.7%
1200 to 13991,9130.4%51.6%3.0%45.4%
1400 to 15992,7470.5%49.6%2.8%47.6%
1600 to 17993,0390.5%52.3%4.0%43.8%
1800 to 19992,7270.5%52.8%3.9%43.3%
2000 to 21991,1150.4%49.4%3.2%47.4%
2200 and over3270.3%52.9%6.7%40.4%
All ratings14,5250.5%50.2%3.7%46.1%

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 Blackmar-Diemer Gambit that were played most in our sample, each with the position it reaches.

  • 8a7b6c5d4e3f2g1h

    Blackmar Gambit

    1. d4 d5 2. e4 dxe4 3. f3

    1,834 games · White 49.9% · draws 4.7% · Black 45.4%

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  • 8a7b6c5d4e3f2g1h

    Ryder Gambit

    1. d4 d5 2. e4 dxe4 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. f3 exf3 5. Qxf3

    956 games · White 51.8% · draws 3.7% · Black 44.6%

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  • 8a7b6c5d4e3f2g1h

    Teichmann Defense

    1. d4 d5 2. e4 dxe4 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. f3 exf3 5. Nxf3 Bg4

    950 games · White 52.4% · draws 3.5% · Black 44.1%

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  • 8a7b6c5d4e3f2g1h

    von Popiel Gambit

    1. d4 d5 2. e4 dxe4 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5

    897 games · White 53.0% · draws 3.9% · Black 43.1%

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  • 8a7b6c5d4e3f2g1h

    Netherlands Variation

    1. d4 d5 2. e4 dxe4 3. Nc3 f5

    883 games · White 52.1% · draws 2.6% · Black 45.3%

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  • 8a7b6c5d4e3f2g1h

    Euwe Defense

    1. d4 d5 2. e4 dxe4 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. f3 exf3 5. Nxf3 e6

    876 games · White 60.8% · draws 3.2% · Black 36.0%

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Ideas for White

  • After 4. f3 exf3 5. Nxf3 every piece comes out fast: Bd3, castle, and the queen heads for the kingside.

Ideas for Black

  • You can decline with 2...e6 or 2...c6, which turn the game into a French Defense or a Caro-Kann Defense.

Questions

What are the moves of the Blackmar-Diemer Gambit?
1. d4 d5 2. e4. In the ECO classification it is filed under D00.
How does the Blackmar-Diemer Gambit score?
In 14,525 games with it in our sample, White won 50.2%, 3.7% were drawn and Black won 46.1%.
At which ratings is the Blackmar-Diemer Gambit played most?
Among players rated under 1000 it is 0.5% of all games in our sample, its highest share. Its lowest share, 0.3%, is among players rated 2200 and over.
Which line of the Blackmar-Diemer Gambit is played most?
Blackmar-Diemer Gambit: Blackmar Gambit (1. d4 d5 2. e4 dxe4 3. f3), with 1,834 games in our sample.

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