Open games & French

King's Gambit

1.e4 e5 2.f4

The King's Gambit starts with 1.e4 e5 2.f4 and is catalogued under ECO C30, in the open games & french half of the book. The catalog indexes 1 line inside it, grouped into 1 named variation, and the position after those moves has 10 playable continuations to walk from here.

Opening repertoire map

Root edges show how often each move is played around your Elo. Use the arrow on a position to reveal the next replies.

Current position
King's Gambit
Popularity by Elo
Share of Lichess blitz, rapid, and classical games that continued with each move.
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Current setup

Move ideas

  1. 1.e4

    Claims the center with a pawn and opens lines for the queen and king’s bishop.

    Idea: Build quick development and make early castling possible.

  2. 1…e5

    Meets White’s center directly and opens lines for Black’s queen and bishop.

    Idea: Fight for equal central space in a balanced, open position.

  3. 2.f4

    Advances the f-pawn to gain kingside space and control new squares.

    Idea: Create useful wing space while keeping the central structure flexible.

Book continuations

Waiting for Lichess game popularity.

10 moves
exf4King's Gambit Accepted129 named lines · King's Gambit Accepted: Tumbleweed · King's Gambit Accepted: Gaga GambitCaptures the pawn on f4 and changes the local pawn or piece balance.Idea: Open lines in the kingside and reshape the center for the next phase.d5King's Gambit Declined: Falkbeer Countergambit21 named lines · Van Geet Opening: Grünfeld Defense, Steiner Gambit · King's Gambit Declined: Falkbeer Countergambit AcceptedAdvances to d5 to claim central space and control nearby key squares.Idea: Give the pieces room to develop behind a durable central foothold.Bc5King's Gambit Declined: Classical Variation9 named lines · King's Gambit Declined: Senechaud Countergambit · King's Gambit Declined: Classical, Réti VariationDevelops the bishop to c5, bringing it into the game.Idea: Improve piece coordination and clear the back rank for castling and the rooks.f5King's Gambit Declined: Panteldakis Countergambit6 named lines · King's Gambit Declined: Panteldakis Countergambit, Shirazi Line · King's Gambit Declined: Panteldakis Countergambit, Greco VariationAdvances the f-pawn to gain kingside space and control new squares.Idea: Create useful wing space while keeping the central structure flexible.Nc6King's Gambit Declined: Queen's Knight Defense4 named lines · King's Gambit Declined: Miles Defense · King's Gambit Declined: Hobbs-Zilbermints GambitDevelops the knight to c6, bringing it into the game.Idea: Improve piece coordination and clear the back rank for castling and the rooks.Qf6King's Gambit Declined: Norwalde Variation3 named lines · King's Gambit Declined: Norwalde Variation, Bücker Gambit · King's Gambit Declined: Norwalde Variation, Schubert VariationRepositions the queen to f6, where it influences a new part of the board.Idea: Coordinate threats carefully while avoiding unnecessary tempi against the queen.Qh4+King's Gambit Declined: Keene's Defense2 named lines · King's Gambit Declined: Keene DefenseRepositions the queen to h4, where it influences a new part of the board, forcing the king to answer a check.Idea: Coordinate threats carefully while avoiding unnecessary tempi against the queen.f6King's Gambit1 named line · King's Gambit Declined: Soller-Zilbermints GambitAdvances the f-pawn to gain kingside space and control new squares.Idea: Create useful wing space while keeping the central structure flexible.g5King's Gambit Declined: Zilbermints Double Countergambit1 named lineAdvances the g-pawn to gain kingside space and control new squares.Idea: Prepare a fianchetto or discourage the opponent’s expansion on that wing.Nf6King's Gambit Declined: Petrov's Defense1 named lineDevelops the knight to f6, bringing it into the game.Idea: Improve piece coordination and clear the back rank for castling and the rooks.

Named variations

Each line below is an indexed entry under King's Gambit. Open one to load it on the board and keep exploring from that position.

Openings from the same volume

ECO groups openings by the structures they lead to, so these families tend to share plans with the King's Gambit.