- ECO code
- C30
- Moves
- 1.e4 e5 2.f4
- Family
- King's Gambit
- To move
- Black
- Master games
- 917
- Average game length
- 36 moves
- Years covered
- 1846–2026
King's Gambit is the opening filed under ECO code C30, reached after 1.e4 e5 2.f4. It belongs to the King's Gambit family; in the resulting position it is Black to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 917 games on this line — the 115th most played opening in the collection. The oldest game on this line is from 1846 and the most recent from 2026. The busiest decade in this collection is the 1900s, with 175 games. An average game here lasts 36 moves.
White wins 50% of those games, 18% end in a draw, and Black wins 32%. Compared with the collection average (White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28%), Black scores better here by 4 percentage points. Draws are less common here than usual, by 17 points.
From this position the most popular move is 2...exf4, played in 610 games, followed by 2...d5 (151) and 2...Bc5 (121). 2...exf4 leads into King's Gambit Accepted. After 2...exf4 White scores 45% and Black 36%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Nepomniachtchi,I (102 games); on the Black side, Anderssen, Adolf (87).
2 named variations branch off this position and have their own page here, among them King's Gambit Accepted; King's Gambit Accepted: King's Knight's Gambit.
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Results in master games
- White 50% (459)
- Draws 18% (162)
- Black 32% (296)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2...exf4 | 610 | 45/19/36 | King's Gambit Accepted |
| 2...d5 | 151 | 61/15/24 | — |
| 2...Bc5 | 121 | 58/13/29 | — |
| 2...Nf6 | 13 | 62/23/15 | — |
| 2...Nc6 | 12 | 67/0/33 | — |
| 2...d6 | 7 | 86/14/0 | — |
| 2...f5 | 1 | 100/0/0 | — |
| 2...f6 | 1 | 100/0/0 | — |
Variations from this position
- Accepted · 2...exf4 · 610 games
- Accepted: King's Knight's Gambit · 2...exf4 3.Nf3 · 400 games
How the position is reached
- King's Pawn Game · 1.e4 · 62,859 games
- King's Pawn Game · 1.e4 e5 · 24,632 games
Played most often by
As White
- Nepomniachtchi,I 102
- Anderssen, Adolf 93
- Chigorin, Mikhail 70
As Black
- Anderssen, Adolf 87
- Marshall, Frank James 28
- Chigorin, Mikhail 19
Games per decade
- 1840s 12
- 1850s 106
- 1860s 108
- 1870s 13
- 1880s 19
- 1890s 52
- 1900s 175
- 1910s 48
- 1920s 37
- 1930s 13
- 1940s 20
- 1950s 14
- 1960s 25
- 1970s 17
- 1980s 22
- 1990s 25
- 2000s 17
- 2010s 37
- 2020s 157
Master games on this line
| White | Black | Result | Year | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nepomniachtchi,I | Pranav,V | 0-1 | 2026 | Titled Tue 17th Feb 2026 |
| Nepomniachtchi,I | To,N | 1-0 | 2026 | Titled Tue 24th Mar 2026 |
| Nepomniachtchi,I | Sathvik Adiga | 0-1 | 2026 | Titled Tue 17th Feb 2026 |
| Nepomniachtchi,I | Svane,R | 1-0 | 2026 | 1st 3-0 Thu 29th Jan 2026 |
| Nepomniachtchi,I | Deac,Bogdan-Daniel | 1-0 | 2026 | 1st 3-0 Thu 1st Jan 2026 |
| Nepomniachtchi,I | Svane,R | 1-0 | 2026 | Titled Tue 24th Mar 2026 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the King's Gambit?
It is the opening with ECO code C30, reached after 1.e4 e5 2.f4. It belongs to the King's Gambit family.
Is the King's Gambit good for White or for Black?
In 917 master games on this line White wins 50%, 18% are drawn and Black wins 32%. The collection average is White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28% — so this line is a slightly better bargain for Black than the field as a whole.
What is the main continuation of the King's Gambit?
2...exf4 — played in 610 of the master games on this line, which leads into King's Gambit Accepted.
Which grandmasters play the King's Gambit?
On the White side Nepomniachtchi,I (102), Anderssen, Adolf (93), Chigorin, Mikhail (70); on the Black side Anderssen, Adolf (87), Marshall, Frank James (28), Chigorin, Mikhail (19).
Every number on this page is computed from Katuranga's master game collection; names and ECO codes follow the lichess opening book (CC0).
Try this line on the board
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