- The moves1. e4 e5 2. f4
- Chosen byWhite
- ECOC30–C39
The King's Gambit comes after 1.e4 e5 2.f4. White offers the f-pawn to lure Black's e-pawn away from the center and open the f-file. If Black takes, with 2…exf4, White often sets their sights on the f7 square, which only the king protects. The drawback is plain: the move also opens the diagonal to White's own king.
It is one of the oldest documented openings, found as early as Luis Ramírez de Lucena's book of 1497. It was one of the most popular openings until the end of the 1800s, the Romantic era, when bold attacks were valued above careful strategy. Then defensive technique improved and the King's Gambit became rare at the top level. Still, it has never died out: Paul Keres, Mikhail Tal, Boris Spassky and the sisters Sofia and Judit Polgár have all played it.
The main line, move by move
1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Nf3 g5 4. h4 g4 5. Ne5 Nf6 6. Bc4 d5 7. exd5 Bd6 8. d4 Nh5 9. O-O Qxh4 10. Qe1 Qxe1 11. Rxe1 O-O 12. Bb3 Bf5
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The ideas
White wants to
- Open the f-file and attack f7, often with the bishop on c4 and the rook on f1.
- Take the center with d4 while Black is busy with the extra pawn.
- Develop quickly and play for the initiative. Being a pawn down doesn't matter if the attack breaks through.
Black wants to
- Either hold on to the pawn with …g5, or give it back with …d5 to get the pieces out.
- Make use of the fact that White's king is weaker after f4, for example with the check …Qh4+ when it is possible.
- Trade queens when the attack runs out of steam. Then the extra pawn usually starts to count.
Important variations
Fischer Defense: 3…d6
The move was known before, but Bobby Fischer made it famous. He lost to Boris Spassky in a Kieseritzky Gambit in Mar del Plata in 1960 and decided to refute the King's Gambit. The year after, he published his analysis of 3…d6, which he called “a high-class waiting move,” and claimed that the gambit loses by force. The point is that after 4.d4 g5 5.h4 g4, White can't play 6.Ne5 as in the Kieseritzky Gambit.
1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Nf3 d6 4. d4 g5 5. h4 g4 6. Ng1
3… d6
The Fischer Defense. Black takes the e5 square from the knight before …g5.
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Abbazia Defense: 3…d5
Black gives the pawn back at once to get quick development and play for the initiative, instead of clinging to the material. The line has often been recommended as a simple way for Black to equalize, although White's extra center pawn is thought to give a small edge. It is also called the Modern Defense.
1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Nf3 d5 4. exd5 Nf6 5. Bb5+ c6 6. dxc6 bxc6 7. Bc4 Nd5
Falkbeer Countergambit: 2…d5
Black declines the gambit and sacrifices a pawn of their own. The countergambit is named after Ernst Falkbeer, an Austrian master of the 1800s. After 3.exd5 e4 Black gets quick development, but 4.d3! gives White a slight edge, and the line became rare after the 1930s.
1. e4 e5 2. f4 d5 3. exd5 e4 4. d3 Nf6 5. dxe4 Nxe4
2… d5
The Falkbeer Countergambit. Black answers one sacrifice with another.
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The trap: 3.fxe5? in the Falkbeer Countergambit
When Black plays 2…d5, it looks tempting for White to just take the pawn on e5. But then White has forgotten the diagonal that 2.f4 opened. After 3.fxe5? Qh4+ 4.g3 Qxe4+ the queen forks the king and the rook on h1, and Black wins the rook. That is why White usually plays 3.exd5.
1. e4 e5 2. f4 d5 3. fxe5 Qh4+ 4. g3 Qxe4+
4… Qxe4+
A fork: check to the king and an attack on the rook on h1. White has to save the king and loses the rook.
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How it goes in real games
How the games ended once the position had come up on the board, in blitz, rapid and classical games. White wins, draws and Black wins, as a percentage of the games.
| Position | Level | Games | White wins | Draw | Black wins |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| King's Gambit 1. e4 e5 2. f4 | Club players | 48,263,232 | 52% | 4% | 45% |
| Beginners | 30,723,927 | 54% | 3% | 43% | |
| Fischer Defense: 3…d6 1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Nf3 d6 4. d4 g5 5. h4 g4 6. Ng1 | Club players | 23,547 | 51% | 4% | 45% |
| Beginners | 1,884 | 48% | 3% | 50% | |
| Abbazia Defense: 3…d5 1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Nf3 d5 4. exd5 Nf6 5. Bb5+ c6 6. dxc6 bxc6 7. Bc4 Nd5 | Club players | 438 | 45% | 7% | 48% |
| Beginners | 7 | too few games for percentages | |||
The most common continuations after 1. e4 e5 2. f4
Club players, share of the games in the position.
- 2…exf4 45% (21,525,055 games)
- 2…Nc6 20% (9,670,549 games)
- 2…d5 13% (6,173,363 games)
- 2…d6 13% (6,101,709 games)
- 2…Bc5 4% (1,917,121 games)
Source: games on Lichess, fetched October 28, 2026. Club players means games where the players average 1600 or more, beginners games where they average 1000–1599.
Is this opening for you?
The King's Gambit suits players who want to attack from the first move and aren't afraid of losing a pawn, or a game, in the hunt for something beautiful. It is rare at elite level, but in club chess and rapid it is dangerous, because Black has to defend precisely.
If you want to learn tactics, the King's Gambit is a good school: open lines, king attacks and sacrifices turn up in almost every game. But pack some caution too. White's own king is weaker as well.
A famous game
The Immortal Game, Anderssen–Kieseritzky 1851, began with the King's Gambit and the Bishop's Gambit, 3.Bc4. The Immortal Game
Practice the main line
Choose a color and one of the house players. Your opponent follows the main line, and you try to find your moves. If you play something else, you'll see the main line's move, but the game goes on. When the main line ends, you play freely.
Rather play freely? Choose an opponent · Play right away
The main line with all the comments as text
1. e4 e5 2. f4 The King's Gambit. White offers the f-pawn. 2… exf4 The King's Gambit Accepted. Black takes the pawn. 3. Nf3 The most common move. The knight develops and stops …Qh4+. 3… g5 The classical line. Black tries to keep the extra pawn and threatens to chase the knight with …g4. 4. h4 White breaks up Black's pawn chain at once. 4… g4 Black more or less has to push on, or the pawn on g5 falls. 5. Ne5 The Kieseritzky Gambit, which Lionel Kieseritzky made popular in the 1840s. The knight stands actively in the center and eyes f7. 5… Nf6 Black develops and attacks e4. 6. Bc4 The bishop aims at f7. 6… d5 Black gives back material to close the bishop's diagonal and get the pieces out. 7. exd5 Bd6 8. d4 White takes the center and protects the knight on e5. 8… Nh5 The knight protects the pawn on f4. 9. O-O Qxh4 Black takes another pawn. White answers by offering a queen trade. 10. Qe1 Qxe1 11. Rxe1 O-O Without queens, the attacks are over for now. Black has an extra pawn, White has active pieces and the center. 12. Bb3 Bf5 This is as far as the main line of the Kieseritzky Gambit goes.
More openings
Italian Game
The bishop to c4 aims at f7. Classical, logical and perfect to learn first.
Evans Gambit
White sacrifices the b-pawn for tempo and the center. Romantic chess from the 1800s.
Ruy Lopez
The bishop to b5 presses on e5 from a distance. The masters' favorite since the 1800s.
Scotch Game
3.d4 at once: an open game, free pieces and no long maneuvering.
Every move on this page has been checked against the rules of chess.
Updated November 6, 2026
2. f4
The King's Gambit. White offers the f-pawn.