Tree path 3 levels King's Pawn Game › King's Gambit › King's Gambit Declined: Classical Variation
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  3. King's Gambit C30
  4. King's Gambit Declined: Classical Variation C30 you are here
C30

King's Gambit Declined: Classical Variation

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Overview

King's Gambit Declined: Classical Variation is a gambit, classified under ECO code C30 within the Open Games family. As with all gambits, one side sacrifices material early — usually a pawn — in exchange for development, open lines, or initiative.

The Open Games group covers open games — classical 1.e4 e5 openings where both sides contest the centre directly with pawns.

Play reaches this position via 1. e4 e5 2. f4 Bc5, after 4 plies of opening development.

It is a variation of King's Gambit, which itself descends from the root opening King's Pawn Game.

It is the root of 6 named variations, with King's Gambit Declined: Classical Variation, Rotlewi Countergambit, Walthoffen Attack, and others among the most studied.

In total, the branch covers 9 sub-variations across all depths.

Step through the moves on the interactive board below, review the live Lichess statistics, or play this position against Stockfish at one of six difficulty levels.

ECO code
C30
Group
Open Games (C)
Plies
4
Parent
King's Gambit
Direct variations
6
Total in subtree
9

This overview is generated automatically from the opening's metadata. A more detailed, human-written description is on the way — and you can speed it up by suggesting one yourself.

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Variations (6)

Show all 9 sub-variations (full subtree)