Bishop's Opening: Khan Gambit
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Statistics from Lichess
249,248 games: White 51.3% / Draw 3.3% / Black 45.4%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 150,246150K | ||
| 81,08081K | ||
| 4,2684,268 | ||
| 3,8273,827 | ||
| 3,4733,473 | ||
| 2,2492,249 | ||
| 1,4261,426 | ||
| 1,0901,090 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.90 White is better
Best play: 3. exd5 c6 4. dxc6 Nxc6 5. d3 Nf6 6. Nc3 Bd6 7. Nge2 O-O
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
The stronger the players, the better this line does for Black: Black scores 39% under 1400, 46% at 2200 and up (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 703K | |
| 1400–1799 | 326K | |
| 1800–2199 | 104K | |
| 2200 and up | 3,719 | |
| Masters, over the board | — | no games |
Rated blitz, rapid and classical Lichess games by rating band, and over-the-board games of players rated 2200+ from the Lichess masters database, updated Sep 27, 2026
Overview
Bishop's Opening: Khan Gambit (ECO C23, Open Games) is a gambit in the Bishop's Opening, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 d5 (2 moves).
In 249,248 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 51.3%, Black 45.4% and 3.3% were drawn. White's most played move here is 3. exd5, in 60% of those games.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to play against the Bishop's Opening: Khan Gambit
3. Bxd5 scores best for White: 58.9%, with White winning 57.2% and Black 39.3% of 81K games. The most played answer, 3. exd5, scores lowest: 52.1% in 150K games. Stockfish's first choice is 3. exd5.
Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: White's wins plus half the draws, in rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500. How to play against other popular openings
Popularity by year
The Bishop's Opening: Khan Gambit has gained ground since 2016: 0.011% of Lichess games in 2025, up from 0.0084%.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.0084% | 2,992 |
| 2017 | 0.0073% | 4,016 |
| 2018 | 0.0064% | 5,025 |
| 2019 | 0.0073% | 9,055 |
| 2020 | 0.0086% | 25,096 |
| 2021 | 0.0098% | 38,210 |
| 2022 | 0.0097% | 36,316 |
| 2023 | 0.01% | 37,488 |
| 2024 | 0.011% | 37,798 |
| 2025 | 0.011% | 36,880 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.011% | 12,145 |
Share of rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500 (blitz, rapid and classical) that reach this position, by year; 2026: January to April. Which openings are rising and falling
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Bishop's Opening: Khan Gambit (C23)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/bishops-opening-khan-gambit