Borg Defense: Borg Gambit
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Statistics from Lichess
226,527 games: White 55.5% / Draw 3.5% / Black 41.0%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 84,02884K | ||
| 62,36362K | ||
| 23,49923K | ||
| 19,00519K | ||
| 14,25714K | ||
| 8,7208,720 | ||
| 3,0843,084 | ||
| 2,5582,558 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026
Engine evaluation
+2.88 White is clearly better
Best play: 2. Bxg5 c5 3. e3 Nc6 4. d5 Ne5 5. d6 Bg7 6. Nc3 h6
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, 43% at 2200 and up (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 304K | |
| 1400–1799 | 248K | |
| 1800–2199 | 107K | |
| 2200 and up | 7,463 | |
| Masters, over the board | 3 |
Master 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
Borg Defense: Borg Gambit (ECO A40, Flank Openings) is a gambit in the Queen's Pawn Game, reached after 1. d4 g5 (1 move).
In 226,527 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 55.5%, Black 41.0% and 3.5% were drawn. White's most played move here is 2. Bxg5, in 37% 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 Borg Defense: Borg Gambit
The most played answer, 2. Bxg5, also scores best for White: 61.7%, with White winning 60.0% and Black 36.6% of 84K games. Of the main answers, 2. e3 scores lowest: 53.7%. Stockfish's first choice is also 2. Bxg5.
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 Borg Defense: Borg Gambit has gained ground since 2016: 0.0097% of Lichess games in 2025, up from 0.0071%.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.0071% | 2,522 |
| 2017 | 0.0076% | 4,158 |
| 2018 | 0.0079% | 6,235 |
| 2019 | 0.0092% | 11,534 |
| 2020 | 0.0088% | 25,856 |
| 2021 | 0.0087% | 33,988 |
| 2022 | 0.0082% | 30,753 |
| 2023 | 0.0086% | 32,516 |
| 2024 | 0.0085% | 30,560 |
| 2025 | 0.0097% | 33,772 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.01% | 10,992 |
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. “Borg Defense: Borg Gambit (A40)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/borg-defense-borg-gambit