Danish Gambit Accepted: Classical Defense
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Statistics from Lichess
398,951 games: White 56.3% / Draw 3.2% / Black 40.6%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 218,316218K | ||
| 63,70364K | ||
| 46,91347K | ||
| 35,18035K | ||
| 20,79821K | ||
| 4,7694,769 | ||
| 4,5884,588 | ||
| 1,1161,116 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 31, 2026
Engine evaluation
−0.31 Black is slightly better
Best play: 6. e5 Bb4+ 7. Bc3 Bxc3+ 8. Nxc3 d5 9. exf6 dxc4 10. fxg7 Rg8
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 42% under 1400, 52% at 2200 and up (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 302K | |
| 1400–1799 | 492K | |
| 2200 and up | 4,986 | |
| Masters, over the board | 4 |
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
Danish Gambit Accepted: Classical Defense (ECO C21, Open Games) is a gambit in the Danish Gambit Accepted, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. c3 dxc3 4. Bc4 cxb2 5. Bxb2 Nf6 (5 moves).
In 398,951 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 56.3%, Black 40.6% and 3.2% were drawn. White's most played move here is 6. e5, in 55% 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 Danish Gambit Accepted: Classical Defense
The most played answer, 6. e5, also scores best for White: 59.4%, with White winning 57.9% and Black 39.1% of 218K games. Of the main answers, 6. Nd2 scores lowest: 55.2%. Stockfish's first choice is also 6. e5.
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 Danish Gambit Accepted: Classical Defense has lost ground since 2016: 0.013% of Lichess games in 2025, down from 0.019%.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.019% | 6,808 |
| 2017 | 0.019% | 10,201 |
| 2018 | 0.016% | 12,328 |
| 2019 | 0.016% | 20,187 |
| 2020 | 0.016% | 46,729 |
| 2021 | 0.017% | 68,146 |
| 2022 | 0.016% | 59,610 |
| 2023 | 0.015% | 58,279 |
| 2024 | 0.014% | 51,800 |
| 2025 | 0.013% | 45,721 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.012% | 13,219 |
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. “Danish Gambit Accepted: Classical Defense (C21)”. Lichess data as of 31 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/danish-gambit-accepted-classical-defense