Elephant Gambit: Wasp Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
40,651 games: White 35.5% / Draw 3.0% / Black 61.5%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 19,25819K | ||
| 12,36612K | ||
| 8,0078,007 | ||
| 426426 | ||
| 251251 | ||
| 156156 | ||
| 4141 | ||
| 2222 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 1, 2026
Engine evaluation
+2.07 White is clearly better
Even so, Black scores 63.0% here in practice: wins plus half the draws in rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500.
Best play: 5. Bxf7+ Ke7 6. d4 Qxg2 7. Rf1 Nc6 8. Bc4 Nf6 9. Nc3 Bh3
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Elephant Gambit: Wasp Variation (ECO C40, Open Games) is a gambit in the Elephant Gambit, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d5 3. Nxe5 dxe4 4. Bc4 Qg5 (4 moves).
In 40,651 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 35.5%, Black 61.5% and 3.0% were drawn. White's most played move here is 5. Nxf7, in 47% 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 Elephant Gambit: Wasp Variation
5. d4 scores best for White: 50.7%, with White winning 48.7% and Black 47.3% of 8,007 games. The most played answer, 5. Nxf7, scores lowest: 25.7% in 19K games. Stockfish's first choice is 5. Bxf7+.
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
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Elephant Gambit: Wasp Variation (C40)”. Lichess data as of 1 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/elephant-gambit-wasp-variation