English Opening: King's English Variation, Bellon Gambit
Play any move on the board to explore from there, or step through the line with ‹ › and the arrow keys.
Statistics from Lichess
12,656 games: White 48.5% / Draw 5.6% / Black 45.9%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 4,0164,016 | ||
| 3,7683,768 | ||
| 2,8932,893 | ||
| 982982 | ||
| 340340 | ||
| 327327 | ||
| 235235 | ||
| 3737 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 31, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.66 White is slightly better
Best play: 5. d3 exd3 6. cxb5 d5 7. e3 a6 8. Bxd3 axb5 9. Bxb5+ c6
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
English Opening: King's English Variation, Bellon Gambit (ECO A22, Flank Openings) is a gambit in the English Opening: King's English Variation, Two Knights Variation, reached after 1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Nf3 e4 4. Ng5 b5 (4 moves).
In 12,656 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 48.5%, Black 45.9% and 5.6% were drawn. White's most played move here is 5. Ngxe4, in 32% of those games.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
Write a description or report a mistake
How to play against the English Opening: King's English Variation, Bellon Gambit
5. d3 scores best for White: 57.9%, with White winning 54.4% and Black 38.7% of 2,893 games. The most played, 5. Ngxe4, scores 50.7% in 4,016 games, and 5. cxb5 scores lowest: 48.1%. Stockfish's first choice is also 5. d3.
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. “English Opening: King's English Variation, Bellon Gambit (A22)”. Lichess data as of 31 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/english-opening-kings-english-variation-bellon-gambit