French Defense: Baeuerle Gambit
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Statistics from Lichess
36,780 games: White 51.0% / Draw 4.2% / Black 44.8%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 21,43321K | ||
| 5,7475,747 | ||
| 1,4561,456 | ||
| 1,3341,334 | ||
| 1,1451,145 | ||
| 1,1261,126 | ||
| 897897 | ||
| 820820 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 13, 2026
Engine evaluation
+2.05 White is clearly better
Even so, Black scores 46.9% here in practice: wins plus half the draws in rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500.
Best play: 3. Bxb5 Bb7 4. Qe2 Nf6 5. Nd2 a6 6. Ba4 Be7 7. c4 O-O
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
French Defense: Baeuerle Gambit (ECO C00, Open Games) is a gambit in the French Defense: Normal Variation, reached after 1. e4 e6 2. d4 b5 (2 moves).
In 36,780 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 51.0%, Black 44.8% and 4.2% were drawn. White's most played move here is 3. Bxb5, in 58% 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 French Defense: Baeuerle Gambit
3. Nf3 scores best for White: 54.1%, with White winning 52.0% and Black 43.8% of 5,747 games. The most played answer, 3. Bxb5, scores lowest: 53.0% in 21K games. Stockfish's first choice is 3. Bxb5.
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. “French Defense: Baeuerle Gambit (C00)”. Lichess data as of 13 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/french-defense-baeuerle-gambit