Caissa Codex
C00

French Defense: La Bourdonnais Variation, Reuter Gambit

Chess diagram: French Defense: La Bourdonnais Variation, Reuter Gambit after 3…dxe4

Type a move and press Enter: e4, Nf3, O-O, or from and to squares like g1f3 (e7e8q to promote). The board is also played with the mouse.

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Statistics from Lichess

161,208 games: White 43.7% / Draw 3.4% / Black 52.8%

The moves played next. Pick one to see it on the board.
Next moveGamesWhite / Draw / BlackW / D / B
84,81885K
67,70768K
3,9563,956
2,3892,389
1,0091,009
298298
266266
225225

Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026

Engine evaluation

−1.60 Black is clearly better

Even so, White scores 45.5% here in practice: wins plus half the draws in rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500.

Best play: 4. Ne5 Nd7 5. d4 Nxe5 6. fxe5 Nh6 7. c3 Nf5 8. Bf4 Be7

Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.

Overview

French Defense: La Bourdonnais Variation, Reuter Gambit (ECO C00, Open Games) is a gambit in the French Defense: La Bourdonnais Variation, reached after 1. e4 e6 2. f4 d5 3. Nf3 dxe4 (3 moves).

In 161,208 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 43.7%, Black 52.8% and 3.4% were drawn. White's most played move here is 4. Ng5, in 53% of those games.

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How to play against the French Defense: La Bourdonnais Variation, Reuter Gambit

The most played answer, 4. Ng5, also scores best for White: 46.4%, with White winning 44.7% and Black 51.8% of 85K games. Of the main answers, 4. Ne5 scores lowest: 45.9%. Stockfish's first choice is 4. Ne5.

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: La Bourdonnais Variation, Reuter Gambit (C00)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/french-defense-la-bourdonnais-variation-reuter-gambit

https://chesscodex.org/openings/french-defense-la-bourdonnais-variation-reuter-gambit