French Defense: Morphy Gambit
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Statistics from Lichess
909 games: White 38.3% / Draw 3.9% / Black 57.9%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 509509 | ||
| 173173 | ||
| 113113 | ||
| 2525 | ||
| 2121 | ||
| 1313 | ||
| 1212 | ||
| 77 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 1, 2026
Engine evaluation
−0.58 Black is slightly better
Best play: 3... dxe4 4. Be3 Nf6 5. Nd2 Be7 6. Ng5 O-O 7. h4 h6 8. Ngxe4
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
French Defense: Morphy Gambit (ECO C00, Open Games) is a gambit in the French Defense, reached after 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nh3 (3 moves).
In 909 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 38.3%, Black 57.9% and 3.9% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 3…dxe4, in 56% 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: Morphy Gambit
The most played answer, 3…dxe4, also scores best for Black: 63.1%, with Black winning 61.7% and White 35.6% of 509 games. Of the main answers, 3…Nf6 scores lowest: 53.1%. Stockfish's first choice is also 3…dxe4.
Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: Black'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: Morphy Gambit (C00)”. Lichess data as of 1 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/french-defense-morphy-gambit