Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Kloss Gambit
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Statistics from Lichess
19,439 games: White 49.9% / Draw 3.7% / Black 46.3%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 7,8577,857 | ||
| 3,4273,427 | ||
| 1,9921,992 | ||
| 1,4581,458 | ||
| 1,2621,262 | ||
| 1,2621,262 | ||
| 586586 | ||
| 436436 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 11, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.65 White is slightly better
Best play: 6. d6 Nbd5 7. dxc7 Qxc7 8. d3 Be7 9. O-O O-O 10. Ne4 Nxe4
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Kloss Gambit (ECO C57, Open Games) is a gambit in the Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Knight Attack, Normal Variation, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Ng5 d5 5. exd5 Nb4 (5 moves).
In 19,439 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 49.9%, Black 46.3% and 3.7% were drawn. White's most played move here is 6. d6, in 40% 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 Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Kloss Gambit
6. Nc3 scores best for White: 61.3%, with White winning 59.6% and Black 37.0% of 1,992 games. The most played, 6. d6, scores 52.6% in 7,857 games, and 6. Bb5+ scores lowest: 47.1%. Stockfish's first choice is 6. d6.
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. “Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Kloss Gambit (C57)”. Lichess data as of 11 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/italian-game-two-knights-defense-kloss-gambit