King's Gambit Accepted: Cunningham Defense, McCormick Defense
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Statistics from Lichess
169,419 games: White 47.4% / Draw 4.0% / Black 48.6%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 47,46447K | ||
| 43,30043K | ||
| 40,34340K | ||
| 26,46826K | ||
| 4,3844,384 | ||
| 3,3953,395 | ||
| 1,3841,384 | ||
| 811811 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 29, 2026
Engine evaluation
−0.16 The position is about equal
Best play: 5. e5 Nh5 6. Nc3 O-O 7. d4 d6 8. O-O Bg4 9. h3 Be6
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
King's Gambit Accepted: Cunningham Defense, McCormick Defense (ECO C35, Open Games) is a gambit in the King's Gambit Accepted: Cunningham Defense, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Nf3 Be7 4. Bc4 Nf6 (4 moves).
In 169,419 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 47.4%, Black 48.6% and 4.0% were drawn. White's most played move here is 5. Nc3, in 28% 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 King's Gambit Accepted: Cunningham Defense, McCormick Defense
The most played answer, 5. Nc3, also scores best for White: 50.7%, with White winning 48.5% and Black 47.1% of 47K games. Of the main answers, 5. e5 scores lowest: 49.1%. Stockfish's first choice is 5. e5.
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. “King's Gambit Accepted: Cunningham Defense, McCormick Defense (C35)”. Lichess data as of 29 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/kings-gambit-accepted-cunningham-defense-mccormick-defense