King's Gambit Accepted: Kieseritzky Gambit, Paulsen Defense
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Statistics from Lichess
3,762 games: White 47.0% / Draw 3.5% / Black 49.5%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 3,2593,259 | ||
| 355355 | ||
| 127127 | ||
| 1313 | ||
| 44 | ||
| 22 | ||
| 11 | ||
| 11 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 23, 2026
Engine evaluation
0.00 The position is about equal
Best play: 6. d4 d6 7. Nxg4 Nc6 8. Bxf4 Bxd4 9. Nc3 Qe7 10. Be2 Bxc3+
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
King's Gambit Accepted: Kieseritzky Gambit, Paulsen Defense (ECO C39, Open Games) is a gambit in the King's Gambit Accepted: Kieseritzky Gambit, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Nf3 g5 4. h4 g4 5. Ne5 Bg7 (5 moves).
In 3,762 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 47.0%, Black 49.5% and 3.5% were drawn. White's most played move here is 6. Nxg4, in 87% 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: Kieseritzky Gambit, Paulsen Defense
6. d4 scores best for White: 58.5%, with White winning 56.1% and Black 39.2% of 355 games. The most played answer, 6. Nxg4, scores lowest: 47.8% in 3,259 games. Stockfish's first choice is also 6. d4.
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: Kieseritzky Gambit, Paulsen Defense (C39)”. Lichess data as of 23 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/kings-gambit-accepted-kieseritzky-gambit-paulsen-defense