King's Gambit Accepted: Kieseritzky Gambit, Rosenthal Defense
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Statistics from Lichess
20,821 games: White 42.1% / Draw 4.6% / Black 53.2%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 10,60211K | ||
| 9,7909,790 | ||
| 165165 | ||
| 118118 | ||
| 5050 | ||
| 4040 | ||
| 2626 | ||
| 1515 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026
Engine evaluation
−0.19 The position is about equal
Best play: 6. d4 d6 7. Nxg4 Qxe4+ 8. Qe2 Qe7 9. Qxe7+ Bxe7 10. Nf2 Nf6
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, Rosenthal 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 Qe7 (5 moves).
In 20,821 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 42.1%, Black 53.2% and 4.6% were drawn. White's most played move here is 6. Nxg4, in 51% of those games.
It continues into one named variation, King's Gambit Accepted: Kieseritzky, Salvio Defense, Cozio Variation.
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, Rosenthal Defense
6. d4 scores best for White: 44.9%, with White winning 42.6% and Black 52.8% of 9,790 games. The most played answer, 6. Nxg4, scores lowest: 44.6% in 11K 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
Variations (1)
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “King's Gambit Accepted: Kieseritzky Gambit, Rosenthal Defense (C39)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/kings-gambit-accepted-kieseritzky-gambit-rosenthal-defense