King's Gambit Accepted: Kieseritzky, Polerio Defense
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Statistics from Lichess
9,566 games: White 48.4% / Draw 3.4% / Black 48.2%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 3,4303,430 | ||
| 3,1573,157 | ||
| 2,5412,541 | ||
| 148148 | ||
| 121121 | ||
| 7575 | ||
| 6464 | ||
| 1717 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 31, 2026
Engine evaluation
+1.20 White is better
Best play: 6. Bc4 Nh6 7. d4 d6 8. Nd3 f3 9. gxf3 Bxh4+ 10. Kf1 Ng8
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
King's Gambit Accepted: Kieseritzky, Polerio 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 Be7 (5 moves).
In 9,566 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 48.4%, Black 48.2% and 3.4% were drawn. White's most played move here is 6. Qxg4, in 36% 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, Polerio Defense
The most played answer, 6. Qxg4, also scores best for White: 54.0%, with White winning 52.5% and Black 44.5% of 3,430 games. Of the main answers, 6. Nxg4 scores lowest: 44.3%. Stockfish's first choice is 6. Bc4.
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, Polerio Defense (C39)”. Lichess data as of 31 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/kings-gambit-accepted-kieseritzky-polerio-defense