King's Gambit Accepted: Mason-Keres Gambit
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Statistics from Lichess
80,899 games: White 54.3% / Draw 3.6% / Black 42.1%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 18,43918K | ||
| 11,46011K | ||
| 10,92611K | ||
| 9,4989,498 | ||
| 6,7506,750 | ||
| 5,8435,843 | ||
| 3,2983,298 | ||
| 2,6652,665 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 1, 2026
Engine evaluation
−0.71 Black is better
Best play: 3... Qh4+ 4. Ke2 Qe7 5. Kf2 Nf6 6. Nf3 d6 7. d4 g5 8. g3
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
King's Gambit Accepted: Mason-Keres Gambit (ECO C33, Open Games) is a gambit in the King's Gambit Accepted, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Nc3 (3 moves).
In 80,899 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 54.3%, Black 42.1% and 3.6% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 3…Qh4+, in 23% 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: Mason-Keres Gambit
The most played answer, 3…Qh4+, also scores best for Black: 50.6%, with Black winning 48.9% and White 47.6% of 18K games. Of the main answers, 3…Nf6 scores lowest: 38.7%. Stockfish's first choice is also 3…Qh4+.
Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: Black'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: Mason-Keres Gambit (C33)”. Lichess data as of 1 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/kings-gambit-accepted-mason-keres-gambit