King's Gambit Accepted: Muzio Gambit, Holloway Defense
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Statistics from Lichess
6,198 games: White 61.6% / Draw 2.5% / Black 35.9%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 3,6513,651 | ||
| 1,0051,005 | ||
| 739739 | ||
| 363363 | ||
| 259259 | ||
| 113113 | ||
| 3939 | ||
| 99 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 29, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.32 White is slightly better
Best play: 7. Qxf4 f6 8. Nc3 Ne5 9. Bxg8 Rxg8 10. d4 Ng6 11. Qf3 d6
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
King's Gambit Accepted: Muzio Gambit, Holloway Defense (ECO C37, Open Games) is a gambit in the King's Gambit Accepted: Muzio Gambit, Wild Muzio Gambit, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Nf3 g5 4. Bc4 g4 5. O-O gxf3 6. Qxf3 Nc6 (6 moves).
In 6,198 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 61.6%, Black 35.9% and 2.5% were drawn. White's most played move here is 7. Qxf4, in 59% 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: Muzio Gambit, Holloway Defense
The most played answer, 7. Qxf4, also scores best for White: 65.7%, with White winning 64.6% and Black 33.1% of 3,651 games. Of the main answers, 7. Bxf7+ scores lowest: 55.3%. Stockfish's first choice is also 7. Qxf4.
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: Muzio Gambit, Holloway Defense (C37)”. Lichess data as of 29 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/kings-gambit-accepted-muzio-gambit-holloway-defense