King's Gambit Accepted: Wagenbach Defense
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Statistics from Lichess
29,860 games: White 54.4% / Draw 2.9% / Black 42.8%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 16,48516K | ||
| 10,02010K | ||
| 2,3582,358 | ||
| 338338 | ||
| 228228 | ||
| 161161 | ||
| 140140 | ||
| 3434 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 31, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.98 White is better
Best play: 4. d4 d5 5. exd5 Nf6 6. c4 c6 7. Nc3 cxd5 8. Bxf4 Nc6
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
King's Gambit Accepted: Wagenbach Defense (ECO C34, Open Games) is a gambit in the King's Gambit Accepted: King's Knight's Gambit, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Nf3 h5 (3 moves).
In 29,860 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 54.4%, Black 42.8% and 2.9% were drawn. White's most played move here is 4. Bc4, in 55% 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: Wagenbach Defense
4. h4 scores best for White: 57.0%, with White winning 55.3% and Black 41.2% of 2,358 games. The most played answer, 4. Bc4, scores lowest: 55.7% in 16K games. Stockfish's first choice is 4. 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: Wagenbach Defense (C34)”. Lichess data as of 31 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/kings-gambit-accepted-wagenbach-defense