Caissa Codex
C30

King's Gambit Declined: Classical Variation, Rotlewi Countergambit

Chess diagram: King's Gambit Declined: Classical Variation, Rotlewi Countergambit after 4. b4

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Statistics from Lichess

10,149 games: White 46.0% / Draw 3.5% / Black 50.5%

The moves played next. Pick one to see it on the board.
Next moveGamesWhite / Draw / BlackW / D / B
5,2135,213
4,8394,839
3737
2222
1717
1212
44
22

Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026

Engine evaluation

−0.37 Black is slightly better

Best play: 4... Bxb4 5. c3 Ba5 6. fxe5 dxe5 7. Na3 Bb6 8. Nc4 Nc6 9. Qa4

Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.

Overview

King's Gambit Declined: Classical Variation, Rotlewi Countergambit (ECO C30, Open Games) is a gambit in the King's Gambit Declined: Classical Variation, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. f4 Bc5 3. Nf3 d6 4. b4 (4 moves).

In 10,149 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 46.0%, Black 50.5% and 3.5% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 4…Bxb4, in 51% of those games.

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How to answer 4. b4

4…Bb6 scores best for Black: 55.5%, with Black winning 53.8% and White 42.7% of 4,839 games. The most played answer, 4…Bxb4, scores lowest: 49.6% in 5,213 games. Stockfish's first choice is 4…Bxb4.

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

Other lines from the same position

Instead of 3. Nf3 d6 4. b4, the position after King's Gambit Declined: Classical Variation also goes on to:

Cite this page

Caissa Codex. “King's Gambit Declined: Classical Variation, Rotlewi Countergambit (C30)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/kings-gambit-declined-classical-variation-rotlewi-countergambit

https://chesscodex.org/openings/kings-gambit-declined-classical-variation-rotlewi-countergambit