Caissa Codex
C30

King's Gambit Declined: Classical Variation, Rubinstein Countergambit

Chess diagram: King's Gambit Declined: Classical Variation, Rubinstein Countergambit after 4…f5

Type a move and press Enter: e4, Nf3, O-O, or from and to squares like g1f3 (e7e8q to promote). The board is also played with the mouse.

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Statistics from Lichess

4,147 games: White 47.0% / Draw 4.2% / Black 48.8%

The moves played next. Pick one to see it on the board.
Next moveGamesWhite / Draw / BlackW / D / B
2,2582,258
870870
397397
356356
8686
7070
4343
1919

Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 22, 2026

Engine evaluation

+0.12 The position is about equal

Best play: 5. exf5 Bxf5 6. fxe5 dxe5 7. d4 exd4 8. cxd4 Qe7+ 9. Kf2 Nf6

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, Rubinstein 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. c3 f5 (4 moves).

In 4,147 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 47.0%, Black 48.8% and 4.2% were drawn. White's most played move here is 5. d4, in 54% of those games.

It continues into one named variation, King's Gambit Declined: Classical, Réti Variation.

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How to play against the King's Gambit Declined: Classical Variation, Rubinstein Countergambit

5. exf5 scores best for White: 52.9%, with White winning 50.6% and Black 44.8% of 870 games. The most played, 5. d4, scores 49.1% in 2,258 games, and 5. d3 scores lowest: 43.8%. Stockfish's first choice is also 5. exf5.

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

Variations (1)

Other lines from the same position

Instead of 4…f5, the position after King's Gambit Declined: Classical Variation also goes on to:

Cite this page

Caissa Codex. “King's Gambit Declined: Classical Variation, Rubinstein Countergambit (C30)”. Lichess data as of 22 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/kings-gambit-declined-classical-variation-rubinstein-countergambit

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