Caissa Codex
C31

King's Gambit Declined: Falkbeer Countergambit

The Falkbeer Countergambit (1.e4 e5 2.f4 d5) declines the King's Gambit by striking back in the centre at once. Read the guide

Chess diagram: King's Gambit Declined: Falkbeer Countergambit after 2…d5

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Statistics from Lichess

6,178,512 games: White 46.7% / Draw 3.9% / Black 49.3%

The moves played next. Pick one to see it on the board.
Next moveGamesWhite / Draw / BlackW / D / B
King's Gambit Declined: Falkbeer Countergambit Accepted 4,093,0634.1M
Blackburne Attack 1,147,0391.1M
Milner-Barry Variation 293,409293K
264,015264K
Hinrichsen Gambit 150,391150K
122,170122K
33,86234K
25,53826K

Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 8, 2026

Engine evaluation

−0.26 The position is about equal

Best play: 3. Nf3 exf4 4. exd5 Nf6 5. c4 c6 6. d4 cxd5 7. Bxf4 Bb4+

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

By rating

Rating changes little here: Black scores 49% under 1400, 51% at 2200 and up and 47% in master games (wins plus half the draws).

PlayersGamesWhite / Draw / BlackW / D / B
Under 1400 564K
1400–1799 3M
1800–2199 3.8M
2200 and up 276K
Masters, over the board 864

Master games

Rated blitz, rapid and classical Lichess games by rating band, and over-the-board games of players rated 2200+ from the Lichess masters database, updated Sep 26, 2026

Description

The Falkbeer Countergambit (1.e4 e5 2.f4 d5) declines the King's Gambit by striking back in the centre at once. It is named after the 19th-century Austrian master Ernst Falkbeer.

The idea

Black ignores the f4-pawn and counterattacks e4. White usually answers 3.exd5, since 3.fxe5? Qh4+ 4.g3 Qxe4+ wins White's rook. Black then either gives up a pawn for quick and easy development or transposes to other King's Gambit lines.

Main lines

  • 3.exd5, the usual reply:
    • 3...e4, the traditional line (Staunton Line in this database), sacrificing a pawn for development. It was once considered good for Black and scored well, but White gets some advantage with 4.d3! (Charousek Gambit), and the line fell out of favour after the 1930s;
    • 3...exf4, transposing to the Modern Defense of the King's Gambit Accepted;
    • 3...c6, the more modern Nimzowitsch-Marshall Countergambit, aiming for early piece activity; White gets the pawn back with a better structure and endgame prospects. The main line is 4.Nc3 exf4 5.Nf3 Bd6 6.d4 Ne7 7.dxc6 Nbxc6; 4.Qe2 is another common answer.
  • 3.Nf3, the Blackburne Attack, typically 3...dxe4 4.Nxe5.
  • 3.Nc3, the Milner-Barry Variation.

Strengths and weaknesses

Strengths

  • An active, principled answer to the King's Gambit.
  • In the traditional 3...e4 line Black gets quick and easy development for the pawn.

Weaknesses

  • The traditional 3...e4 is answered well by 4.d3, which gives White some advantage.
  • In the 3...c6 lines White keeps a better pawn structure.

Who should play it

The Falkbeer suits Black players who meet the King's Gambit with a direct central counter and prefer active piece play to defending an extra pawn.

The numbers

On Lichess the results move in Black's favour as ratings rise: White leads 49.7% against 47.1% under 1400, but Black is ahead 48.7% against 48.1% at 1400–1799, 49.6% against 46.3% at 1800–2199 and 47.7% against 46.3% from 2200 up. In 864 master games over the board White won 35.9%, Black 30.0%, and 34.1% were drawn.

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How to play against the King's Gambit Declined: Falkbeer Countergambit

3. Nf3 (Blackburne Attack) scores best for White: 49.7%, with White winning 47.9% and Black 48.5% of 1.1M games. The most played answer, 3. exd5, scores lowest: 49.6% in 4.1M games. Stockfish's first choice is also 3. Nf3.

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

Popularity by year

The King's Gambit Declined: Falkbeer Countergambit peaked in 2017 at 0.29% of Lichess games and has slipped since: 0.25% in 2025.

Numbers by year
YearShare of gamesGames
20160.27%97,575
20170.29%160,409
20180.28%222,571
20190.25%315,156
20200.21%625,544
20210.21%835,624
20220.23%880,843
20230.24%900,075
20240.25%890,469
20250.25%857,887
2026 (Jan–Apr)0.25%271,898

Share of rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500 (blitz, rapid and classical) that reach this position, by year; 2026: January to April. Which openings are rising and falling

Variations (4)

Other lines from the same position

Instead of 2…d5, the position after King's Gambit also goes on to:

Transpositions

This position is also reached from these lines, by another move order:

All 21 named lines that continue from here

Sources

Cite this page

Caissa Codex. “King's Gambit Declined: Falkbeer Countergambit (C31)”. Lichess data as of 8 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/kings-gambit-declined-falkbeer-countergambit

https://chesscodex.org/openings/kings-gambit-declined-falkbeer-countergambit