King's Gambit Declined: Falkbeer Countergambit, Blackburne Attack
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Statistics from Lichess
1,146,353 games: White 47.9% / Draw 3.7% / Black 48.4%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 645,214645K | ||
| King's Gambit Accepted: Modern Defense | 327,194327K | |
| 81,70082K | ||
| 36,84337K | ||
| 33,22833K | ||
| 7,9107,910 | ||
| 3,8133,813 | ||
| 3,0133,013 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 1, 2026
Engine evaluation
−0.17 The position is about equal
Best play: 3... exf4 4. exd5 Nf6 5. c4 c6 6. d4 Bb4+ 7. Nc3 cxd5 8. Be2
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
The stronger the players, the worse this line does for White: White scores 52% under 1400, 48% at 2200 and up (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 102K | |
| 1400–1799 | 537K | |
| 1800–2199 | 734K | |
| 2200 and up | 39K | |
| Masters, over the board | 23 |
Master games
- Malyi, V. – Makhnev, D.
- Bentivegna, F. – Vocaturo, D.
- Pruess, D. – Sevillano, E.
- Todorovic, J. – Pap, M.
- Farley, T. – Kazhgaleyev, M.
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 27, 2026
Overview
King's Gambit Declined: Falkbeer Countergambit, Blackburne Attack (ECO C31, Open Games) is a gambit in the King's Gambit Declined: Falkbeer Countergambit, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. f4 d5 3. Nf3 (3 moves).
In 1,146,353 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 47.9%, Black 48.4% and 3.7% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 3…dxe4, in 56% 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 Declined: Falkbeer Countergambit, Blackburne Attack
3…Bg4 scores best for Black: 52.1%, with Black winning 50.3% and White 46.2% of 82K games. The most played, 3…dxe4, scores 50.3% in 645K games, and 3…exf4 scores lowest: 50.2%. Stockfish's first choice is 3…exf4.
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
Popularity by year
The King's Gambit Declined: Falkbeer Countergambit, Blackburne Attack has gained ground since 2016: 0.051% of Lichess games in 2025, up from 0.035%.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.035% | 12,633 |
| 2017 | 0.04% | 21,783 |
| 2018 | 0.042% | 33,131 |
| 2019 | 0.043% | 53,509 |
| 2020 | 0.037% | 107,766 |
| 2021 | 0.037% | 144,557 |
| 2022 | 0.043% | 161,803 |
| 2023 | 0.047% | 176,086 |
| 2024 | 0.051% | 181,726 |
| 2025 | 0.051% | 176,769 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.052% | 56,905 |
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
Transpositions
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “King's Gambit Declined: Falkbeer Countergambit, Blackburne Attack (C31)”. Lichess data as of 1 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/kings-gambit-declined-falkbeer-countergambit-blackburne-attack