Caissa Codex
C31

King's Gambit Declined: Falkbeer Countergambit, Milner-Barry Variation

Chess diagram: King's Gambit Declined: Falkbeer Countergambit, Milner-Barry Variation after 3. Nc3

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Statistics from Lichess

301,883 games: White 47.8% / Draw 3.7% / Black 48.6%

The moves played next. Pick one to see it on the board.
Next moveGamesWhite / Draw / BlackW / D / B
136,545137K
71,12971K
62,77663K
Vienna Game: Vienna Gambit, Main Line 19,77820K
3,9803,980
2,7142,714
1,3261,326
1,1161,116

Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 19, 2026

Engine evaluation

−0.55 Black is slightly better

Best play: 3... d4 4. Nce2 Nc6 5. d3 Nge7 6. g3 exf4 7. Nxf4 Ng6 8. Bg2

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 50% under 1400, 46% at 2200 and up (wins plus half the draws).

PlayersGamesWhite / Draw / BlackW / D / B
Under 1400 51K
1400–1799 143K
1800–2199 198K
2200 and up 7,575
Masters, over the board 3

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 27, 2026

Overview

King's Gambit Declined: Falkbeer Countergambit, Milner-Barry Variation (ECO C31, Open Games) is a gambit in the King's Gambit Declined: Falkbeer Countergambit, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. f4 d5 3. Nc3 (3 moves).

In 301,883 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 47.8%, Black 48.6% and 3.7% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 3…d4, in 45% of those games.

It continues into one named variation, Van Geet Opening: Grünfeld Defense, Steiner Gambit.

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How to play against the King's Gambit Declined: Falkbeer Countergambit, Milner-Barry Variation

3…Nf6 (Vienna Game: Vienna Gambit, Main Line) scores best for Black: 52.4%, with Black winning 50.4% and White 45.7% of 20K games. The most played answer, 3…d4, scores lowest: 50.3% in 137K games. Stockfish's first choice is 3…d4.

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, Milner-Barry Variation dipped to 0.01% of Lichess games in 2020 and has recovered since: 0.013% in 2025.

Numbers by year
YearShare of gamesGames
20160.011%4,058
20170.013%7,327
20180.014%11,028
20190.012%15,174
20200.01%29,536
20210.01%40,108
20220.011%40,737
20230.012%43,424
20240.013%45,418
20250.013%45,063
2026 (Jan–Apr)0.013%13,936

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 (1)

Other lines from the same position

Instead of 3. Nc3, the position after King's Gambit Declined: Falkbeer Countergambit also goes on to:

Transpositions

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

From here, a move transposes into another named line:

Cite this page

Caissa Codex. “King's Gambit Declined: Falkbeer Countergambit, Milner-Barry Variation (C31)”. Lichess data as of 19 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/kings-gambit-declined-falkbeer-countergambit-milner-barry-variation

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