King's Gambit Declined: Falkbeer Countergambit, Modern Transfer
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Statistics from Lichess
1,351,889 games: White 47.4% / Draw 4.3% / Black 48.3%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| King's Gambit Accepted: Modern Defense | 1,057,7811.1M | |
| 89,81490K | ||
| 54,61455K | ||
| 53,49553K | ||
| 33,56834K | ||
| 24,13924K | ||
| 13,52414K | ||
| 13,47113K |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 3, 2026
Engine evaluation
−0.11 The position is about equal
Best play: 4. Nf3 Nf6 5. c4 c6 6. d4 cxd5 7. c5 b6 8. b4 Be7
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 better this line does for Black: Black scores 45% under 1400, 51% at 2200 and up and 50% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 69K | |
| 1400–1799 | 588K | |
| 1800–2199 | 834K | |
| 2200 and up | 96K | |
| Masters, over the board | 438 |
Master games
- Carlsen, M. – Wang, Y.
- Nakamura, H. – Tomashevsky, E.
- Nepomniachtchi, I. – Niemann, H. M.
- Ivanchuk, V. – Le Quang Liem
- Carlsen, M. – Chadaev, N.
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, Modern Transfer (ECO C31, Open Games) is a gambit in the King's Gambit Declined: Falkbeer Countergambit Accepted, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. f4 d5 3. exd5 exf4 (3 moves).
In 1,351,889 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 47.4%, Black 48.3% and 4.3% were drawn. White's most played move here is 4. Nf3, in 78% 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, Modern Transfer
The most played answer, 4. Nf3 (King's Gambit Accepted: Modern Defense), also scores best for White: 50.8%, with White winning 48.6% and Black 47.0% of 1.1M games. Of the main answers, 4. Nc3 scores lowest: 43.1%. Stockfish's first choice is also 4. 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, Modern Transfer dipped to 0.045% of Lichess games in 2020 and has recovered since: 0.055% in 2025.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.06% | 21,477 |
| 2017 | 0.06% | 33,287 |
| 2018 | 0.062% | 48,474 |
| 2019 | 0.052% | 65,417 |
| 2020 | 0.045% | 131,570 |
| 2021 | 0.045% | 177,513 |
| 2022 | 0.052% | 196,388 |
| 2023 | 0.054% | 202,438 |
| 2024 | 0.056% | 199,750 |
| 2025 | 0.055% | 190,341 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.055% | 60,005 |
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, Modern Transfer (C31)”. Lichess data as of 3 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/kings-gambit-declined-falkbeer-countergambit-modern-transfer