King's Gambit Declined: Mafia Defense
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Statistics from Lichess
360,626 games: White 46.3% / Draw 3.3% / Black 50.4%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 212,966213K | ||
| 53,26453K | ||
| 43,88944K | ||
| 35,15835K | ||
| 7,5147,514 | ||
| 3,5653,565 | ||
| 1,3381,338 | ||
| 855855 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 29, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.25 The position is about equal
Best play: 3. Nf3 exf4 4. Bc4 Nc6 5. Nc3 Nf6 6. Qe2 d6 7. d3 Nd4
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 47% under 1400, 50% at 2200 and up (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 31K | |
| 1400–1799 | 167K | |
| 1800–2199 | 235K | |
| 2200 and up | 8,615 | |
| Masters, over the board | 6 |
Master games
- Tran, V. L. – Pham, M. H.
- Reefschlaeger, H. – Reddmann, H.
- Zernovic, F. – Hindický, F.
- Bathke, J. – Reddmann, H.
- Daatselaar, J. B. v. – Lambrechts, C.
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: Mafia Defense (ECO C30, Open Games) is a declined gambit that starts 1. e4 c5 2. f4 e5.
In 360,626 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 46.3%, Black 50.4% and 3.3% were drawn. White's most played move here is 3. Nf3, in 59% 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: Mafia Defense
The most played answer, 3. Nf3, also scores best for White: 53.0%, with White winning 51.3% and Black 45.3% of 213K games. Of the main answers, 3. f5 scores lowest: 27.3%. 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: Mafia Defense has lost ground since 2016: 0.013% of Lichess games in 2025, down from 0.017%.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.017% | 6,042 |
| 2017 | 0.017% | 9,163 |
| 2018 | 0.017% | 13,357 |
| 2019 | 0.018% | 21,837 |
| 2020 | 0.015% | 43,827 |
| 2021 | 0.014% | 55,671 |
| 2022 | 0.013% | 50,575 |
| 2023 | 0.013% | 49,638 |
| 2024 | 0.013% | 46,560 |
| 2025 | 0.013% | 44,849 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.012% | 12,991 |
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: Mafia Defense (C30)”. Lichess data as of 29 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/kings-gambit-declined-mafia-defense