King's Gambit Declined: Norwalde Variation, Schubert Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
964 games: White 67.1% / Draw 3.7% / Black 29.1%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 471471 | ||
| 362362 | ||
| 5151 | ||
| 4040 | ||
| 1212 | ||
| 66 | ||
| 44 | ||
| 44 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 31, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.98 White is better
Best play: 4... Qh4+ 5. g3 Qd8 6. dxe5 d6 7. Nf3 Bg4 8. Bf4 Nc6 9. Bb5
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
King's Gambit Declined: Norwalde Variation, Schubert Variation (ECO C30, Open Games) is a declined gambit in the King's Gambit Declined: Norwalde Variation, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. f4 Qf6 3. Nc3 Qxf4 4. d4 (4 moves).
In 964 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 67.1%, Black 29.1% and 3.7% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 4…Qf6, in 49% 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: Norwalde Variation, Schubert Variation
4…Qh4+ scores best for Black: 35.8%, with Black winning 33.4% and White 61.9% of 362 games. The most played answer, 4…Qf6, scores lowest: 34.0% in 471 games. Stockfish's first choice is also 4…Qh4+.
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
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “King's Gambit Declined: Norwalde Variation, Schubert Variation (C30)”. Lichess data as of 31 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/kings-gambit-declined-norwalde-variation-schubert-variation