Caissa Codex
C20

King's Pawn Game: MacLeod Attack, Norwalde Gambit

Chess diagram: King's Pawn Game: MacLeod Attack, Norwalde Gambit after 3…Bd6

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Statistics from Lichess

86 games: White 26.7% / Draw 3.5% / Black 69.8%

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Next moveGamesWhite / Draw / BlackW / D / B
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Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 4, 2026

Engine evaluation

−1.04 Black is better

Best play: 4. d3 Nf6 5. Qd1 h6 6. Nd2 c5 7. Be2 Be6 8. Ngf3 Nc6

Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.

Overview

King's Pawn Game: MacLeod Attack, Norwalde Gambit (ECO C20, Open Games) is a gambit in the King's Pawn Game: MacLeod Attack, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. c3 d5 3. Qh5 Bd6 (3 moves).

In 86 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 26.7%, Black 69.8% and 3.5% were drawn. White's most played move here is 4. exd5, in 90% of those games. That is too few games for the percentages to mean much.

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Other lines from the same position

Instead of 2…d5 3. Qh5 Bd6, the position after King's Pawn Game: MacLeod Attack also goes on to:

Cite this page

Caissa Codex. “King's Pawn Game: MacLeod Attack, Norwalde Gambit (C20)”. Lichess data as of 4 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/kings-pawn-game-macleod-attack-norwalde-gambit

https://chesscodex.org/openings/kings-pawn-game-macleod-attack-norwalde-gambit