King's Pawn Game: Philidor Gambit
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Statistics from Lichess
4,914 games: White 56.8% / Draw 3.8% / Black 39.4%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 3,7863,786 | ||
| 779779 | ||
| 100100 | ||
| 8989 | ||
| 7171 | ||
| 2828 | ||
| 1818 | ||
| 1212 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 23, 2026
Engine evaluation
+1.84 White is clearly better
Best play: 4. Nf3 Nc6 5. Bg5 Be7 6. Bxe7 Qxe7 7. exd6 cxd6 8. Bd3 Nf6
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
King's Pawn Game: Philidor Gambit (ECO C20, Open Games) is a gambit in the Center Game, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. d4 d6 3. dxe5 Bd7 (3 moves).
In 4,914 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 56.8%, Black 39.4% and 3.8% were drawn. White's most played move here is 4. exd6, in 77% 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 Pawn Game: Philidor Gambit
4. Nf3 scores best for White: 60.3%, with White winning 58.8% and Black 38.3% of 779 games. The most played answer, 4. exd6, scores lowest: 58.7% in 3,786 games. 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
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “King's Pawn Game: Philidor Gambit (C20)”. Lichess data as of 23 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/kings-pawn-game-philidor-gambit