King's Pawn Game: Tayler Opening, Basman Gambit
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Statistics from Lichess
2,547 games: White 49.3% / Draw 4.3% / Black 46.4%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 931931 | ||
| 687687 | ||
| 676676 | ||
| 156156 | ||
| 5050 | ||
| 2424 | ||
| 88 | ||
| 55 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 22, 2026
Engine evaluation
−0.33 Black is slightly better
Best play: 5... Ng4 6. O-O Be7 7. Bf4 d6 8. exd6 Bxd6 9. Bxd6 Qxd6 10. Na3
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
King's Pawn Game: Tayler Opening, Basman Gambit (ECO C44, Open Games) is a gambit in the King's Pawn Game: Tayler Opening, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Be2 Nf6 4. d4 exd4 5. e5 (5 moves).
In 2,547 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 49.3%, Black 46.4% and 4.3% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 5…Ng4, in 37% 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: Tayler Opening, Basman Gambit
5…Ne4 scores best for Black: 52.3%, with Black winning 50.1% and White 45.6% of 687 games. The most played, 5…Ng4, scores 49.4% in 931 games, and 5…Ng8 scores lowest: 46.5%. Stockfish's first choice is 5…Ng4.
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 Pawn Game: Tayler Opening, Basman Gambit (C44)”. Lichess data as of 22 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/kings-pawn-game-tayler-opening-basman-gambit