Tree path 5 levels Queen's Pawn Game › Indian Defense › Normal Variation › Mexican Defense › Horsefly Gambit
- Chess Codex
- Queen's Pawn Game A40
- Indian Defense A45
- Normal Variation A50
- Mexican Defense A50
- Horsefly Gambit A50 you are here
Mexican Defense: Horsefly Gambit
Overview
Mexican Defense: Horsefly Gambit is a gambit, classified under ECO code A50 within the Flank Openings family. As with all gambits, one side sacrifices material early — usually a pawn — in exchange for development, open lines, or initiative.
The Flank Openings group covers flank openings — systems that delay the central pawn break and instead develop pieces and pawns on the wings.
Play reaches this position via 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 Nc6 3. d5 Ne5 4. f4, after 7 plies of opening development.
It is a variation of Mexican Defense, which itself descends from the root opening Queen's Pawn Game.
Step through the moves on the interactive board below, review the live Lichess statistics, or play this position against Stockfish at one of six difficulty levels.
- ECO code
- A50
- Group
- Flank Openings (A)
- Plies
- 7
- Parent
- Mexican Defense
This overview is generated automatically from the opening's metadata. Know this line well? Write a description — submissions are reviewed before publishing.
Statistics from Lichess
11,315 games · White 47.9% / Draw 3.8% / Black 48.4%
| Moves | Games | W / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Nxc4 | 5,738 | |
| Ng6 | 5,443 | |
| Neg4 | 107 | |
| d6 | 15 | |
| e6 | 9 | |
| g6 | 1 | |
| Ng8 | 1 | |
| Ne4 | 1 |
Source: Lichess Opening Explorer · cached 2026-09-26 01:31:45
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