Polish Opening: Birmingham Gambit
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Statistics from Lichess
232,306 games: White 49.6% / Draw 4.0% / Black 46.4%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 151,490151K | ||
| 37,73738K | ||
| 36,23236K | ||
| 4,5724,572 | ||
| 1,3781,378 | ||
| Sicilian Defense: Wing Gambit | 270270 | |
| 135135 | ||
| English Opening: Wing Gambit | 118118 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 31, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.22 The position is about equal
Best play: 2. bxc5 e5 3. e3 Bxc5 4. Nf3 d6 5. d4 exd4 6. exd4 Bb6
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
The stronger the players, the better this line does for Black: Black scores 47% under 1400, 51% at 2200 and up (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 45K | |
| 1400–1799 | 149K | |
| 1800–2199 | 131K | |
| 2200 and up | 10K | |
| Masters, over the board | 5 |
Master games
- Sitnikov, A. – Aveskulov, V.
- Vasiukov, E. – Hecht, H. J.
- Tiller, B. – Lovik, L. O.
- Shaidullina, S. – Oganian, R.
- Poenisch, E. – Krug, N.
Rated blitz, rapid and classical Lichess games by rating band, and over-the-board games of players rated 2200+ from the Lichess masters database, updated Sep 27, 2026
Overview
Polish Opening: Birmingham Gambit (ECO A00, Flank Openings) is a gambit in the Polish Opening, reached after 1. b4 c5 (1 move).
In 232,306 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 49.6%, Black 46.4% and 4.0% were drawn. White's most played move here is 2. bxc5, in 65% 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 Polish Opening: Birmingham Gambit
The most played answer, 2. bxc5, also scores best for White: 53.2%, with White winning 51.3% and Black 44.8% of 151K games. Of the main answers, 2. Bb2 scores lowest: 47.1%. Stockfish's first choice is also 2. bxc5.
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
Popularity by year
The Polish Opening: Birmingham Gambit has stayed between 0.0081% and 0.0095% of Lichess games a year since 2016 (0.0091% in 2025).
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.0091% | 3,242 |
| 2017 | 0.0084% | 4,602 |
| 2018 | 0.0085% | 6,672 |
| 2019 | 0.0091% | 11,349 |
| 2020 | 0.0081% | 23,766 |
| 2021 | 0.0088% | 34,564 |
| 2022 | 0.0095% | 35,519 |
| 2023 | 0.0091% | 34,205 |
| 2024 | 0.0092% | 33,121 |
| 2025 | 0.0091% | 31,581 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.0091% | 9,978 |
Share of rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500 (blitz, rapid and classical) that reach this position, by year; 2026: January to April. Which openings are rising and falling
Transpositions
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Polish Opening: Birmingham Gambit (A00)”. Lichess data as of 31 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/polish-opening-birmingham-gambit