Chessy
Evans Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4)
One of the most famous gambits in chess history — Morphy, Lasker, and Kasparov all used it — the Evans Gambit sacrifices the b4-pawn to seize the entire center and build a devastating attack. Play it against the engine below to feel why it's remained respected for 200 years.
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Stockfish evaluates the position at −0.17 at depth 16 — seventeen hundredths of a pawn in Black's favour. That modest number understates what White gets: after 4.b4 Bxb4 5.c3, White plays d4 and controls the entire center with both pawns while Black spent two moves moving a bishop. The engine's best reply is Bxb4 c3 Be7 d4 — even the correct line leaves Black with a cramped bishop on e7 and White with a full center. Compensation here is structural and attacking, not just dynamic.
What 3.3 million games say
Across 3,349,993 Lichess games White scores 53.1%. Most players accept with Bxb4 (2,323,103 games, White 53.7%). The main alternatives:
- Bb6 (585,470 games) — declines the gambit, White 47.0% (Black's best practical try)
- Nxb4 (222,848 games) — greedy queen trap attempt, White 55.9%
- Bd4 (73,312 games) — inaccuracy (77 cp loss), White 55.1%
Decling with Bb6 is the single reply that holds Black near equality; everything else tips toward White.
The blunder that ends games fast
Nf6 — played in 36,605 games — is a blunder costing 387 centipawns versus Bxb4. Black's knight tries to castle quickly but walks into a well-known attack: White scores 71.2% from this move. In most lines White plays Bxf7+ and the king never castles. The Evans Gambit's reputation is partly built on this kind of punishing short game against unprepared defenders.
How to play it as White
After 4.b4 Bxb4 5.c3, play d4 immediately — don't hesitate. If Black retreats with Be7, your center is perfect and you develop Nc3, O-O, and aim at the f7-square. If Black plays Ba5 or Bd6 instead, those positions reward tactical alertness more than memorization. The Evans Gambit is an initiative-first opening: every tempo matters, and you must keep pressing before Black consolidates.
Results across 3,349,993 Lichess games
| Most-played continuation | Games | White wins |
|---|---|---|
| Bxb4 | 2,323,103 | 53.7% |
| Bb6 | 585,470 | 47.0% |
| Nxb4 | 222,848 | 55.9% |
| Bd4 | 73,312 | 55.1% |
| Nf6 | 36,605 | 71.2% |
| Be7 | 26,694 | 51.9% |
Frequently asked questions
Is the Evans Gambit sound?
Yes, fully respected. The engine gives −0.17 (seventeen hundredths of a pawn for Black), but White's central control and attacking setup provide rich structural compensation. It's been used at the highest level for two centuries.
What's the best way to decline the Evans Gambit?
Bb6 is Black's strongest practical try (White scores only 47.0% in 585,470 games). It gives back the pawn structure argument without accepting the central weakness, and it's the move top engines point to.
Why is Nf6 such a bad reply to 4.b4?
It's a 387 centipawn blunder. Black ignores the hanging bishop and tries to develop the knight, but White plays Bxf7+ and the king is stuck in the center. White scores 71.2% from that position.
Did famous players really use the Evans Gambit?
Yes — Morphy used it routinely, Lasker employed it at the world championship level, and Kasparov famously revived it against Anand in 1995. It's a genuinely elite weapon with 200 years of practical testing.
How many games feature the Evans Gambit?
Over 3 million Lichess games have reached the Evans Gambit position. White wins 53.1%, Black wins 43.9%, with 2.9% draws — based on real rated games.
What is Stockfish's evaluation of the Evans Gambit?
At depth 16, Stockfish rates the Evans Gambit as a balanced position (-0.17) from White's perspective. This is the computer's assessment of the position after the main opening moves.