King’s Gambit Accepted: Bishop’s Gambit, Anderssen Defense

The key issue is simple: White wants rapid development and an attack, while you try to keep the extra pawn and avoid letting your kingside become a target. In this position, White has several natural tries, and you need to know which ones demand the most care. The good news is that the position is still playable if you understand the ideas behind it: keep pieces coordinated, watch the kingside, and do not drift into passive defence. The bad news is that the engine already gives White a small edge, so you cannot afford to waste tempi or ignore threats.

The engine’s best move here is h4, and the listed continuation is h4 d5 exd5 Qe7+. That tells you a lot about the character of the opening: White is trying to open lines quickly, and Black has to respond with accurate, forcing play. If you are using this line as Black, this is the moment to learn the pattern rather than improvising. When White chooses the most testing move, you should expect direct pressure and tactics, not a slow manoeuvring game.

The database shows that White’s most common continuation is Nf3 with 38,301 games, and it scores 52.8% for White. The next most common tries are h4 with 12,400 games and 64.0%, d4 with 11,781 games and 54.4%, Qh5 with 5,908 games and 53.4%, Nc3 with 3,728 games and 57.1%, and Bxf7+ with 1,676 games and 55.7%. The lesson is clear: White has many active ideas, so you need a response that works against more than one move, not just a single trap.

Three moves are flagged as mistakes in this exact position. Nf3 is a mistake and loses about 1.4 pawns, with h4 being better. Qh5 is also a mistake and loses about 1.1 pawns, again with h4 being better. Bxf7+ is the biggest mistake on the list and loses about 1.8 pawns, with h4 still the better choice. For Black, this is useful because it shows which attacking ideas White may overvalue. If your opponent goes for one of these tempting moves, stay alert and do not assume the attack is sound just because it looks aggressive.

Across 76,896 games at this exact position, White wins 55.1%, draws 2.5%, and Black wins 42.4%. Those numbers match the engine’s verdict: White is a little better, and Black has work to do. That does not mean the position is hopeless for you. It does mean you should treat this as a practical defensive opening where accuracy matters, especially against direct attacking moves. If you want to play this line as Black, your goal is to stay organised, meet the most forcing ideas correctly, and avoid giving White easy momentum.