Danish Gambit
Chess opening · ECO C21 · 5 half-moves
1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. c3
The Danish Gambit is reached after 1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. c3. It is Black's move in the position shown.
It branches from the Center Game Accepted with 3. c3.
How often it is played
The Danish Gambit and its variations appeared in 0.28% of games — 8,275 of 3,000,000 rated games sampled from Lichess in September 2026. That makes it number 145 of the openings listed here.
Results
White won 53%, 3.2% were drawn and Black won 43%. These are games between players of every strength and time control, so they say how the opening does in practice rather than how sound it is.
What the engine thinks
Stockfish, at depth 18, evaluates the position at -0.42 — a small edge for Black. Positive numbers favour White; see reading the evaluation bar.
Similar openings
The most-played alternatives — what else could have been chosen around the move where this opening begins.
| Opening | Moves | Share of games |
|---|---|---|
| Center Game: Normal Variation | 1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. Qxd4 Nc6 | 0.29% |
| King's Knight Opening | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 | 15% |
| Sicilian Defense | 1. e4 c5 | 9.6% |
Main continuations
| Variation | Moves | Share of games |
|---|---|---|
| Danish Gambit Accepted | 1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. c3 dxc3 | 0.19% |
| Danish Gambit Declined: Sörensen Defense | 1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. c3 d5 | 0.02% |
| Danish Gambit Accepted: Svenonius Defense | 1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. c3 Ne7 | 0.00% |
Check your own games
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