Chess Openings Lab
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King's Gambit Accepted: Fischer Defense

The Fischer Defense is 3.Nf3 d6, where Black takes e5 away from the knight before supporting f4 with ...g5. White plays d4 and g3 or h4 to break the chain, while Black uses ...Bg7 and ...Nc6 to pressure d4.

Moves
1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 d6
ECO
C34
Engine
−0.51 · a slight edge for Black (Stockfish 17.1, depth 20)
Played
4,675 games in our lichess sample
White scores
55.3%

Key ideas for both sides

White

  • Play d4 to take the center and stop Black's pieces from using e5.
  • Break the chain with g3 or h4, then recapture on f4 with the bishop.
  • Use Nc3 and Bc4 to aim at f7 and the light squares around Black's king.
  • Push d5 to kick the c6 knight and gain space in the center.

Black

  • Follow with ...g5 and ...Bg7, protecting f4 and hitting the d4 pawn.
  • Use ...Nc6 to pressure d4 and prepare ...Ne5 if White pushes d5.
  • Play ...h6 to support g5 if White tries h4 against the chain.
  • Keep the king safe with ...Qe7 and long castling once the queenside is developed.

Plans and pawn structure

After 4.d4 g5 5.g3 Bg7 6.Nc3 Nc6 7.d5 Ne5 White has space and Black has the extra pawn with a strong bishop on g7. White plays gxf4 and Bxf4 to win material back and opens the f-file. Black uses ...Ng4 or ...Bg4 to attack and keep the extra pawn. Higher-rated players have scored better with Black in our sample, so accurate play matters.

What the engine plays from here

Stockfish 17.1 at depth 20 rates the position −0.51: a slight edge for Black. Its three top choices for White:

  1. −0.51 4.d4 g5 5.g3 Bg7 6.Nc3 Nc6
  2. −0.59 4.Nc3 g5 5.d4 g4 6.Ng1 Qh4+
  3. −0.59 4.Bc4 h6 5.Nc3 g5 6.d4 Bg7

Pawns, from White's side.

How it scores on lichess

4,675 rated lichess games reached this position; White scored 55.3%.

under 120055.4%
1200–159955.9%
1600–199956.2%
2000 and up44.1%

Light: White wins. Grey: draws. Dark: Black wins. About the sample.

Where it goes next

  • Fischer Defense, Schulder Gambit4.b4 · rare
  • Fischer Defense, Spanish Variation4.d4 · rare
  • Greco Gambit4.Bc4 · rare

How to play against it

As White, play 4.d4 and break with g3 to undermine f4. Develop with Nc3 and Bc4, and push d5 to kick the c6 knight. Avoid 4.Nc3 g5 5.d4 g4 6.Ng1, which puts the knight back home. Fast development matters more than winning f4 back right away.

Questions

What are the moves of the King's Gambit Accepted: Fischer Defense?

The King's Gambit Accepted: Fischer Defense starts 1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 d6. Its ECO code is C34.

Is the King's Gambit Accepted: Fischer Defense good for Black?

Stockfish 17.1 rates the position −0.51 at depth 20, which is a slight edge for Black. In 4,675 lichess games from our sample, White scored 55.3%. A solid way for Black to keep the pawn; White must break the chain with g3 or h4 to get compensation.

What is the main idea of the King's Gambit Accepted: Fischer Defense?

Black plays ...d6 to keep the knight off e5 and then supports f4 with ...g5. White breaks the chain with d4 and g3, and the game becomes sharp.

What should White play next?

The engine's first choice is d4, with Nc3 and Bc4 close behind. 4.d4 takes the center and prepares g3 to undermine the f4 pawn.

Updated October 2026. Sources and method.