King's Pawn Game
The King's Pawn Game covers 1.e4 and the unusual second moves that skip the named main openings, such as 2.Qh5, 2.d3, 2.Qf3 or Black's 2...Bc5 and 2...Qf6. White grabs the center and opens lines for the queen and f1 bishop, while Black must answer soundly and avoid early tricks.
- Moves
- 1.e4
- ECO
- B00, C20
- Engine
- +0.35 · a slight edge for White (Stockfish 17.1, depth 20)
- Played
- 148,998 games in our lichess sample
- White scores
- 52.7%
Key ideas for both sides
White
- Follow 1.e4 e5 with 2.Nf3, the King's Knight Opening, which attacks e5 and leads to the main open games.
- Punish weak replies: after 2.Nf3, both 2...f6 and 2...Qf6 let White gain time or win material in the center.
- Aim at f7 with Bc4 and the queen only when development backs it up; early raids get chased.
Black
- Meet 2.Qh5 by guarding e5 with ...Nc6, then ...g6 or ...Nf6 to develop with tempo against the queen.
- Answer quiet moves like 2.d3 or 2.c3 by developing freely; the engine already rates Black slightly better.
- Avoid 2...f6 after 2.Nf3. The Damiano weakens the king and allows Nxe5 tactics.
Plans and pawn structure
Because this family is a collection of sidelines, the plans depend on the second move. After 2.Nf3 the game heads into Ruy Lopez, Italian or Scotch structures, as the top engine line 1...e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O shows. After early queen moves, Black gains time by hitting the queen with knights and pawns. After quiet moves like 2.d3, Black gets the easier development and can push ...d5.
Where the engine's main line heads: Open game: e4 against e5. An open game: e4 against e5. Development, the f7 and f2 squares, and the d4 or d5 break are what count.
What the King's Pawn Game is about
1.e4 is the most direct first move in chess. It takes the center, opens the d1-h5 diagonal for the queen and the f1-a6 diagonal for the bishop, and prepares quick castling. This family collects the less common continuations after 1.e4, mostly after 1.e4 e5, that do not have their own opening name.
Across 148998 games from this position White scored 52.7%. The engine lines are the main openings: 1...e5 into a Ruy Lopez, 1...c5 into an Open Sicilian, and 1...e6 into a French. Everything in this family steps off those roads, and many of the lines are traps in disguise.
The main variations
The Leonardis Variation, 2.d3, is the most played line. White supports e4 but blocks the f1 bishop. The engine already slightly prefers Black, who can develop freely with ...Nf6, ...Bc5 and ...d5.
The Wayward Queen Attack, 2.Qh5, aims at f7 and e5 at once. It catches beginners with Scholar's Mate ideas, but after 2...Nc6 and ...g6 Black gains time against the queen. Black can also try the Kiddie Countergambit, 2...Nf6.
The King's Knight Opening, 2.Nf3, is the main road. It hits e5 and leads to most classical openings. Here Black must avoid weak replies like the Busch-Gass Gambit, 2...Bc5, which drops the e5 pawn, and the Damiano Defense, 2...f6, where White scored 58.6%. The McConnell Defense, 2...Qf6, defends e5 but takes the best square from the g8 knight, and the engine gives White a clear plus.
The Napoleon Attack, 2.Qf3, is a cousin of 2.Qh5. The queen eyes f7 but takes the natural square from the g1 knight, and the engine slightly prefers Black.
Typical plans for White
Against sound replies, White's best plan is classical: Nf3, a bishop to c4 or b5, castle and push d4. The engine line 1...e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O shows the ideal setup. Early queen moves and slow pawn moves like d3, c3 or f3 give up part of the first-move edge.
- Against the Damiano or Busch-Gass, take on e5 with the knight and watch for Qh5+ ideas against the loose black king.
- Against the McConnell, develop with tempo: Bc4, Nc3 and d4 hit the queen and the e5 pawn.
- If you play 2.Qh5 yourself, know that ...Nc6 and ...g6 kick the queen, and plan where it goes next.
Typical plans for Black
Black's goal against every sideline is the same: develop pieces toward the center, castle, and strike with ...d5 when White is slow. Against 2.d3 or the MacLeod Attack, 2.c3, the moves ...Nf6, ...Bc5 and ...d5 give Black a comfortable game with the extra tempo on Black's side.
- Against 2.Qh5, play ...Nc6, then ...g6 or ...Qe7 to cover e5 and f7, and only then ...Nf6.
- Against 2.Qf3, ...Nf6 and ...Nc6 develop naturally, and the queen often has to move again.
- Against the King's Head Opening, 2.f3, Black is already better and can open the center with ...d5 or ...Bc5.
Mistakes club players make
- Falling for Scholar's Mate. After 2.Qh5 and Bc4, f7 is attacked twice. Defend with ...g6 or ...Qe7 before playing ...Nf6.
- Grabbing the queen in Légal's Mate. In Légal's Mate, Black takes White's queen with the pinning bishop and gets mated by the minor pieces. Before taking, check what the knights and the c4 bishop can do.
- Playing 2...f6 after 2.Nf3. The Damiano weakens the e8-h5 diagonal, and Nxe5 tactics follow at once.
- Taking free material in the Blackburne Shilling line. In the Blackburne Shilling trap, White's greedy knight capture on e5 walks into a quick mate.
- Bringing the queen out early as White without a follow-up. The Wayward Queen and Napoleon score close to even because the queen gets chased.
Who should play it
Every 1.e4 player meets these lines, so knowing them saves points. As White, the sound choice after 1...e5 is 2.Nf3, and the early queen moves are best kept for fast games. As Black, a reliable reply to 1.e4 plus clear answers to 2.Qh5 and 2.d3 covers most of this family.
Players who enjoy tricks will find many here, from the Fishing Pole to the Stafford Gambit trap, but sound development beats tricks in the long run.
What the engine plays from here
Stockfish 17.1 at depth 20 rates the position +0.35: a slight edge for White. Its three top choices for Black:
- +0.35 1...e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4
- +0.40 1...c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4
- +0.41 1...e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5
Pawns, from White's side.
How it scores on lichess
148,998 rated lichess games reached this position; White scored 52.7%.
Light: White wins. Grey: draws. Dark: Black wins. About the sample.
Traps and pitfalls
Légal's Mate (White sets it)
White unpins the f3 knight with 5.Nxe5 and leaves the queen on d1 hanging. If Black grabs it with 5...Bxd1, three minor pieces deliver mate in two moves around the black king.
Blackburne Shilling Gambit trap (Black sets it)
Black leaves e5 hanging with 3...Nd4 and answers 4.Nxe5 with 4...Qg5, attacking the knight and g2. If White grabs f7 with 5.Nxf7, the queen wins the h1 rook and the game ends with a smothered knight mate on f3.
Variations of the King's Pawn Game (1.e4 sidelines)
- Sicilian Defense1...c5 · 391,169 games
- French Defense1...e6 · 253,335 games
- Caro-Kann Defense1...c6 · 210,170 games
- Scandinavian Defense1...d5 · 202,144 games
- Bishop's Opening1...e5 · 87,201 games
- Modern Defense1...g6 · 75,350 games
- Pirc Defense1...d6 · 75,086 games
- Nimzowitsch Defense1...Nc6 · 46,847 games
- Unicorn Variation1...f6 · rare
- Troon Gambit1...g5 · rare
- Zilbermints Gambit1...h6 · rare
- Duras Gambit1...f5 · rare
- Picklepuss Defense1...h5 · rare
- Lemming Defense1...Na6 · rare
How to play against it
As Black, answer 1.e4 with a main defense you know and stay calm against odd second moves. Against 2.Qh5 or 2.Qf3, protect f7 and e5 first, then develop with tempo. Never play 2...f6 or 2...Qf6 against 2.Nf3; they weaken your position for no gain.
Other lines with this name
The lichess opening list also files this line under the same name, though it reaches a different position: 1.e4 e5.
Questions
What are the moves of the King's Pawn Game (1.e4 sidelines)?
The King's Pawn Game starts 1.e4. Its ECO code is B00, C20.
Is the King's Pawn Game (1.e4 sidelines) good for White?
Stockfish 17.1 rates the position +0.35 at depth 20, which is a slight edge for White. In 148,998 lichess games from our sample, White scored 52.7%. Useful territory for every 1.e4 player and every 1...e5 player, because these quick sidelines show up often in fast club games and punish careless replies.
What is the main idea of the King's Pawn Game (1.e4 sidelines)?
1.e4 grabs central space and opens diagonals for the queen and bishop. This family covers second moves that skip standard theory, so the main idea is to know which ones are sound, which are tricks, and how to meet each one.
What should Black play next?
The engine's first choice is e5, with c5 and e6 close behind. 1...e5 matches White in the center and leads to classical open games where both sides develop freely.
Updated October 2026. Sources and method.