ECO C40 · Elephant Gambit

Elephant Gambit

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d5

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White to move. The arrow shows Stockfish’s best move.
Best move

3. exd5+0.76

White is slightly better. Stockfish 18, depth 18.

Analyze this position

In the Elephant Gambit (C40), reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d5, Stockfish 18 recommends 3. exd5 for White. White is slightly better (+0.76).

Top engine moves

  1. +0.763. exd5 Qxd5 4. Nc3 Qc5 5. d4 exd4 6. Qxd4 Nf6 7. Bf4 Nc6
  2. +0.533. Nxe5 dxe4 4. d4 exd3 5. Bxd3 Bd6 6. Qe2 Ne7 7. Nc3 O-O
  3. +0.413. d4 exd4 4. Qxd4 Nf6 5. exd5 Qxd5 6. Nc3 Qe6+ 7. Be2 Bd6

All Elephant Gambit variations (3)

Frequently asked questions

What is the best move in the Elephant Gambit?
After 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d5, Stockfish 18 at depth 18 recommends 3. exd5 for White, continuing Qxd5 4. Nc3 Qc5 5. d4 exd4 6. Qxd4 Nf6 7. Bf4 Nc6. White is slightly better (+0.76). The next best moves are 3. Nxe5 (+0.53) and 3. d4 (+0.41).
Is the Elephant Gambit a good opening?
Stockfish rates the position at +0.76: white is slightly better. Evaluations this early in the game are small, so practical results depend far more on knowing the plans and typical structures than on the engine's number.
What is the ECO code of the Elephant Gambit?
C40. ECO codes classify chess openings from A00 to E99; C is the volume for open games and the French Defense.

Opening names from the Lichess opening book (CC0). Pieces by Colin M.L. Burnett (GPLv2+).