ECO C40 · Elephant Gambit

Elephant Gambit: Maróczy Gambit

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d5 3. exd5 Bd6

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

4. d4+0.97

White is clearly better. Stockfish 18, depth 18.

Analyze this position

In the Elephant Gambit: Maróczy Gambit (C40), reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d5 3. exd5 Bd6, Stockfish 18 recommends 4. d4 for White. White is clearly better (+0.97).

Top engine moves

  1. +0.974. d4 e4 5. Nfd2 Nf6 6. c4 O-O 7. Nc3 Bb4 8. Be2 c6
  2. +0.774. c4 e4 5. Nd4 Nf6 6. d3 O-O 7. Nc3 Bg4 8. Qc2 exd3
  3. +0.744. Nc3 Nf6 5. Bb5+ c6 6. dxc6 Nxc6 7. d4 e4 8. Ne5 O-O

Frequently asked questions

What is the best move in the Elephant Gambit: Maróczy Gambit?
After 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d5 3. exd5 Bd6, Stockfish 18 at depth 18 recommends 4. d4 for White, continuing e4 5. Nfd2 Nf6 6. c4 O-O 7. Nc3 Bb4 8. Be2 c6. White is clearly better (+0.97). The next best moves are 4. c4 (+0.77) and 4. Nc3 (+0.74).
Is the Elephant Gambit: Maróczy Gambit a good opening?
Stockfish rates the position at +0.97: white is clearly 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: Maróczy 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+).