ECO A22 · English Opening

English Opening: King's English, Erbenheimer Gambit

1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Nf3 e4 4. Ng5 Ng4

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

5. Ngxe4+1.85

White is winning. Stockfish 18, depth 18.

Analyze this position

In the English Opening: King's English, Erbenheimer Gambit (A22), reached after 1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Nf3 e4 4. Ng5 Ng4, Stockfish 18 recommends 5. Ngxe4 for White. White is winning (+1.85).

Top engine moves

  1. +1.855. Ngxe4 c6 6. h3 Ne5 7. c5 f5 8. d4 fxe4 9. dxe5 Qa5
  2. +0.585. Nh3 c6 6. Nf4 Be7 7. d3 exd3 8. exd3 Nf6 9. g3 d5
  3. +0.535. h4 f5 6. e3 h6 7. Nh3 Qxh4 8. g3 Qh5 9. d3 exd3

Frequently asked questions

What is the best move in the English Opening: King's English, Erbenheimer Gambit?
After 1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Nf3 e4 4. Ng5 Ng4, Stockfish 18 at depth 18 recommends 5. Ngxe4 for White, continuing c6 6. h3 Ne5 7. c5 f5 8. d4 fxe4 9. dxe5 Qa5. White is winning (+1.85). The next best moves are 5. Nh3 (+0.58) and 5. h4 (+0.53).
Is the English Opening: King's English, Erbenheimer Gambit a good opening?
Stockfish rates the position at +1.85: white is winning. 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 English Opening: King's English, Erbenheimer Gambit?
A22. ECO codes classify chess openings from A00 to E99; A is the volume for flank openings.

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