ECO A40 · Englund Gambit Declined

Englund Gambit Declined: Reversed French

1. d4 e5 2. e3

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

2… exd4+0.22

The position is roughly equal. Stockfish 18, depth 18.

Analyze this position

In the Englund Gambit Declined: Reversed French (A40), reached after 1. d4 e5 2. e3, Stockfish 18 recommends 2… exd4 for Black. The position is roughly equal (+0.22).

Top engine moves

  1. +0.222… exd4 3. exd4 d5 4. Nf3 Nc6 5. c3 Bf5 6. Bd3 Qd7 7. O-O
  2. +0.282… d6 3. Nc3 Nd7 4. Nf3 Ngf6 5. e4 Be7 6. Bc4 c6 7. a4
  3. +0.422… e4 3. c4 c6 4. d5 Bd6 5. Nc3 f5 6. f4 Bc5 7. a3

Frequently asked questions

What is the best move in the Englund Gambit Declined: Reversed French?
After 1. d4 e5 2. e3, Stockfish 18 at depth 18 recommends 2… exd4 for Black, continuing 3. exd4 d5 4. Nf3 Nc6 5. c3 Bf5 6. Bd3 Qd7 7. O-O. The position is roughly equal (+0.22). The next best moves are 2… d6 (+0.28) and 2… e4 (+0.42).
Is the Englund Gambit Declined: Reversed French a good opening?
Stockfish rates the position at +0.22: the position is roughly equal. 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 Englund Gambit Declined: Reversed French?
A40. 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+).