ECO C37 · King's Gambit Accepted

King's Gambit Accepted: Middleton Countergambit

1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Nf3 g5 4. Bc4 d6 5. O-O Bg4 6. h3 h5 7. hxg4 hxg4

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

8. Nh2−1.47

Black is clearly better. Stockfish 18, depth 18.

Analyze this position

In the King's Gambit Accepted: Middleton Countergambit (C37), reached after 1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Nf3 g5 4. Bc4 d6 5. O-O Bg4 6. h3 h5 7. hxg4 hxg4, Stockfish 18 recommends 8. Nh2 for White. Black is clearly better (−1.47).

Top engine moves

  1. −1.478. Nh2 g3 9. Ng4 Nc6 10. d4 Qe7 11. Nc3 O-O-O 12. Ne2 f5
  2. −1.538. c3 Qf6 9. Nxg5 Qxg5 10. d4 Qh4 11. Bxf4 g3 12. Bxf7+ Kd8
  3. −1.818. Ne1 g3 9. d4 Qf6 10. Rf3 Ne7 11. Nc3 Nbc6 12. Ne2 O-O-O

Frequently asked questions

What is the best move in the King's Gambit Accepted: Middleton Countergambit?
After 1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Nf3 g5 4. Bc4 d6 5. O-O Bg4 6. h3 h5 7. hxg4 hxg4, Stockfish 18 at depth 18 recommends 8. Nh2 for White, continuing g3 9. Ng4 Nc6 10. d4 Qe7 11. Nc3 O-O-O 12. Ne2 f5. Black is clearly better (−1.47). The next best moves are 8. c3 (−1.53) and 8. Ne1 (−1.81).
Is the King's Gambit Accepted: Middleton Countergambit a good opening?
Stockfish rates the position at −1.47: Black is clearly better. That is a large edge for an opening position, so check the engine lines before playing it from the other side.
What is the ECO code of the King's Gambit Accepted: Middleton Countergambit?
C37. 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+).