Blackmar-Diemer Gambit Accepted: Plans and Traps

Key ideas for both sides

White

Recapture with 5.Nxf3. The knight covers d4 and e5, and the queen stays home to support d4.
Follow the engine plan: Bg5, Qd2 and O-O-O, building pressure on f6 and the kingside.
Avoid 5.Qxf3, which leaves d4 loose to ...Qxd4, and 5.Bf4, which lets ...fxg2 win another pawn.
Bd3 or Bc4 and short castling put the h1 rook straight onto the open f-file.

Black

Against 5.Nxf3, ...g6 and ...Bg7 build a solid kingside, then ...c5 hits d4 as in the top line.
...Bg4 (Teichmann) and ...c6 (Ziegler) are the other main ways to keep the pawn safely.
If White recaptures with the queen, ...Qxd4 grabs a second pawn and the queen can check from h4.
Do not rush ...e5; with White's pieces aimed at e5 and f7, development comes first.

Plans and pawn structure

After 5.Nxf3, White is a pawn down with a lead in development, a half-open f-file and the d4 pawn as a central anchor. Typical White setups are Bg5, Qd2 and long castling, or Bd3, short castling and pressure on f7. Black chooses a setup: ...g6 and ...Bg7, ...Bg4, ...Bf5 or ...c6, then castles and challenges d4 with ...c5 or ...e5. If Black survives the opening with the pawn, the endgame usually favors Black.

Where the engine's main line heads: White pawn d4, no e-pawns for White, no d-pawn for Black. White has a pawn on d4 and no e-pawn; Black has no d-pawn. White has more central space; Black's pieces are free and the d4 pawn is a target.

What the engine plays from here

Stockfish 17.1 at depth 20 rates the position −0.69: a slight edge for Black. Its three top choices for White:

−0.69 5.Nxf3 g6 6.Bg5 Bg7 7.Qd2 O-O
−1.60 5.Qxf3 Qxd4 6.Be3 Qh4+ 7.g3 Qg4
−1.89 5.Bf4 fxg2 6.Bxg2 c6 7.Qd2 Bf5

Pawns, from White's side.

How it scores on lichess

5,353 rated lichess games reached this position; White scored 55.7%.

under 120052.7%

1200–159956.7%

1600–199956.5%

2000 and up52.1%

Light: White wins. Grey: draws. Dark: Black wins. About the sample.

Traps and pitfalls

Halosar Trap (White sets it)

In the Blackmar-Diemer Gambit, Black attacks the white queen with 7...Bg4. White ignores it with 8.Nb5, and if Black takes the queen, 9.Nxc7# follows because the rook on d1 controls the open d-file.

The Halosar Trap explained

Where it goes next

Teichmann Defense5.Nxf3 · 1,413 games
Ryder Gambit5.Qxf3 · 1,363 games
Euwe Defense, Zilbermints Gambit5.Nxf3 · rare

How to play against it

Recapture with the knight. 5.Nxf3 is the move that keeps the gambit playable, since the knight protects d4 and controls e5. Treat the queen recapture and 5.Bf4 as mistakes, because both lose more material. Then develop fast and castle before starting any attack.

Questions

What are the moves of the Blackmar-Diemer Gambit Accepted?

The Blackmar-Diemer Gambit Accepted starts 1.d4 d5 2.e4 dxe4 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.f3 exf3. Its ECO code is D00.

Is the Blackmar-Diemer Gambit Accepted good for Black?

Stockfish 17.1 rates the position −0.69 at depth 20, which is a slight edge for Black. In 5,353 lichess games from our sample, White scored 55.7%. Fine for attacking White players who know the main defenses, but Black gets an easy game if White recaptures wrongly on move five.

What is the main idea of the Blackmar-Diemer Gambit Accepted?

Black accepts both gambit pawns, and White recaptures on f3 to be just one pawn down. White's compensation is development, the open f-file and active pieces; Black's task is to develop safely and hold the extra pawn.

What should White play next?

The engine's first choice is Nxf3, with Qxf3 and Bf4 close behind. 5.Nxf3 develops with a guard on d4 and e5, keeping the queen at home and the f-file open.

Updated October 2026. Sources and method.

Blackmar-Diemer Gambit Accepted