Chess Openings Lab
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Blackmar-Diemer Gambit: von Popiel Gambit

The von Popiel Gambit is 4.Bg5, developing with a threat to remove the f6 knight, the only defender of e4. White plans Bxf6 and then a capture on e4, while Black can choose ...Bf5, ...c6 or ...g6 to keep the pawn or return it on good terms.

Moves
1.d4 d5 2.e4 dxe4 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5
ECO
D00
Engine
−0.66 · a slight edge for Black (Stockfish 17.1, depth 20)
Played
945 games in our lichess sample
White scores
53.1%

Key ideas for both sides

White

  • Bxf6 followed by Nxe4 regains the pawn, and Black's structure is damaged after ...exf6 or ...gxf6.
  • f3 is a second way to open lines, as in the top engine line after the trade on f6.
  • Qd2 and long castling, with Bh6 against a fianchetto, are the plan against ...g6.

Black

  • 4...Bf5 defends e4 a second time; after Bxf6 gxf6 Black keeps the pawn and has the half-open g-file.
  • 4...c6 with ...h6 prepares to recapture on f6 with the e-pawn and answer Nxe4 with ...f5.
  • ...g6 and ...Bg7 keep the knight protected and the king safe, as in the third engine line.

Plans and pawn structure

After the trade on f6, the game turns on structure. Black's doubled f-pawns are ugly but control e5 and g5, and the bishop pair gives long-term chances. White wants open lines with f3 or Nxe4, then castles and attacks before Black consolidates. In the ...g6 lines the bishop on h6 trades off Black's defender. If Black keeps the bishop pair and the extra pawn, the endgame 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 −0.66: a slight edge for Black. Its three top choices for Black:

  1. −0.66 4...Bf5 5.Bxf6 gxf6 6.f3 exf3 7.Qxf3
  2. −0.51 4...c6 5.Nge2 h6 6.Bxf6 exf6 7.Nxe4
  3. −0.49 4...g6 5.Qd2 Bg7 6.O-O-O c6 7.Bh6

Pawns, from White's side.

How it scores on lichess

945 rated lichess games reached this position; White scored 53.1%.

under 120058.9%
1200–159951.1%
1600–199952.3%
2000 and up55.1%

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

Where it goes next

  • von Popiel Gambit, Zilbermints Variation4...Bf5 · rare

How to play against it

Play 4...Bf5 to defend e4 with a second piece, and recapture on f6 with the g-pawn if White takes. Then ...Qc8 and ...e6 finish development. Do not let White win e4 back for free with Bxf6 and Nxe4 while your pieces are still at home.

Questions

What are the moves of the Blackmar-Diemer Gambit: von Popiel Gambit?

The Blackmar-Diemer Gambit: von Popiel Gambit starts 1.d4 d5 2.e4 dxe4 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5. Its ECO code is D00.

Is the Blackmar-Diemer Gambit: von Popiel Gambit good for White?

Stockfish 17.1 rates the position −0.66 at depth 20, which is a slight edge for Black. In 945 lichess games from our sample, White scored 53.1%. A practical choice for White players who prefer recovering the pawn to sacrificing more; Black needs to know which recapture on f6 fits the line.

What is the main idea of the Blackmar-Diemer Gambit: von Popiel Gambit?

White aims the bishop at f6, the knight that holds e4. By trading on f6 and taking on e4, White wants the pawn back with a better structure, while Black uses ...Bf5 or ...c6 to keep the balance.

What should Black play next?

The engine's first choice is Bf5, with c6 and g6 close behind. 4...Bf5 adds a second defender to e4, so Bxf6 no longer wins the pawn back.

Updated October 2026. Sources and method.