Chess Openings Lab
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Danish Gambit Accepted: Classical Defense

The Classical Defense to the accepted Danish is 5...Nf6, developing the knight and hitting e4 after Black has taken two pawns. White wants open lines for the c4 and b2 bishops, while Black aims to return material with ...d5 or ...Bb4+ and castle quickly.

Moves
1.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.c3 dxc3 4.Bc4 cxb2 5.Bxb2 Nf6
ECO
C21
Engine
−0.47 · a slight edge for Black (Stockfish 17.1, depth 20)
Played
696 games in our lichess sample
White scores
56.0%

Key ideas for both sides

White

  • 6.e5 kicks the knight. After ...Ne4, Nc3 trades knights and Bxc3 keeps the dark bishop on the long diagonal.
  • Qh5 follows in the engine line, eyeing f7 and the kingside once the knights are traded.
  • 6.Nc3 guards e4, but ...d5 opens the center and Black can give a pawn back with a check on b4.
  • Keep the c4 bishop on the a2-g8 diagonal so Black's king stays uncomfortable.

Black

  • Answer 6.e5 with ...Ne4, centralizing the knight, then ...Be7 and short castling.
  • Against 6.Nc3, play ...d5 to return a pawn and open lines for Black's pieces.
  • Use the check on b4 when it drives the white king to f1.
  • Do not leave the e-file open with the king on e8 for long.

Plans and pawn structure

Black is two pawns up, and White's compensation is in the bishops on c4 and b2 aiming at f7 and g7. If White pushes e5, the knight sits on e4 and the game turns on whether White can build a kingside attack with Qh5 and Nf3 before Black castles. If White develops with Nc3, Black's ...d5 gives back a pawn to free the position and leaves White with less. In both cases Black wants ...Be7 or ...Bb4, castling, and ...d5 to finish development.

What the engine plays from here

Stockfish 17.1 at depth 20 rates the position −0.47: a slight edge for Black. Its three top choices for White:

  1. −0.47 6.e5 Ne4 7.Nc3 Nxc3 8.Bxc3 Be7
  2. −0.70 6.Nc3 d5 7.Nxd5 Nxd5 8.exd5 Bb4+
  3. −0.98 6.Nd2 Bb4 7.e5 d5 8.exf6 dxc4

Pawns, from White's side.

How it scores on lichess

696 rated lichess games reached this position; White scored 56.0%.

under 120062.6%
1200–159957.6%
1600–199953.9%
2000 and up41.9%

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

How to play against it

As White, 6.e5 is the most testing: it kicks the knight and keeps the initiative. Do not allow ...d5 with tempo while your bishop on c4 is loose. If Black castles and gets ...d5 in, you are simply worse, so play fast and use your bishops.

Questions

What are the moves of the Danish Gambit Accepted: Classical Defense?

The Danish Gambit Accepted: Classical Defense starts 1.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.c3 dxc3 4.Bc4 cxb2 5.Bxb2 Nf6. Its ECO code is C21.

Is the Danish Gambit Accepted: Classical Defense good for Black?

Stockfish 17.1 rates the position −0.47 at depth 20, which is a slight edge for Black. In 696 lichess games from our sample, White scored 56.0%. A sound and natural defense that suits Black players who prefer development over clinging to material; White must play energetically.

What is the main idea of the Danish Gambit Accepted: Classical Defense?

Black keeps the two extra pawns and develops normally with ...Nf6, hitting e4. White must push e5 or defend the pawn, and Black often returns material with ...d5 to finish development safely.

What should White play next?

The engine's first choice is e5, with Nc3 and Nd2 close behind. 6.e5 drives the knight from f6 and keeps the initiative, since slower moves allow ...d5 with an easy game for Black.

Updated October 2026. Sources and method.