Chess Openings Lab
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Dutch Defense: Staunton Gambit

The Staunton Gambit is 2.e4 against the Dutch, a pawn thrown at f5 before Black has a single piece out. Black must choose between taking the pawn and defending it, and White hopes either choice leaves the black king short of cover on the e8-h5 diagonal.

Moves
1.d4 f5 2.e4
ECO
A82, A83
Engine
+0.15 · level (Stockfish 17.1, depth 20)
Played
494 games in our lichess sample
White scores
58.0%

Key ideas for both sides

White

  • If Black declines with ...d6 or ...e6, take on f5 at once with exf5. White simply has a clean center and an extra tempo.
  • After 2...fxe4, Nc3 and Bg5 build pressure on the e4 pawn and the f6 square.
  • The h-pawn can join in. The top engine line plays h4 and h5 to loosen the kingside pawns once Black plays ...g6.
  • Put the bishop on d3 in declined lines, aiming at the weak h7 pawn and the light squares.

Black

  • Take the pawn with ...fxe4. It is the only reply that keeps the game balanced; every other move leaves White better.
  • After taking, play ...Nf6 and ...d5 to keep the extra pawn on e4 under guard.
  • Answer an early h4 with ...d5 and quick development, not with pawn moves that weaken g6 further.
  • Do not try 2...e6. After 3.exf5 exf5, the light-squared weaknesses and open e-file favor White.

Plans and pawn structure

Everything flows from Black's reply. After 2...fxe4, White fights for e4 with Nc3, Bg5 and f3 or the more direct h4-h5 push, while Black builds ...Nf6, ...d5 and ...g6. After 2...d6 or 2...e6, White takes on f5 and develops calmly with Nf3, Bd3 and short castling, and Black is left with a broken pawn front and no compensation. So the critical middlegames come from the accepted line, where Black is a pawn up but behind in development.

What the engine plays from here

Stockfish 17.1 at depth 20 rates the position +0.15: level. Its three top choices for Black:

  1. +0.15 2...fxe4 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 g6 5.h4
  2. +1.08 2...d6 3.exf5 Bxf5 4.Nf3 Qd7 5.Nc3
  3. +1.40 2...e6 3.exf5 exf5 4.Bd3 Nf6 5.Nf3

Pawns, from White's side.

How it scores on lichess

494 rated lichess games reached this position; White scored 58.0%.

1200–159969.6%
1600–199962.1%
2000 and up54.0%

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

Where it goes next

How to play against it

Black should take with 2...fxe4. Declining sounds safe but costs the f-pawn's purpose and gives White an easy edge after exf5. Once you take, do not get greedy: ...Nf6, ...d5 and ...g6 come first, and returning the pawn to finish development is fine.

Other lines with this name

The lichess opening list also files this line under the same name, though it reaches a different position: 1.d4 f5 2.e4 fxe4 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5.

Questions

What are the moves of the Dutch Defense: Staunton Gambit?

The Dutch Defense: Staunton Gambit starts 1.d4 f5 2.e4. Its ECO code is A82, A83.

Is the Dutch Defense: Staunton Gambit good for White?

Stockfish 17.1 rates the position +0.15 at depth 20, which is level. In 494 lichess games from our sample, White scored 58.0%. Fine for White players who enjoy early initiative, but Black only needs to know one move, 2...fxe4, and a few follow-ups.

What is the main idea of the Dutch Defense: Staunton Gambit?

White gives a pawn to open the center before Black is developed. The test is 2...fxe4, after which White plays Nc3 and Bg5, and Black defends with ...Nf6 and ...d5.

What should Black play next?

The engine's first choice is fxe4, with d6 and e6 close behind. 2...fxe4 takes the pawn, the only way for Black to keep the balance.

Updated October 2026. Sources and method.