In 133,290 Lichess games between players rated 900 to 1700 (September 2026), you score 51.9% with the Blackmar-Diemer Gambit. You give up your e-pawn and then your f-pawn to develop fast and open the f-file, playing a pawn down with a lone pawn on d4. Your results improve with rating: 49 points in 100 at 900 to 1100, 53 at 1500 to 1700.
Lichess games from September 2026 (30,577,162 rated 900 to 1700) and 31,791 over-the-board games rated 2300+ from the last 12 months. Data updated: October 14, 2026.
48 named lines in this family; 1 with their own page.
The opening's share in each Lichess rating band.
Against players rated 2200+ online, the sequence is 3. 4. 5. 6.. There, 77 in 100 opponents take on e4; at your level, 67. After 3., strong players defend with in 76 of every 100 games. After 4., strong players accept the second pawn in 64 of every 100 games, and your peers in 79. The biggest gap is in your own move: after , strong players recapture with 5. in 97 of every 100 games; at your level, only 67. Over the board at 2300 there are just 13 games, too few to draw conclusions.
| Move | Lichess 900–1700 | White's score | Online, 2200+ | Over the board, 2300+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 67.1% | 51.3% | 77.2% | 100.0% | |
| 10.2% | 52.5% | 9.1% | no data | |
| 6.7% | 53.6% | 9.6% | no data | |
| 5.5% | 55.5% | 2.1% | no data | |
| 4.7% | 52.1% | 0.8% | no data | |
| 2.1% | 56.0% | no data | no data | |
| no data | no data | 0.8% | no data |
| Move | Lichess 900–1700 | White's score | Online, 2200+ | Over the board, 2300+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 61.9% | 53.2% | 90.6% | 100.0% | |
| 21.3% | 52.6% | 7.7% | no data | |
| 3.7% | 45.8% | 0.3% | no data | |
| 2.9% | 42.8% | no data | no data | |
| 2.2% | 48.2% | no data | no data | |
| 1.9% | 46.1% | 1.5% | no data |
| Move | Lichess 900–1700 | White's score | Online, 2200+ | Over the board, 2300+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 57.5% | 52.8% | 75.7% | no data | |
| 13.3% | 53.4% | 6.4% | no data | |
| 12.5% | 56.0% | 3.1% | no data | |
| 5.8% | 50.1% | no data | no data | |
| 4.5% | 55.4% | no data | no data | |
| 3.1% | 47.2% | 10.5% | no data | |
| no data | no data | 2.4% | no data | |
| no data | no data | 1.1% | no data |
| Move | Lichess 900–1700 | White's score | Online, 2200+ | Over the board, 2300+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 67.4% | 54.6% | 77.8% | no data | |
| 15.3% | 51.6% | 21.1% | no data | |
| 4.2% | 47.8% | 1.0% | no data | |
| 3.0% | 48.5% | no data | no data | |
| 2.7% | 49.7% | no data | no data | |
| 2.0% | 49.2% | no data | no data |
| Move | Lichess 900–1700 | White's score | Online, 2200+ | Over the board, 2300+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 78.6% | 55.5% | 64.0% | no data | |
| 9.3% | 51.0% | 12.2% | no data | |
| 5.1% | 49.1% | no data | no data | |
| 3.9% | 55.0% | no data | no data | |
| 1.3% | 44.6% | 3.1% | no data | |
| 0.9% | 50.6% | 10.4% | no data | |
| no data | no data | 7.2% | no data | |
| no data | no data | 1.2% | no data |
The gambit trades pawns for time. You give up your e-pawn and then your f-pawn, win one back, and end up a pawn down with a lone pawn on d4, two knights out, and an f-file with no white pawn, pointing at f7.
3. hits the e4 pawn, which has no defender, and develops a piece at the same time. Your opponent has to protect it, and at your level does so with in 58 of every 100 games. That's why the knight comes before the pawn: it forces your opponent to spend a move on defense. Then 4. adds a second attacker on e4 against a single defender. If your opponent doesn't take, you win the pawn back. If they take with , 5. recaptures while developing your other knight, which also guards d4 alongside your queen. Recapturing with the knight is what makes the gambit work: every piece you bring out earns back the time you paid for with pawns, and for now only the king defends f7. With your e- and f-pawns gone, your bishops have open lines: the c1 bishop can go to f4 or g5, and the f1 bishop to c4, on the diagonal to f7.
After , the bishop pins your f3 knight to your queen, since e2 is empty, and that knight is one of d4's two defenders. 6. puts the question to the bishop before the pin starts to bother you: strong players choose it in 83 of every 100 games. If it takes on f3 and you recapture with the queen, you keep the bishop pair and your queen hits b7, which is left undefended. The cost is that d4 loses both its defenders, so keep an eye on it before you go after b7.
At your level the line often breaks earlier. After 2., 1 in 3 opponents don't take, most often choosing or . After 3., about 13 in 100 games continue and about as many : now e4 has a defender, and you have to decide whether 4. is still worth it. And when you reach 4. with the knight on f6, 21 in 100 opponents turn down the second pawn.
| Move | Strong games | Chosen by |
|---|---|---|
| 2,486 | 77.2% | |
| 1,907 | 90.6% | |
| 1,691 | 75.7% | |
| 2,328 | 77.8% | |
| 2,195 | 64.0% | |
| 1,400 | 97.4% | |
| 1,301 | 31.1% | |
| 376 | 83.0% |
A mistake. After , 3. centralizes the enemy queen, which hits d4 along with the e5 pawn. After 4. 5. , the pin forces 6.. With 3. you capture on e5, and d5 comes under fire from your e4 pawn and queen. At your level it costs little: 56 points in 100 versus 59.
14 in 100 play it in this position. It gives away 1.8 pawns of advantage. It scores 55.8%; scores 59.4%.
A mistake. After , the knight hits your e4 pawn. Best is to push it to e5: it hits the knight, d4 protects it, and you gain space. 3. defends e4, but after 4. 5. 6. you're a pawn down. 1 in 3 choose it; at your level it costs little: 55 in 100 versus 58.
34 in 100 play it in this position. It gives away 1.7 pawns of advantage. It scores 54.9%; scores 57.6%.
A mistake. After , d4 has two attackers, the knight and the queen, and one defender, your queen. 4. does nothing for it: 5. 6. 7., and with the queens gone you're still a pawn down with no attack. 4. advances and hits the knight. You score 49 points in 100; with 4., 57.
23 in 100 play it in this position. It gives away 2.4 pawns of advantage. It scores 49.1%; scores 56.8%.
A mistake, though at your level it often goes unpunished. After , 4. allows , pinning your knight to the king. After 5. 6. 7. you lose the right to castle and e4 is left undefended. 4. wins the pawn back without exposing your king. Even so, you score 58 in 100 with 4. and 52 with 4..
18 in 100 play it in this position. It gives away 1 pawn of advantage. It scores 57.8%; scores 52.0%.
A mistake. After , 4. wins the pawn back but leaves d4 with two attackers and one defender: centralizes the enemy queen, which hits your knight. After 5. 6. 7. you're still a pawn down. 4. gains time on the knight. You score 44 points in 100 versus 57.
38 in 100 play it in this position. It gives away 1.1 pawns of advantage. It scores 44.4%; scores 56.8%.
A mistake. After , 3. leaves d4 with two attackers, the e5 pawn and the queen, and one defender. 4. holds it, but pins the c3 knight, and after 5. 6. you're a pawn down. 3. captures on e5 and hits d5 with your e4 pawn and queen. You score 53 points in 100 versus 59.
8 in 100 play it in this position. It gives away 2.1 pawns of advantage. It scores 53.2%; scores 59.4%.
| White | Black | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 35,234 | ||
| Not castled | Not castled | 22,017 |
| Not castled | 18,622 | |
| 18,333 | ||
| Not castled | 12,788 | |
| 8,489 |
| White | Black | Games |
|---|---|---|
| Not castled | 3 | |
| Not castled | Not castled | 2 |
| 2 | ||
| 2 | ||
| 2 | ||
| Not castled | 1 |
1. 2. 3. 4. · 33,367 amateur games · 3 over the board
Your opponent takes the second pawn with and you recapture with 5.; you score 56 in 100.
1. 2. 3. · 18,795 amateur games
3. hits e4 before the knight comes out; 18,795 games and 53 points in 100.
1. 2. 3. · 9,210 amateur games
defends e4 with the bishop instead of the knight; 9,210 games, 53 in 100.
1. 2. 3. · 8,179 amateur games · 2 over the board
defends e4 with a pawn but opens the h5 diagonal to Black's king; 56 in 100.
1. 2. 3. 4. · 6,592 amateur games
4. attacks the knight guarding e4 instead of playing 4.; 52 points in 100.
1. 2. 3. 4. · 4,663 amateur games · 2 over the board
adds a defender to e4 instead of capturing; here you score 50 in 100.
1. 2. 3. · 3,869 amateur games
3. aims at f7 but doesn't attack e4; you score only 46 in 100.
1. 2. 3. 4. · 3,364 amateur games
ignores the f3 pawn and hits d4, which only your queen defends; 49 in 100.
1. 2. 3. · D00
3,000 amateur games · White's score: 48.8%
1. 2. 3. 4. · D00
2,970 amateur games · White's score: 54.8%
1. 2. 3. 4. · D00
1,920 amateur games · White's score: 48.3%
1. 2. 3. · D00
1,875 amateur games · White's score: 48.5%
1. 2. 3. 4. · D00
1,828 amateur games · White's score: 56.0%
1. 2. 3. · D00
936 amateur games · White's score: 49.6%
1. 2. 3. 4. · D00
802 amateur games · White's score: 51.7%
1. 2. 3. 4. · D00
801 amateur games · White's score: 48.3%
1. 2. 3. 4. · D00
561 amateur games · White's score: 46.1%
1. 2. 3. 4. · D00
347 amateur games · White's score: 50.9%
1. 2. 3. 4. · D00
223 amateur games · White's score: 39.7%
1. 2. 3. 4. · D00
162 amateur games · White's score: 44.8%
1. 2. 3. 4. · D00
96 amateur games · White's score: 50.0%
1. 2. 3. 4. · D00
53 amateur games · White's score: 52.8%
1. 2. 3. 4. · D00
29 amateur games · White's score: 65.5%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. · D00
After 1. 2. 3. 4., you give a second pawn to speed up development. After 5. you're a pawn down, but both knights are out, d4 is guarded by the knight and queen, and the f-file has no white pawn, aiming at f7.
Right after 2., 1 in 3 opponents at your level don't take, usually playing or . Later, after 4., 21 in 100 refuse the second pawn, mostly with , or . Against , watch d4: only your queen defends it.
Yes. After 1. , 2. offers the pawn and reaches the same position as 1. 2.. In the data, 44,717 games got there through the Scandinavian move order and 113,480 through 1.. If your opponent takes with , the plan is the same: 3. and 4..
Between 900 and 1700 you score about 52 points in 100, and the result rises with rating: 49 at 900 to 1100, 53 at 1500 to 1700. Strong online players also score 53. It's rare at your level: about 4 in every 1000 games.