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King's Gambit Accepted, Cunningham (C35)
1 e4 e5 2 f4 exf4 3 Nf3 Be7

Number of games in database: 470
Years covered: 1790 to 2009
Overall record:
   White wins 47.9%
   Black wins 36.6%
   Draws 15.5%

Popularity graph, by decade

Explore this opening  |  Search for sacrifices in this opening.
PRACTITIONERS
With the White Pieces With the Black Pieces
Joseph G Gallagher  8 games
David Bronstein  6 games
Boris Spassky  5 games
Henry Edward Bird  9 games
NN  8 games
Mark Hebden  5 games
NOTABLE GAMES [what is this?]
White Wins Black Wins
Alison vs Fink, 1979
Morphy vs Bird, 1859
Bronstein vs Fidelity, 1991
Iverhov vs Ilianako, 1957
Philidor vs NN, 1790
Spreckley vs Mongredien, 1846
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 page 1 of 19; games 1-25 of 470  PGN Download
Game  ResultMoves Year Event/LocaleOpening
1. Philidor vs NN 1-022 1790 UnknownC35 King's Gambit Accepted, Cunningham
2. Philidor vs NN 0-144 1790 UnknownC35 King's Gambit Accepted, Cunningham
3. Philidor vs NN 0-140 1790 UnknownC35 King's Gambit Accepted, Cunningham
4. D Ercole Del Rio vs Portocarrero 1-019 1790 ModenaC35 King's Gambit Accepted, Cunningham
5. P Bilguer vs Von Der Lasa 1-029 1839 BerlinC35 King's Gambit Accepted, Cunningham
6. Von Der Lasa vs NN 1-020 1842 BerlinC35 King's Gambit Accepted, Cunningham
7. Von Der Lasa vs Z Jakovljev 1-020 1842 Berlin Congress GCFC35 King's Gambit Accepted, Cunningham
8. Jaenisch vs Von Der Lasa 1-022 1842 UnknownC35 King's Gambit Accepted, Cunningham
9. Von Der Lasa vs Jaenisch 1-020 1842 UnknownC35 King's Gambit Accepted, Cunningham
10. Spreckley vs Mongredien 0-115 1846 LiverpoolC35 King's Gambit Accepted, Cunningham
11. Morphy vs J McConnell 1-011 1849 New Orleans cgC35 King's Gambit Accepted, Cunningham
12. Naret Oliphant C vs A Wentel  1-043 1851 Amsterdam ctC35 King's Gambit Accepted, Cunningham
13. Von Guttceit vs Kieseritzky 1-025 1855 UnknownC35 King's Gambit Accepted, Cunningham
14. Morphy vs Bird 1-046 1859 LondonC35 King's Gambit Accepted, Cunningham
15. J Michels vs G Mccormick 1-018 1867 Cleveland OHC35 King's Gambit Accepted, Cunningham
16. J Wisker vs Bird 0-148 1868 BCA-02.Challenge CupC35 King's Gambit Accepted, Cunningham
17. J L Van Eck vs C Tinholt 1-020 1869 corrC35 King's Gambit Accepted, Cunningham
18. G MacDonnell vs Bird 0-122 1870 GreatC35 King's Gambit Accepted, Cunningham
19. Gossip vs Bird 1-030 1873 LondonC35 King's Gambit Accepted, Cunningham
20. Gossip vs Bird 1-047 1873 LondonC35 King's Gambit Accepted, Cunningham
21. J Wisker vs Bird 0-122 1873 LondonC35 King's Gambit Accepted, Cunningham
22. J Wisker vs Bird 1-058 1873 LondonC35 King's Gambit Accepted, Cunningham
23. K Pitschel vs Bird 0-128 1873 ViennaC35 King's Gambit Accepted, Cunningham
24. Steinitz vs Bird 1-036 1873 ViennaC35 King's Gambit Accepted, Cunningham
25. Gunsberg vs NN 1-020 1879 LondonC35 King's Gambit Accepted, Cunningham
 page 1 of 19; games 1-25 of 470  PGN Download
  REFINE SEARCH:   White wins (1-0) | Black wins (0-1) | Draws (1/2-1/2)  
 

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Kibitzer's Corner
Jul-05-04   get Reti: I like this opening because on the next move black can repsond with 4...Bh4+ which could take away white's ability to castle.
Jul-06-04   drukenknight: which is why I like to get the Q to e2 as early as possible, sets up interesting possibilities.
Jul-16-04   BaranDuin: The cunningham is the most annoying defense to the KGA. It is one of the reason why I prefer to play 3. Bc4
Jul-16-04
Premium Chessgames Member
  cu8sfan: I don't have a problem with this opening. Actually I like it a lot. There's one variation in Gallagher's book where the K ends up on e4 or d4 by move 10 or so (don't remember the specifics now, sorry) and Gallagher simply points out that 'the king is well centralized for the endgame'! (-:

The move Be7 causes more trouble to me in the Kieseritzky: 1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Nf3 g5 4. h4 g4 5. Ne5 d6 6. Nxg4 Be7. I don't see how to get an advantage here as White. Suggestions are welcome!

Jul-16-04
Premium Chessgames Member
  Benzol: <cu8sfan> It's probably the Steinitz gambit. An example Spassky vs Furman, 1959
Jul-16-04   seoulmama: As a King's Gambiteer I must say that the Cunningham poses no serious problems for White. In fact, it seems very dubious to me to use all those tempos just to tuck White's King to f1. White has at least two good responses to 3... Be7. 4.Bc4 and Santasiere's 4.Be2!?, which is extremely interesting.
Jul-16-04   Dick Brain: If I were playing for fun, I'd play 4. Bc4 Bh4+ 5. g3 fxg3 6. 0-0 gxh2+ 7. Kh1

If I were playing to to make the best moves, I'd play 5. Kf1

Jul-17-04
Premium Chessgames Member
  cu8sfan: <Benzol> I actually meant the game Gallagher - Faure, Geneva 1989 which is not in this database. It starts like this:

1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 Be7 4.Nc3 Bh4+ 5.Ke2 c6 6.d4 d5 7.Qd2 dxe4 8.Nxe4 Nf6 9.Qxf4 Nxe4 10.Qxe4+ Qe7 11.Kd3 Qxe4+ 12.Kxe4.

Here Gallagher writes <Like in the good old days, the monarch leads his army in to battle. Although Black may be able to gain some time attacking the king it is, nevertheless, well centralised for the endgame.>

Jul-17-04
Premium Chessgames Member
  Benzol: <cu8fan> I see. With the Queens off a centralized King in the endgame would be advantageous.
Jul-17-04
Premium Chessgames Member
  refutor: there's an old saying by spassky (quoting zak) "if you don't like having your king on f1, don't play the king's gambit"

<dick brain> that line isn't best, but morphy got the better of it in Morphy vs Bird, 1859, definitely an interesting line

Jan-20-05   drukenknight: More Kings gambit, last night I ran into one of these maniacs who plays the Rosentretter, the problem with KG players is that they never get tired of beating me in this and will play it all nite. There are only two known ways to stop them, 1) tell them you are conducting a thematic correspondence tournament for FIDE and would they be interested?, 2) play the same kings gambit on them and make them look stupid.

I played the KG on him and he did a Cunningham:

1. e4 e5
2. f4 exf4
3. Nf3 Be7
4. Qe2 (only one game in database with this move)

4... Bh4+ (a novelty)
5. Kd1 Nc6
6. d4 d6
7. Nc3 Bg5
8. h4 Bh6
9. d5 Na5
10. Qb5+ c6
11. Qb4 c5
12. Qa4+ Kf8 (probabaly safer than 12....Bd7 13. Bb5 but...?)

Still anybody's game, the crap pc, favors black very slightly.

Apr-01-05
Premium Chessgames Member
  Knight13: After 1 e4 e5 2 f4 exf4 3 Nf3 Be7 4. Bc4 Bh4+ 5. g3 fxg3 6.O-O gxh3+, why do people don't play 7. Kxh2 and play 7. Kh1? What's the reason.
Apr-01-05   aw1988: After 7. Kxh2?? black has Bg3+!! Kxg3 Qh4+!! winning in 50 moves. Be not ashamed, dear reader, no one has opened your eyes and ears until now.
Apr-01-05   get Reti: Knight13, Kh1 exposes your king for a great attack. <aw1988> when you wrote that last sentence, was that to imply you were kidding?
Apr-01-05   aw1988: No, I was being serious. I am a horrendously bad player.
Apr-01-05   Whitehat1963: Don't feel alone <aw1988>. Every day, I discover just how bad I am, too!
Sep-02-05   Capafan9: I prefer the reformed cunningham here. we have a player at my club who plays the kings gambit with a fair amount of sucess and i havent gotten a chance to play a line with him but im going to choose this one. The reformed puts a nf6 in before anything else. the main line goes 1 e4 e5 2f4 exf4 3 nf3 be7 4 bc4 nf6 5 e5 (better than nc3 nxp!) Ng4 and i think with a well timed d5 or a nc6 putting more pressure on the pawn will assure black some advantage and i certainly would welcome comments and suggestions on how i should continue.
Sep-26-05
Premium Chessgames Member
  refutor: Kh1 is the move, hiding behind the enemy h-pawn as a shield.
Sep-26-05   capanegra: <Capafan9> I agree completely with you. 4.Bc4 Nf6 looks to me the best reply, more natural and secure than the classic 4…Bh4+. White can choose 5.e5 Ng4 6.0-0 Nc6 7.d4 d5, or (maybe better) 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.0-0 (6.d4 Nxe4 is also possible) 0-0. Here are some games with these variations which are worth to study:

Llanes vs J Durao, 1993
T Kosikowski vs M Starczewski, 1990
Y Berthelot vs K Steczkowski, 1989
P Gebauer vs W Verreck, 1961
T Duran vs P Bazant, 1996
C Rother vs D Troltenier, 1991

I also think like <seoulmama> that we should pay more attention to the interesting 4.Be2

Dec-07-05
Premium Chessgames Member
  KingG: According to Neil McDonald in his book on the King's Gambit, the following line is virtually a refutation of the Cunningham gambit(4...Bh4+ 5.g3).

1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 Be7 4.Bc4 Bh4+ 5.g3?! fxg3 6.0-0 d5!(White is hoping for 6...gxh2+) 7.Bxd5 Nf6 8.Bxf7+(8.Nxh4 Nxd5 ) Kxf7 9.e5(9.Nxh4 Qd4+) Bh3 10.exf6 Bxf1 11.Qxf1 gxh2+ 12.Kh1 Bxf6 and Black has a winning material advantage.

Jul-01-06   DeepBlade: Let the black pawns advance and lock them up

[White "DeepBlade"]
[Black "NN"]
[Result "1-0"]
[Event "InstantChess"]

1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3
Be7 4.Bc4 Bh4+ 5.Kf1 b6 6.d3
g5 7.Nc3 Ba6 8.Bd5 c6 9.Bb3
Nf6 10.g3 fxg3 11.h3 d5
12.e5 Ne4 13.Nxe4 dxe4 14.Kg2
exf3+ 15.Qxf3 O-O 16.Be3 Qc7
17.e6 fxe6 18.Bxe6+ Kh8
19.Bd4+ 1-0

Feb-18-09   m0nkee1: I've played this a lot on black and agree with seoulmama: It looks like a good attack, but actually blacks king stays annoyingly safe on f1 no matter how you attack. It is very easy to over attack as black and loose.
May-19-09   Smothered Mate: How does the black king get to f1 in the opening?
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