Flank · a plan for White
Bird Opening: Williams Gambit
3/3
1.f4d52.e4
Live databaseLichess 1600–2000 · blitz + rapid
Bird Opening: Williams Gambit604k games · Black to move
MoveWhite / draw / BlackPlayedGamesScore
87%525k54%
3.3%20k44%
2.1%13k47%
1.7%10k47%
1.5%9.0k50%
1.4%8.3k47%
0.8%5.0k49%
0.2%1.1k56%
0.1%68747%
Famous games in this line1 master games
Taylor, Terry J (2329) – Pritchard, Owen M (2250)- Family
- Bird Opening
- Category
- Flank
- First move
- Other
- ECO
- A03
- Line
- 1. f4 d5 2. e4
Gambit
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From the archives
Henry Edward Bird, a London accountant, returned to chess in the 1870s after six years away: 'Having forgotten familiar openings, I commenced adopting KBP for first move.' He never stopped, and in 1895 wrote that no opening had given him more enjoyable games. It's the Dutch Defense with an extra tempo — kingside ambition from move one, named for the one player stubborn enough to make it a lifestyle.
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