Magnus Carlsen and the King's Gambit: All 36 Games, Replayed
The King's Gambit, 1.e4 e5 2.f4, is the most romantic opening in chess. Bobby Fischer wrote "A Bust to the King's Gambit" in 1961, and still the world's best player keeps coming back to it. Magnus Carlsen used it in a classical tournament, in a must-win rapid game against Ding Liren, and in dozens of blitz games. Here is every King's Gambit game in our 7,484-game Magnus archive: 36 games, each on a replay board with Stockfish 18 notes.
12 min readPublished November 2026By Surajit Paul36 games · Stockfish 18
How to use the boards: tap a move or a note to jump there, ▶ plays the game. Engine arrows: blue = Stockfish's move, green = the better move, red = the move that was played. Draw your own arrows with a right-click drag.
The 6 Magnus Carlsen King's Gambit games to know
A must-win rapid game, a classical win, two games where Carlsen was the one facing 2.f4, a blitz draw with Aronian and the fastest win in the list.
Magnus Carlsen vs Ding Liren, 2020
Magnus Carlsen Invitational 2020, prelims, game 4Rapid, onlineKing's Gambit Accepted, Schallopp Defence (3...Nf6)23 moves0-1
Ding Liren led their four-game preliminary match 2-1, so Carlsen needed a win in the last rapid game to tie it. ChessBase called it "going for the King's Gambit in a must-win situation". Ding answered with 3...Nf6 and won in 23 moves.
His first King's Gambit in a top classical event. ChessBase asked: "Have we seen this opening in top tournament play in the current century? After all it's supposed to be refuted." Carlsen won in 54 moves and later took first place in Medias.
This time Carlsen was on the other side. Their classical game in round 3 was drawn, and in the Armageddon Hikaru Nakamura surprised him with 2.f4. Carlsen, with Black, went into the Kieseritzky and won.
Ian Nepomniachtchi is a real King's Gambit player, but in game 6 of their Speed Chess match it lasted only 17 moves. Carlsen, with Black, took on e4 with his knight and Nepomniachtchi was lost soon after.
In the opening blitz of Norway Chess 2015 Carlsen tried 2.f4 against Levon Aronian. Aronian chose 3...d5, the Modern Defence, and the game was drawn in a rook endgame.
Every game in our Magnus Carlsen archive that starts 1.e4 e5 2.f4, oldest first. 28 of them are online blitz, bullet or speed games: Carlsen likes 2.f4 when the clock is short. Tap a name to jump to its board.
Two more games reached a King's Gambit position by another move order, so they are not in the count: Carlsen - Yu Yangyi, World Blitz 2017 (a Vienna Gambit, 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.f4 exf4) and Carlsen - Nakamura, Titled Tuesday March 2025, which began 1.f3 f6 2.e4 e5 3.f4.
Why does Magnus Carlsen play the King's Gambit?
He has never called it his main weapon. His own words are short and honest. After beating Wang Yue in 2010:
"Things weren't going so well in the tournament – I thought I'd just try it and see how it goes."Magnus Carlsen, Medias 2010, quoted by ChessBase
Thirteen years later, after Hikaru Nakamura surprised him with it in Norway:
"I don't think you ever expect the King's Gambit, but it was not an unpleasant surprise." ... "the King's Gambit is not that bad. With good preparation, you can make it at least semi-playable for White."Magnus Carlsen, Norway Chess 2023, quoted by Chess.com
So the picture is clear from his games: a surprise weapon. 27 of his 33 games with 2.f4 in our archive are online blitz, bullet or speed games, where an opponent has no time to find the refutation. In classical chess he played it once in our archive (Medias 2010). The Ding Liren game was online rapid, in a game he had to win.
White gives the f-pawn on move 2 to open the f-file and build a big centre with d4. If Black takes, 2...exf4, it is the King's Gambit Accepted; anything else is the King's Gambit Declined. Carlsen's games show the main answers: 3.Nf3 g5 (the Kieseritzky after 4.h4 g4 5.Ne5), 3.Nf3 Nf6 (Ding's choice), and 3.Nf3 d5 (Aronian's).
Do not grab on e5 against 2...Bc5. After 1.e4 e5 2.f4 Bc5 3.fxe5 Qh4+ Black plays ...Qh4+ and wins the h1 rook or mates.
...Qh4+ in the Bishop's Gambit. After 1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Bc4 Qh4+ the king must go to f1. Carlsen allowed it against Nicholas Ladan in 2024 and still won.
Bxf7+ and Ng5. With Black's king still in the centre, White's sacrifices on f7 come fast.
Many people who search "Magnus Carlsen King's Gambit" are looking for a film, not an opening. King's Gambit (2025) is a feature documentary written and directed by Alan Byron. Its listing describes it as "the thrilling, inside story of the psychology of sporting winners", "filmed during the world's strongest open chess tournament ever". Magnus Carlsen appears as himself, together with Garry Kasparov, Fabiano Caruana, Arkady Dvorkovich and Daniel King. The US release date listed is 27 February 2025.
The film is about the mental side of top competition, not about Carlsen's games with 1.e4 e5 2.f4. Those games are the ones on this page. (There is also a 2026 mobile game called "King's Gambit" by Anichess, a survival game where you play as the king, and of course "The Queen's Gambit" series, which is something else again.)
Watch: King's Gambit traps explained by Stockfish
Our Stockfish channel breaks down the traps of the King's Gambit. Tap a video to play it.
BRILLIANT Chess Tricks and TRAPS In The King's Gambit, Which Even Magnus Fell ForStockfish 18 TEACHES The Hidden Chess Opening Traps and Tactics in The King's GambitStockfish TEACHES The Traps & Tricks Behind King's Gambit To DEFEAT Everyone
Magnus Carlsen King's Gambit FAQ
Did Magnus Carlsen play the King's Gambit?
Yes. Our Magnus Carlsen archive has 33 games where he played 1.e4 e5 2.f4 as White, from a classical win over Wang Yue in Medias 2010 to online blitz in 2025. Most of them are fast games, especially Titled Tuesday.
Did Magnus Carlsen beat Ding Liren with the King's Gambit?
No. In game 4 of their preliminary match at the Magnus Carlsen Invitational 2020 (online rapid), Carlsen needed a win and chose the King's Gambit, but Ding Liren answered with 3...Nf6 and won in 23 moves.
What did Magnus Carlsen say about the King's Gambit?
After his 2010 win against Wang Yue he said: "Things weren't going so well in the tournament - I thought I'd just try it and see how it goes" (ChessBase). In 2023, after Nakamura played it against him, he said "the King's Gambit is not that bad" and that with good preparation it can be "at least semi-playable for White" (Chess.com).
Who played the King's Gambit against Magnus Carlsen?
In our archive: Alex Fedorov (2004, draw), Hikaru Nakamura (Norway Chess 2023 Armageddon) and Ian Nepomniachtchi (Speed Chess Championship 2023). Carlsen did not lose any of these three games.
Is King's Gambit a movie about Magnus Carlsen?
Not exactly. "King's Gambit" (2025) is a documentary by Alan Byron about the psychology of sporting winners, filmed during an open chess tournament. Magnus Carlsen appears in it, together with Garry Kasparov, Fabiano Caruana and others. It is not about his King's Gambit games.
Is the King's Gambit a good opening?
Engines say Black is fine with correct play, but there is no forced refutation. In fast games it gives sharp positions and chances to both sides, which is why Carlsen uses it mostly in blitz.
Try the King's Gambit yourself
You have seen how Carlsen plays it. Now play 2.f4 against a bot and see who survives the attack.
