King's Gambit Accepted: Cunningham Defense, McCormick Defense is a chess opening with the ECO code C35, part of the King's Gambit Accepted family. It goes 1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Nf3 Be7 4. Bc4 Nf6. White opens with 1. e4 (the king's pawn) and Black answers 1... e5. After 8 moves it is White to move. After the last move Black is a pawn ahead in material. The lesson on the board explains every move of the line and lets you play it yourself; it is free.
The moves
1. e4 – White plays the pawn to e4
1... e5 – Black plays the pawn to e5
2. f4 – White plays the pawn to f4
2... exf4 – Black captures on f4 with the e-pawn
3. Nf3 – White plays the knight to f3
3... Be7 – Black plays the bishop to e7
4. Bc4 – White plays the bishop to c4
4... Nf6 – Black plays the knight to f6
About the King's Gambit Accepted
After 1.e4 e5 2.f4, Black takes the pawn with 2...exf4. The game turns wild: White wants a big centre and an attack on f7.
White plays Nf3, d4 and Bc4, then opens the f-file to attack f7.
Black can hold the pawn with ...g5 or give it back with ...d5 for easy development.
Watch the e1-h4 diagonal: ...Qh4+ can be a dangerous check against White's king.
chessGM