Amar Opening: Paris Gambit

A001.Nh3 d5 2.g3 e5 3.f4 Bxh3 4.Bxh3 exf4

Mar 27, 20261 min read

TL;DR The Amar Gambit: after 1.Nh3 d5 2.g3 e5 3.f4 Bxh3 4.Bxh3 exf4, White has sacrificed a pawn for the bishop pair and open lines. Tiny sample of games but White holds 50% — practical play in unfamiliar territory.

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Amar Opening: Paris Gambit - Opening Moves

Summary

1.Nh3 d5 2.g3 e5 3.f4 Bxh3 4.Bxh3 exf4 opens the Amar Opening: Paris Gambit, ECO A00. With 1,936 games on record, the patterns below come from the largest practical sample available.

History and Notable Players

It arises from the Amar Opening.

Common Mistakes

Neglecting development — It can feel productive to make extra pawn moves early, but falling behind in piece development is what loses most amateur games — especially in open positions where active pieces find squares fast.
Overextending the attack — Gambits look like permission to throw everything forward. They aren't — every attacking move should improve a piece. Random checks and threats burn the initiative once they fail to coordinate.

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WhiteBlack

Move 1After the Line

After 1.Nh3 d5 2.g3 e5 3.f4 Bxh3 4.Bxh3 exf4 Pick the position up and play on from there.

Opponent

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Quick Facts

Games on Lichess: 1,936
Most Popular At: 2200
Sharpness: Very Sharp; The Paris Gambit sacrifices material and structure for wild, dubious attacking play — Englund/King's Gambit levels of chaos.

Main Line: 1.Nh3 d5 2.g3 e5 3.f4 Bxh3 4.Bxh3 exf4
FEN: rn1qkbnr/ppp2ppp/8/3p4/5p2/6PB/PPPPP2P/RNBQK2R w KQkq - 0 5
Parent Opening: Amar Opening
Style: Gambiteer

Data from Lichess opening explorer (blitz & rapid)

Gambiteer: Gambiteers sacrifice material early for rapid development and initiative. These openings often lead to sharp, tactical positions where the attacking side must strike quickly before the opponent consolidates.

Percentage of all games at each rating bracket that feature this opening.

Data from Lichess opening explorer (blitz & rapid games)

At 1400, White's most common reply is 5.O-O (61% of games), with two other moves each played in at least 1 in 20 games. By 2200 it comes down to two: 5.d4 (84%) and 5.O-O (14%).

How often players choose the single most popular move at this position. Higher = more predictable play.

White to move after the opening line

Share of all Lichess blitz + rapid games featuring this opening, by year.

White to move after the opening line

Top moves by rating
Rating	Most Popular	2nd	3rd
400	5.gxf449%	5.O-O49%	5.g42%
1000	5.gxf449.1%	5.O-O38.6%	5.Nc33.5%
1200	5.O-O59.2%	5.gxf423.7%	5.e45.3%
1400	5.O-O61.1%	5.gxf423.1%	5.d35.6%
1600	5.O-O66.5%	5.gxf412.1%	5.d47.7%
1800	5.O-O72.8%	5.d411.8%	5.gxf49.8%
2000	5.d456.3%	5.O-O37.9%	5.gxf42.7%
2200	5.d483.7%	5.O-O14.2%	5.d31.2%
2500	5.O-O47.2%	5.d438.9%	5.e32.8%

It's rare in every format: fewer than 1 in 100,000 games.

Bullet0%835
Blitz0%2K
Rapid0%290

Raw Data Tables (Lichess Blitz + Rapid)

Amar Opening: Paris Gambit: popularity and win rates by player rating
Rating (Elo)	Games	White win %	Black win %	Draw %	Sharpness
400	49	38.8	53.1	8.2	0.918
1000	57	47.4	49.1	3.5	0.965
1200	76	43.4	55.3	1.3	0.987
1400	108	42.6	52.8	4.6	0.954
1600	182	45.1	52.2	2.7	0.973
1800	305	41.6	55.7	2.6	0.974
2000	449	51.4	42.1	6.5	0.935
2200	674	57.7	39.2	3.1	0.969
2500	36	61.1	33.3	5.6	0.944

Amar Opening: Paris Gambit: move-choice theory adherence by rating
Rating (Elo)	Top move	Top move %	Viable moves	Theory %	Entropy
400	5.gxf4	49.0	2	100.0	1.123
1000	5.gxf4	49.1	2	91.2	1.715
1200	5.O-O	59.2	3	88.2	1.814
1400	5.O-O	61.1	3	89.8	1.691
1600	5.O-O	66.5	3	86.3	1.816
1800	5.O-O	72.8	3	94.4	1.364
2000	5.d4	56.3	2	96.9	1.358
2200	5.d4	83.7	2	99.1	0.765
2500	5.O-O	47.2	2	88.9	1.759

Amar Opening: Paris Gambit: popularity over time
Year	Games	White win %	Black win %	Draw %
2013	1	100.0	0.0	0.0
2014	1	0.0	100.0	0.0
2015	2	50.0	50.0	0.0
2016	21	52.4	47.6	0.0
2017	35	57.1	37.1	5.7
2018	72	44.4	51.4	4.2
2019	88	46.6	51.1	2.3
2020	223	44.8	51.1	4.0
2021	379	45.4	49.3	5.3
2022	473	53.7	43.8	2.5
2023	240	53.8	41.7	4.6
2024	297	53.2	41.1	5.7
2025	264	51.9	43.2	4.9

Amar Opening: Paris Gambit: popularity by time control
Format	Games	White win %	Black win %	Draw %	Sharpness
bullet	835	51.7	44.6	3.7	0.963
blitz	1,646	51.4	44.7	3.9	0.961
rapid	290	44.8	51.0	4.1	0.959

Amar Opening: Paris Gambit: top candidate moves by rating bracket
Rating (Elo)	1st move	1st %	2nd move	2nd %	3rd move	3rd %
400	5.gxf4	49.0	5.O-O	49.0	5.g4	2.0
1000	5.gxf4	49.1	5.O-O	38.6	5.Nc3	3.5
1200	5.O-O	59.2	5.gxf4	23.7	5.e4	5.3
1400	5.O-O	61.1	5.gxf4	23.1	5.d3	5.6
1600	5.O-O	66.5	5.gxf4	12.1	5.d4	7.7
1800	5.O-O	72.8	5.d4	11.8	5.gxf4	9.8
2000	5.d4	56.3	5.O-O	37.9	5.gxf4	2.7
2200	5.d4	83.7	5.O-O	14.2	5.d3	1.2
2500	5.O-O	47.2	5.d4	38.9	5.e3	2.8

Guided Play

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Frequently Asked Questions

Amar Opening: Paris Gambit

What is this opening?

This opening begins with 1.Nh3 d5 2.g3 e5 3.f4 Bxh3 4.Bxh3 exf4 and is classified under ECO code A00.

Is this opening good for beginners?

This opening can be played at any level. Beginners should focus on understanding the key strategic ideas rather than memorizing long theoretical lines. Our AI bots at various rating levels provide a great way to practice the opening concepts.

What are the win rates for this opening?

In a database of 1,936 games, White wins 50.4% of the time, Black wins 45.6%, and 4% are drawn.

How can I practice this opening?

On Chessiverse, you can practice this opening by playing against our 1,100+ AI bots. Each bot has a unique playing style and opening repertoire, so you can find the perfect sparring partner for any level.

Sources

Lichess opening explorer (opens in a new tab) — game statistics and move data (blitz & rapid)

Brought to you by

IM John BartholomewCo-Founder & Chess Educator

International Master and chess educator. Co-founded Chessable and joined Chessiverse as co-founder. Best known for his "Climbing the Rating Ladder" YouTube series and structured opening courses.

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Amar Opening: Paris Gambit

Summary

History and Notable Players

Common Mistakes

Practice on Chessiverse

Play the Amar Opening: Paris Gambit

Quick Facts

Popularity by Rating

Theory Adherence by Rating

Popularity Over Time

Top Moves by Rating

Popularity by Time Control