King's Pawn Game: MacLeod Attack
1. e4 e5 2. c3
The King's Pawn Game: MacLeod Attack is a chess opening classified as ECO C20, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. c3. It is a line of the King's Pawn Game. Black is to move. 2 named lines continue from this position.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 22,289 times by this move order. White won 50%, 4% were drawn and Black won 46%. The most popular continuation is 2… Nc6 (34% of games).
Engine evaluation: −0.17 (Stockfish, depth 48; best line 2… d5 3. d3 dxe4 4. dxe4 Qxd1+ 5. Kxd1)
- ECO
- C20
- Moves
- 3 plies
- FEN
rnbqkbnr/pppp1ppp/8/4p3/4P3/2P5/PP1P1PPP/RNBQKBNR b KQkq - 0 2- PGN
1. e4 e5 2. c3
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 11,718 | |
| 1500-1999 | 10,104 | |
| 2000+ | 467 | |
| All | 22,289 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 2… Nc6 | 7,480 (34%) | |
| 2… Nf6 | 5,980 (27%) | |
| 2… d6 | 2,400 (11%) | |
| 2… Bc5 | 2,160 (10%) | |
| 2… d5 | 1,743 (8%) | |
| 2… c5 | 439 (2%) | |
| 2… Qf6 | 420 (2%) | |
| 2… c6 | 361 (2%) |
Master games
106 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 38%, draw 10%, Black 52%). The strongest:
- GM Aleksandr Shimanov (2566) – GM David Paravyan (2599) 0-1 · Titled Tue 10th Oct Early · 2023-10-10
- GM Maciej Klekowski (2511) – GM Jose Eduardo Martinez Alcantara (2620) 1/2-1/2 · Titled Tuesday 22nd Sept · 2020-09-22
- GM Thomas Beerdsen (2501) – IM Rohith Krishna S (2468) 1/2-1/2 · Titled Tue 21st May Early · 2024-05-21
- GM Cristobal Henriquez Villagra (2603) – IM Daniel Barria Zuniga (2341) 1-0 · Titled Tue 20th Jan 2026 · 2026-01-20
- FM Tanitoluwa Adewumi (2295) – IM Saidakbar Saydaliev (2426) 1-0 · Titled Tue 7th Nov Early · 2023-11-07
Search all games of the King's Pawn Game: MacLeod Attack and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- sachajo (2369) – FM DiogenesSinopeus (2456) 1-0 · 2026-09-01 · 180 + 0s
- sachajo (2377) – tamik (2437) 0-1 · 2026-09-01 · 180 + 0s
- sachajo (2333) – TrVcZ (2471) 0-1 · 2026-09-04 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
King's Pawn Game (1. e4 e5) 1. e4 e5
Continuations
- King's Pawn Game: MacLeod Attack, Lasa Gambit C20 · 1. e4 e5 2. c3 f5
- King's Pawn Game: MacLeod Attack, Norwalde Gambit C20 · 1. e4 e5 2. c3 d5 3. Qh5 Bd6
More King's Pawn Game lines (all)
- King's Pawn Game (1. e4) B00
- King's Pawn Game: Maróczy Defense B07
- King's Pawn Game: Alapin Opening C20
- King's Pawn Game: Bavarian Gambit C20
- King's Pawn Game: Beyer Gambit C20
- King's Pawn Game: Clam Variation, King's Gambit Reversed C20
- King's Pawn Game: Clam Variation, Radisch Gambit C20
- King's Pawn Game: King's Head Opening (1… e5 2. f3) C20
- King's Pawn Game: King's Head Opening (2… Nf6 3. Nc3) C20
- King's Pawn Game: Leonardis Variation C20
- King's Pawn Game: Mengarini's Opening C20
- King's Pawn Game: Napoleon Attack C20
Opening names and moves from the Lichess openings dataset; statistics from the Lichess open database, 2026-09 (CC0), sample of 12.6 million games, bots excluded; evaluations from Lichess cloud analysis (all CC0). Master games from The Week in Chess #920–#1664 by Mark Crowther, used with permission.