It is one of the main lines of the King's Gambit after 3...g5, and its overall assessment is still unclear but approximately equal.

The Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings classifies the Kieseritzky Gambit under code C39.

The opening now known as the Kieseritzky Gambit was first described by Polerio in the late 16th century.

[2] In the first edition of the Handbuch in 1843, 5.Ne5 was considered under the heading of the Allgaier Gambit, but the editors noted that Kieseritzky had contributed significantly to the theory of 5.Ne5, which they advocated as superior to 5.Ng5 (an opinion shared by almost all subsequent analysts).

The corresponding chapter in the second edition of the Handbuch in 1852 was headed "Allgaier and Kieseritzky's Gambit".