Openings
What Is a Gambit in Chess? Meaning and Examples
You've heard people talk about a gambit in chess, but you're not entirely sure what it means? Curious about the strategies strong players use to seize the advantage in the very first moves? Then this guide is for you. Here's what we'll cover.
- What a gambit actually is, and the two kinds of advantage it usually brings
- The most popular gambits still played today, with a diagram for each
- Where gambits come from, and how they've changed since the 19th century
- How to play a gambit well, and how to meet one across the board
What a Gambit Actually Is
A gambit in chess is a type of opening strategy where a player sacrifices material, usually a pawn, right from the start of the game in exchange for compensation. There are many kinds of gambits, each with its own strengths and drawbacks. The compensation you get for the pawn usually comes in one of two forms, either better control of the center or a faster lead in development. That's the basic meaning of a gambit in chess. We'll look at a few other gambit ideas further down.
Let's start with two examples, one for each kind of advantage.
The Queen's Gambit
The Queen's Gambit is one of the oldest and best known gambits in chess. It starts with 1.d4 d5 2.c4.
White sacrifices a pawn to pull Black's d5 pawn away from the center. After 2...dxc4 3.e4, White has built a big pawn center.
The black pawn on c4 is also weak and hard to defend. This gambit is often chosen by players who want to seize the initiative from the very first moves in a mostly positional way.
The Scotch Gambit
The exact opposite of the Queen's Gambit. The Scotch Gambit is another popular type of gambit. It starts with 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Bc4.
White has given up a central pawn to bring the pieces out fast. White isn't necessarily trying to win the d4 pawn back, the whole point is development.
For instance, after 4...Bb4+, White can play 5.c3, hoping to develop the knight to c3 after 5...dxc3 6.Nxc3.
This gambit is often chosen by players who want to put pressure on their opponent right from the start.
The Most Popular Gambits in Chess
Here are the most popular gambits in chess. Plenty of them are still played at the top level today.
The Evans Gambit
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4
One of the most famous gambits in the game. Plenty of gorgeous games from the Romantic era of chess start with this opening. The idea is to lure the black bishop to b4, then follow up with c3 and d4 to build a very strong pawn center. The move c3 also frees the white queen, which can land on b3 and form a battery with the bishop on c4. A gambit with a genuinely great reputation.
The Blackburne-Kloosterboer Gambit, a favorite among club players
This one, on the other hand, isn't nearly as sound. But club players looking to have some fun will love it.
1.e4 d5 2.exd5 c6 3.dxc6 e5 4.cxb7 Bxb7
Plenty of players love having bishops sitting on b7 and c5 to attack White's castled king on the kingside. But two pawns is a lot to hand over. More cautious players can simply recapture on c6 with the knight on move three instead.
Joseph Henry Blackburne was one of the strongest players in the world in the 19th century. He was known for his simultaneous exhibitions and his blindfold games. The story goes that he once threw himself out of a window in despair after losing a game, from the ground floor.
The Danish Gambit
White can borrow the same idea as the Blackburne-Kloosterboer Gambit. It isn't any better here either.
1.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.c3 dxc3 4.Bc4 cxb2 5.Bxb2
The white position looks threatening. After a few precise moves, though, White's initiative disappears.
5...Nf6 6.e5 Bb4+ 7.Nc3 d5
And the bishops look a lot less proud. This is what's known as the refutation of the Danish Gambit.
The Benko Gambit, possibly the best gambit in chess
Heavy stuff this time. Great champions, including FIDE world champion Veselin Topalov, have played the Benko Gambit.
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5 4.cxb5 a6
For once, the compensation isn't a strong center or a lead in development. Black simply wants to rip open the a and b files to hit the white pawns, with rooks and the queen aiming straight down them. Add a dark-squared bishop fianchettoed on g7, also eyeing White's queenside, and this can get very strong. White will struggle to hold back Black's counterplay. Either way, it's a striking gambit with some genuinely original positional compensation.
The Budapest Gambit
This one also has a great reputation.
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e5 3.dxe5
Now Black has a choice, try to win the e5 pawn back right away with 3...Ng4, or go for a true gambit with the Fajarowicz Variation, 3...Ne4. Either way, this is a complex opening where both sides have real chances.
The Blackmar-Diemer Gambit
This gambit is hugely popular among club players.
1.d4 d5 2.e4 dxe4 3.f3 exf3 4.Nxf3
White is banking on a lead in development to attack the black king quickly. Unfortunately for White, Black has found plenty of good ways to meet the Blackmar-Diemer. Fianchettoing the dark-squared bishop on g7, for instance, is a solid antidote.
The Morra Gambit
Careful, this one is dangerous.
1.e4 c5 2.d4 cxd4 3.c3
Just like the Blackmar-Diemer, White wants to develop quickly and find good squares for every piece. This one, though, has a somewhat better reputation.
The King's Gambit
The king of gambits.
1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4
The mirror image of the Queen's Gambit, but on the kingside. One slightly surprising consequence of 2.f4 is that 3.d4 lets Black play a really annoying check with ...Qh4+. That's why White usually plays 3.Nf3 instead, which buys Black a little time to get organized. Hugely fashionable in the 19th century, the King's Gambit is played less often today. It's still perfectly playable, though, and a great weapon for anyone who wants to set the board on fire.
The History of Gambits in Chess
Gambits truly took off during the 19th century, in what's known as the Romantic era of the game, thanks to great champions such as Paul Morphy.
How Gambits Evolved Over the Centuries
In the 19th century, chess players used gambits to try to seize the advantage from the very first moves. The goal was certainly to win, but above all to win with style. These openings, though, were often built on tactics rather than long-term strategy. Over the following century, players started using gambits in a more strategic way, focusing on building a sound position rather than chasing a short-term edge.
Let's look at a famous game by Paul Morphy. Click through the moves below to bring up the board.
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This game is still used in chess schools today to study the concept of initiative.
Gambits in Modern Professional Play
Gambits kept being used in professional play over the following century, though they became rarer as players built more solid strategies. Still, some of the greatest players in history have used gambits with real success, Garry Kasparov among them. Gambits are still used by professional players today, but usually only in specific situations, for example when a win is required and it's time to take risks.
Let's watch world champion Garry Kasparov in action with the Evans Gambit, the very same gambit Paul Morphy used in the game above.
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Strategy Behind Playing a Gambit
Experienced players often use gambits to try to seize the initiative and put their opponent under pressure.
How to Play a Gambit
To play a gambit well, you need to understand the goals behind the strategy tied to that particular gambit. Generally speaking, the goal is to seize the initiative and control the center. It also matters to understand the strengths and weaknesses of your gambit and know how to use them to your advantage. Finally, it's important to think through your opponent's possible replies and know how to deal with them.
How to Counter a Gambit
To counter a gambit, it helps just as much to understand your opponent's goals and the strengths and weaknesses of the gambit in question. One of the most common answers is the counter-gambit, giving back the material you won in order to reach a healthier position. Other players, like the great Viktor Korchnoi, prefer to keep the extra material, weather the pressure, and win in the endgame instead.
Your Move
- Browse our overview of the main chess openings to see where gambits fit in
- Learn more about the Queen's Gambit Accepted
That was our guide to gambits in chess. We hope it helps you understand this style of play a little better.