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King's Gambit

Gambit58 linesYou play White

1.e4 e5 2.f4. White offers the f-pawn to deflect Black's e-pawn, build a centre with d4 and open the f-file. These lines cover both accepting the gambit and the main ways of declining it.

King's Gambit after 1.e4 e5 2.f4

The idea

The oldest attacking opening in chess. After 1.e4 e5 2.f4 White offers the f-pawn to pull Black's e-pawn off the centre, then plays d4 and develops with gain of time. The half-open f-file points straight at f7, and White's king often stays in the centre for a while, which is why the gambit has a reputation for wild games.

What happens next

If Black takes (2…exf4), White usually plays 3.Nf3 to stop …Qh4+, then Bc4 and d4, and tries to win the f4 pawn back later with g3 or Bxf4 once the centre is set. If Black declines with 2…Bc5 (the Classical Declined) White should not play fxe5 because of …Qh4+; instead Nf3, c3 and d4 build the centre and the bishop on c5 is pushed back.

How to play against it

The calm answers are 2…Bc5, keeping an eye on g1, and 2…d5 (the Falkbeer), hitting back in the centre at once. If you accept, don't try to hang on to the f4 pawn with …g5 unless you know the lines: develop with …d5 and …Nf6 and give the pawn back for a safe king.

A key line

1.e4 e5 2.f4 Bc5 3.Nf3 d6 4.c3 Nc6 5.d4 exd4 6.cxd4

More lines

4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 exd4 …
1.e4 e5 2.f4 Bc5 3.Nf3 d6 4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 exd4 6.cxd4 Bb4+ 7.Bd2 Bxd2+ 8.Nbxd2
2.f4 Nc6 3.Nf3 Nf6 …
1.e4 e5 2.f4 Nc6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.fxe5 Nxe4 5.d3 Nc5 6.d4 Ne4 7.d5 Nxe5 8.Qe2 Nxf3+ 9.gxf3 Qh4+ 10.Kd1
King's Gambit Declined, 2...Nf6
1.e4 e5 2.f4 Nf6 3.fxe5
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All 58 lines in this gambit

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