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This article is about the chess tactic. For alternate meanings see Gambit (disambiguation).

This article uses algebraic notation to describe chess moves.

A gambit is a chess opening in which material (usually but not always a single pawn), is sacrificed in order to achieve an advantage. A gambit played by Black is often called a countergambit.

There are three general methods in which a gambit can help a player's position. For a gambit to be sound it will typically have some degree of at least two of the following:

• Gain of Time: the player accepting the gambit must take time to procure the sacrificed material and possibly must use more time to reorganize his pieces after the material is taken.

• Generation of differential activity: Often a player accepting a gambit will decentralize his pieces or pawns and his poorly placed pieces will allow the gambiteer to place his own pieces and pawns on squares that may otherwise have been inaccessible. In addition, bishops and rooks can become more active simply because the loss of pawns often gives rise to open files and diagonals. Former world champion Mikhail Tal, one of the most extraordinary attacking players of the 20th century, once said that he had sacrificed a pawn just because "it was in his way."

• Generation of positional weaknesses: Finally, accepting a gambit may lead to a compromised pawn structure, holes or other positional deficiencies.

In modern chess, the typical response to a moderately sound gambit is to accept the material and give the material back at an advantageous time. For gambits that are less sound, the accepting player is more likely to try to hold onto his extra material. A rule of thumb often found in various primers on chess suggests that a player should get 3 moves of development for a sacrificed pawn, but it is unclear how useful this general maxim is since the "free moves" part of the compensation is almost never the entirety of what the gambiteer gains. Of course, a player is not obliged to accept a gambit. Often, a gambit can be declined without disadvantage.

A good example is the Danish Gambit: 1.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.c3 dxc3 (3...d5 would be a way of refusing the gambit) 4.Bc4 cxb2 5.Bxb2. White has sacrificed two pawns, but his bishops are very well developed, looking to the opponent's kingside. A very dubious gambit is the so-called Halloween Gambit: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nxe5?! Nxe5 5.d4. Here the investment is too big for the moderate advantage of having a strong center.

The word "gambit" was originally applied to chess openings in 1561 by Spanish priest Rúy López de Segura, from the Italian expression dare il gambetto (to put a leg forward, i. e., to trip someone). Lopez studied and improved this maneuver during his lifetime, and so the Italian word gained the Spanish form gambito that led to French gambit, which has influenced the English spelling of the word. The broader sense of "opening move meant to gain advantage" was first recorded in English in 1855.

Main article: List of chess gambits

• King's Gambit: 1.e4 e5 2.f4
• Queen's Gambit: 1.d4 d5 2.c4

This is the most played "gambit", but it is technically not a gambit since white can guarantee the recovery of his pawn (most simply 2. ..dxc4 3. Qa4+, but usually more subtle lines).

• Evans Gambit: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4
• Rousseau Gambit 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 f5
• Smith-Morra Gambit: 1.e4 c5 2.d4 intending 2. ..cxd4 3.c3 dxc3 4.Nxc3
• Two Knights Defence: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 d5 with 5.exd5 Na5 6.Bb5+ c6 7.dxc6 bxc6 likely to follow.
• Blackmar-Diemer Gambit (BDG): 1.d4 d5 2.e4 dxe4 3.Nc3 followed by 4.f3
• From's Gambit: 1.f4 e5
• Staunton Gambit: 1.d4 f5 2.e4
• Budapest Gambit: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e5
• Scotch Gambit: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Bc4
• Latvian Gambit: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 f5
• Blackburne Shilling Gambit: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4?!

This is not a true gambit by Black, since after 4.Nxe5!? Qg5! Black wins material. White can (and from this position should) play a gambit himself with 5.Bxf7+! Ke7 6.0-0! Qxe5 7.Bxg8 Rxg8 8.c3 Nc6 9.d4, when White's two pawns and rolling pawn center, combined with Black's misplaced king, give White strong compensation for the sacrificed bishop.

• Elephant Gambit: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d5!?
• Englund Gambit: 1.d4 e5?!
• Italian Gambit: 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. d4
• Fried Liver Attack 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Nf5 d5 5. exd5 Nxd5 6. Nxf7 Kxf7

• Guide to Chess Gambits (Part 1)
• Guide to Chess Gambits (Part 2)
• Emil Diemer (1908-1990) et les gambits sur le site Mieux jouer aux échecs
• Le gambit letton sur le site Mieux jouer aux échecs
• Le gambit Humphrey Bogart sur le site Mieux jouer aux échecs
• Le gambit Fajarowicz sur le site Mieux jouer aux échecs
• Le gambit Boden sur le site Mieux jouer aux échecs
• David Gedult (1897-1981) et les gambits sur le site Mieux jouer aux échecs