King's Gambit

A pawn for speed

Gambits
Sharp play
Open centre
Classical

Interactive Opening Board

5.Ne5

♚

Black

♔

White

5.Ne5

Speed:

Moves

(9 plies • 5 moves)

5.Ne5Tabiya

The knight leaps to the centre, and the sharpest fight begins. This is the Kieseritzky Gambit.

1–5moves
#WhiteBlack
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

1.e4 The king's pawn takes the centre.

1…e5 Black mirrors the move.

2.f4 The King's Gambit. The f4 pawn attacks e5 and opens the f-file. White is ready to give a pawn for quick development.

2…exf4 Black accepts the pawn.

3.Nf3 The knight stops a queen check on h4 and prepares pressure on g5 and e5.

3…g5 Black wants to keep the pawn at any cost and supports f4 with the g5 pawn.

4.h4 White hits the pawn chain and opens the h-file.

4…g4 Black does not retreat: the g4 pawn drives the knight away.

5.Ne5 The knight leaps to the centre, and the sharpest fight begins. This is the Kieseritzky Gambit.

Defining move

2.f4! — a challenge to the centre

The move that turns the game into a gambit

Instead of a quiet Nf3, White attacks the e5 pawn at once with f4. If Black takes, White gets the centre and an open f-file for the attack. If Black declines, Black must find counterplay. This move defined the whole Romantic era of chess.

Tabiya

The Kieseritzky Gambit

The white knight stands on e5, while Black keeps an extra pawn and has stretched the kingside with g4 and f4. White gave material for fast pieces. Black has the extra pawn, but the king is in danger. Next White plays d2-d4 and Bc4, Black …Nf6 and …d6.

The centre

The open f-file against an extra pawn

White has no f-pawn; Black has an extra pawn on f4. The centre is free, and the better-developed side wins.

Key squaresf7e5f4

Outposts

f7The main target
While Black has not castled, bishop and rook aim at f7. Every sacrifice of the gambit revolves around this square.
e5The knight's leap
A knight on e5 bears on f7 and g4 and forces Black to decide.

Thematic breaks

d4White
The d2-d4 strike
Take the centre while Black clings to the f4 pawn.
What follows: If Black is slow to develop, a quick attack follows.
c4White
The bishop swing to c4
Aim at f7, the weakest square in Black's camp.
What follows: Black must defend f7 instead of developing.
d5Black
The …d7-d5 counterstrike
Give the pawn back and take the centre. This is the idea of the Falkbeer Countergambit.
What follows: Black gets easy play and White loses time.

White’s plan

Win the pawn back or not, but develop quickly: d2-d4, Bc4, castling.
Keep the f-file open and aim at f7.
Do not let Black finish development in peace.

Black’s plan

Keep the pawn without letting White attack: …g5, …g4, …Nf6.
Take the centre: …d6, …d5.
Return the material at the right moment and switch to defence.

History

The most famous game in the King's Gambit is the Immortal Game: in London in 1851 Adolf Anderssen sacrificed almost all his pieces against Kieseritzky and won. A century later Boris Spassky came back to the gambit: he played it at the top level and beat David Bronstein with it in 1960.