{"id":3006,"date":"2024-04-17T03:26:51","date_gmt":"2024-04-17T03:26:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mrscheckmate.com\/?p=3006"},"modified":"2024-04-17T03:26:51","modified_gmt":"2024-04-17T03:26:51","slug":"danish-gambit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mrscheckmate.com\/danish-gambit\/","title":{"rendered":"What is the Danish Gambit in Chess? (Explained!)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>One of the most exciting openings in chess is the Danish Gambit in 1.e4. It\u2019s very entertaining to play, where White gets some good attacking chances. However, Black has a good way to play against it.<br><\/strong><br>In this article, you\u2019ll see the main ideas of this gambit for both sides. You will also see the opening theory in this line, especially how Black should deal with this gambit.<\/p>\n\n\n<style>.kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id3006_f5b209-69 .kb-table-of-content-wrap{padding-top:var(--global-kb-spacing-sm, 1.5rem);padding-right:var(--global-kb-spacing-sm, 1.5rem);padding-bottom:var(--global-kb-spacing-sm, 1.5rem);padding-left:var(--global-kb-spacing-sm, 1.5rem);background-color:#edf6ff;border-top:1px solid currentColor;border-right:1px solid currentColor;border-bottom:1px solid currentColor;border-left:1px solid currentColor;}.kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id3006_f5b209-69 .kb-table-of-contents-title-wrap{padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;}.kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id3006_f5b209-69 .kb-table-of-contents-title{font-weight:regular;font-style:normal;}.kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id3006_f5b209-69 .kb-table-of-content-wrap .kb-table-of-content-list{font-weight:regular;font-style:normal;margin-top:var(--global-kb-spacing-sm, 1.5rem);margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;}.kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id3006_f5b209-69 .kb-toggle-icon-style-basiccircle .kb-table-of-contents-icon-trigger:after, .kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id3006_f5b209-69 .kb-toggle-icon-style-basiccircle .kb-table-of-contents-icon-trigger:before, .kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id3006_f5b209-69 .kb-toggle-icon-style-arrowcircle .kb-table-of-contents-icon-trigger:after, .kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id3006_f5b209-69 .kb-toggle-icon-style-arrowcircle .kb-table-of-contents-icon-trigger:before, .kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id3006_f5b209-69 .kb-toggle-icon-style-xclosecircle .kb-table-of-contents-icon-trigger:after, .kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id3006_f5b209-69 .kb-toggle-icon-style-xclosecircle .kb-table-of-contents-icon-trigger:before{background-color:#edf6ff;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id3006_f5b209-69 .kb-table-of-content-wrap{border-top:1px solid currentColor;border-right:1px solid currentColor;border-bottom:1px solid currentColor;border-left:1px solid currentColor;}}@media all and (max-width: 767px){.kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id3006_f5b209-69 .kb-table-of-content-wrap{border-top:1px solid currentColor;border-right:1px solid currentColor;border-bottom:1px solid currentColor;border-left:1px solid currentColor;}}<\/style>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"how-to-play-the-danish-gambit\">How to Play the Danish Gambit?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The Danish Gambit starts with<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>1.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.c3<\/strong><br><br>Black has two ways of playing this position. One is to accept White&#8217;s pawn sacrifice and the other is to decline it.<br><br>We will have a look at both lines.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"500\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mrscheckmate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/DanishGambit-min-1.jpg\" alt=\"Danish Gambit\" class=\"wp-image-3103\" style=\"width:433px;height:433px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mrscheckmate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/DanishGambit-min-1.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.mrscheckmate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/DanishGambit-min-1-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"danish-gambit-accepted\">Danish Gambit Accepted <\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In this line, Black accepts White\u2019s sacrificed pawns after<br><br><strong>3.c3 dxc3<\/strong><br><br>One way to avoid playing the Danish Gambit as Black is by going 3&#8230;d5. It\u2019s covered later.<br>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>4.Bc4 cxb2<\/strong> <strong>5.Bxb2<\/strong> <strong>d5!<\/strong><br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Black must know this move in order to get a comfortable position. The point of the sacrifice is to open lines for the rapid development of their pieces.<br><br>On the other hand, 5&#8230;d6 is a dubious alternative, even though it has been played in some games.<br><br>Black is behind in development which could prove costly after 6.Qb3 Nh6 7.Nf3 White continues with simple development. They&#8217;ll soon open up the position with e5.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br><strong>6.Bxd5 Nf6<\/strong><br><br>You might think that White is losing a queen after<br><br><strong>7. Bxf7+<\/strong><br><br>But that&#8217;s not the case. In fact, this is mainline. After<br><br><strong>7&#8230;Kxf7<\/strong> <strong>8.Qxd8<\/strong><br><br>Black has the spectacular&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>8&#8230;Bb4+<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>White is now forced to give up their queen.<br><br><strong>9. Qd2<\/strong><br><br>Notice that 9.Nd2 is bad in the view of&nbsp; 9&#8230;Rxd8 where Black is just a piece up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the mainline after 9.Qd2,<br><br><strong>9&#8230;Bxd2+<\/strong> <strong>10.Nxd2<\/strong> <strong>Re8<\/strong> <strong>11.f3<\/strong><br><br>The endgame is equal with chances for both sides.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you wish to avoid all this as Black, you can play the <strong>Danish Gambit Declined Variation<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"danish-gambit-declined\">Danish Gambit Declined<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong> 3&#8230;d5 <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here, Black is prioritizing development, instead of material. The theory goes<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>4.exd5 Qxd5 5.cxd4 <\/strong><strong><br><\/strong><strong><br><\/strong>Notice that White already has a weak pawn on d4.<strong><br><\/strong><strong><br><\/strong><strong>5&#8230;Nc6 6.Nf3 Bg4 <\/strong><strong><br><\/strong><strong><br><\/strong>Black\u2019s bishops are ready to jump in, pinning White\u2019s knights.<strong><br><\/strong><strong><br><\/strong><strong>7.Be2 Bb4+<\/strong> <strong>8.Nc3 Bxf3 9.Bxf3 Qc4!<\/strong><strong><br><\/strong><strong><br><\/strong>Notice that Black can\u2019t play 9&#8230;Qxd4 as they would lose the queen after 10.Bxc6+! Bxc6 11.Qxd4.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After 9&#8230;Qc4, Black is doing more than fine.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"danish-gambit-key-ideas-for-white\">Danish Gambit &#8211; Key Ideas for White<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"open-up-lines-for-their-pieces\"><strong>Open Up Lines for their pieces&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The entire gambit philosophy for White is to open lines for their pieces. <strong>By sacrificing two pawns, White wants their Bb2 &amp; their Bc4 to exert influence on the diagonals a1-h8 &amp; a2-g8 respectively. The bishops do an amazing job of putting the entire Black kingside under pressure if Black accepts the gambit.<\/strong><br><br>Also, if Black castles are long, White will be able to create an attack along the b &amp; c-file. This is the central theme behind White\u2019s play.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the old days, this was a very dangerous strategy. However, Black soon found out a good way to play in this gambit. We\u2019ll discuss it later in the article.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"development-attack\"><strong>Development &amp; Attack<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>White\u2019s key idea in the opening is to develop their pieces and launch an attack. After all, they are willing to sacrifice two pawns for that reason. Once their pieces are fully developed, they will try to open up the position with e5 break at some point. Not to mention their rooks will also join in after that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"danish-gambit-key-ideas-for-black\">Danish Gambit&nbsp;&#8211; Key Ideas for Black &nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Black has two different ways of handling the opening. In both of them, their strategy is slightly different. But the underlying theme remains the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"don-t-fall-behind-in-development\"><strong>Don\u2019t fall behind in development<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>By capturing pawns of White, Black risks falling behind in development. Sure, they\u2019ll have a material advantage. But if White is able to get a strong attack, it will lead to difficulties for Black. <strong>Hence, Black has to ensure that they don\u2019t fall behind in development. If they\u2019re fully developed, they can easily neutralize White\u2019s initiative.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"counterattack-neutralize-white-s-opening-initiative\"><strong>Counterattack &amp; neutralize White\u2019s opening initiative<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>In both the strategies for Black to play against the Danish Gambit, their main goal is the counterattack. For that reason, they often play the central break with the move &#8230;d5.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>This central break allows them to open up their pieces. Another point is that Black often uses tactics in the opening to neutralize White\u2019s initiative. Theory shows that White\u2019s initiative can be neutralized here. Hence among the modern chess openings, the Danish Gambit doesn\u2019t enjoy a lot of popularity. Let\u2019s see the theory now.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"danish-gambit-famous-games\">Danish Gambit Famous Games<br><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>1893 &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.chessgames.com\/perl\/chessgame?gid=1036115\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Charousek vs J Wollner<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>1876 &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.chessgames.com\/perl\/chessgame?gid=1028952\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Blackburne vs Day<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>1962 &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.chessgames.com\/perl\/chessgame?gid=1250836\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">W Lutes vs R Hartenstein<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"conclusion\">Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>White is looking to open lines and attack. Black wants to neutralize White\u2019s initiative as early as they can. This is the central strategy of both sides.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After reading through the article, we hope you\u2019re aware of how to play this line with both sides.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>One of the most exciting openings in chess is the Danish Gambit in 1.e4. It\u2019s very entertaining to play, where White gets some good attacking chances. However, Black has a&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":3007,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mrscheckmate.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3006"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mrscheckmate.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mrscheckmate.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mrscheckmate.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mrscheckmate.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3006"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.mrscheckmate.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3006\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5324,"href":"https:\/\/www.mrscheckmate.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3006\/revisions\/5324"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mrscheckmate.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3007"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mrscheckmate.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3006"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mrscheckmate.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3006"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mrscheckmate.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3006"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}