Evans Gambit
White throws in a b-pawn to gain time for c3 and d4, turning a quiet Italian into a fast attack.
| First moves | 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 |
|---|---|
| ECO codes | C51-C52 |
| Character | Gambit, fast development, central attack |
| Best for | Italian players who want the initiative from move four |
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Related openings
Italian Game
The classical way to open a chess game: develop, aim at f7, castle. The best first opening for most players.
Fried Liver Attack
A knight sacrifice on f7 that drags the black king into the middle of the board. Giulio Cesare Polerio played it before 1606, and it still wins a lot of games against the natural-looking 5...Nxd5.
King's Gambit
The opening of chess's Romantic era. White offers a pawn on move two to tear open the f-file and race for the black king.
Why give up the b-pawn
In the quiet Italian, White wants and but loses time playing them. In the Evans, gains c3 with tempo on the bishop, and follows next. White gets a strong center and open lines for the pieces, often aimed straight at f7.
William Evans, a Welsh sea captain, first played it in 1827, and Anderssen, Morphy and Chigorin took it up. Lasker's idea of giving the pawn back pushed it out of favor for most of the 20th century, until Kasparov beat Anand with it in 25 moves at Riga in 1995.
The main lines
- . The main line: once White plays , the bishop pins the c3 pawn to the king on e1. White castles, often gives up a second pawn, and attacks.
- . Safer: the bishop helps defend the king, and modern theory rates this the most solid line, with fairly easy equality for Black.
- Declining with . Simple, but it costs Black a tempo: White gets b4 for free, usually follows with , and the game becomes a normal Italian with extra queenside space for White. Most commentators rate it below accepting and returning the pawn later.
A common practical choice for Black is Lasker's Defense: accept, then give the pawn back with and . If White wins it back by trading queens, only Black can hope to be better in the endgame, thanks to the healthier pawn structure.
Playing it as White
Follow with and , and bring the queen to b3 when f7 and b7 are both loose. Speed matters more than the pawns: if Black gets time to castle and consolidate, the attack runs out. On Lichess, three in four players rated below 1600 answer with , which lets attack the bishop again, and White wins 57% of those games.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Evans Gambit sound?
Yes. No refutation is known. Black can equalize with accurate play, most easily with , but White gets real attacking chances for the pawn.
Should I accept the Evans Gambit?
Accepting is the most testing reply, and is the main line. On Lichess, 70% of players below 1600 take the pawn, and 86% of those above 2000. If you want a quieter game, declines it, at the cost of a tempo.
How do I play the Evans Gambit as White?
After , play and quickly, and look for to hit f7 and b7 at once. Use the time the gambit buys you before Black castles.