What is Danish Gambit?

This article uses algebraic notation to describe chess moves.

The Danish Gambit is a chess opening that begins with the moves

1.e4 e5

2.d4 exd4

3.c3

Although it may have been known earlier, Danish player Severin From essayed the gambit in an 1867 Paris tournament and he is usually given credit for the opening. The Danish gambit was popular with masters of the attack including Alekhine, Marshall, Blackburne, and Mieses, but as Black's defenses improved it lost favor in the 1920s. Today it is rarely played in top-level chess.

White will sacrifice one or two pawns for the sake of rapid development and the attack. With care, Black can accept one or both pawns safely, or simply decline the gambit altogether with good chances.

History

From the very beginning the nomenclature of the Danish Gambit was very confusing. The idea stems from a famous correspondence game London-Edinburgh, 1824: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Bc4 Bc5 5.c3 Qe7 6.0-0 dxc3 7.Nxc3. The Swede Hans Lindehn played 1.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.c3 on a regular base from 1857 at latest. He defeated the later World Champion Steinitz with his gambit in London, 1864. It is possible, that Severin From met Lindehn in Paris in this period and there has learned about the gambit. Lindehn invariably offered a second pawn with 4.Bc4.

Many games transposed to the Göring Gambit (see Scotch Opening), as ...Nc6 and Nf3 are very logical moves. As Carl Theodor Göring also used to play the double gambit, there was hardly any difference.

Remarkably enough the idea to sacrifice just one pawn (Nxc3) is older in the Göring Gambit than in the Danish. Morphy met it at the first USA-Congress of 1857; Alexander Meek was the gambiteer. In the Danish especially Alexander Alekhine applied 1.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.c3 dxc3 4.Nxc3, but always on minor occasions.

The German name is Nordisches Gambiet (Nordic Gambit); the Dutch name Noors Gambit (Norvegian Gambit). Lindehn being a Swede all names are historically wrong.

Main variations

The Danish Gambit is a variation of the Center Game that is important enough to be treated on its own. It is C21 in the ECO classification.

After 1.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.c3, Black can safely decline the gambit with 3...d6 or 3...d5 (Sörensen Defense). If Black enters the Danish Gambit Accepted with 3...dxc3, the main possibilities are

• 4.Nxc3 (Alekhine Variation)
• 4...d6 5.Bc4 Nc6 6.Nf3 (Göring Gambit, by transposition)
• 4...Bc5 5.Bc4 Nc6 6.Nf3 (Göring Gambit, by transposition)
• 4...Nc6 5.Bc4 and 6.Nf3 (Göring Gambit, by transposition)
• 4...Bb4 5.Bc4 (5.Qd4 is an independent option) Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 d6 7.Qb3 Qe7 8.Ne2 Alekhine-Pomar, clock simul Madrid 1943
• 4.Bc4 (Lindehn's continuation)
• 4...d6 5.Nxc3 (also Göring Gambit, by transposition)
• 4...cxb2 5.Bxb2
• 5...Bb4+ 6.Kf1 or 6.Nc3
• 5...d6 6.Qb3
• 5...d5 (Schlechter Defense)

Alekhine recommended that White play 4.Nxc3. This line often transposes into the Göring Gambit of the Scotch Game. There are only few lines with Black omitting ...Nc6 and/or White omitting Nf3.

White can instead offer a second pawn with 4.Bc4. The second pawn can be safely declined by transposing into the Scotch Gambit. Accepting the pawn allows White's two bishops to rake the Black kingside after 4...cxb2 5.Bxb2. White will often follow up with Qb3 if possible, applying pressure on Black's b7 and f7 squares. Combined with White's long diagonal pressure on g7, this can make it difficult for Black to develop his bishops.

Schlechter found the most reliable defense for Black; by returning one of the pawns with 5...d5 Black gains time to complete development. After 6.Bxd5 Nf6 (Bb4+ is also possible) 7.Bxf7+ Kxf7 8.Qxd8 Bb4+ 9.Qd2 Bxd2+ 10.Nxd2 c5, Black regains the queen. Most theorists evaluate this position as equal, but some believe that the queenside majority gives Black the advantage in the endgame. There have been attempts, especially by German correspondence player Ingo Firnhaber, to revive the gambit idea with 7.Nc3. The critical line is Nxd5 8.Nxd5 Nbd7 (c6?? 9.Nf6+) 9.Nf3 c6 10.0-0 cxd5 11.exd5 Be7! If White instead plays 6.exd5, his light-square bishop is blocked and after 6...Nf6 7.Nc3 Bd6 Black can complete development relatively easily.

The popularity of the Danish plummeted after Schlechter's defense was introduced as the resulting positions are not what White generally desires from a gambit opening. The big advantage of Göring's move order (2.Nf3 first) is avoiding exactly Schlechter's defence. The big advantage of 2.d4 is the option to play a modification of Capablanca's Defence with exd4 3.c3 d5 4.exd5 Qxd5 5.cxd4 Nc6 6.Be3 instead of 6.Nf3 transposing.

References

• Lutes, W. John (1992). Danish Gambit. Chess Enterprises. ISBN 0-945470-19-3. 
• de Firmian, Nick (1999). Modern Chess Openings: MCO-14. Random House. ISBN 0-8129-3084-3. 

External links

• McGrew, Tim (2003). The Gambit Cartel: Danish Pastry (pdf). ChessCafe.com.