The Danish Gambit, known as the Nordisches Gambit in German and the Noords Gambiet in Dutch (both meaning Nordic Gambit), is a chess opening that begins with the moves:[1]
White will sacrifice one or two pawns for the sake of rapid development and the attack. However, with care, Black can accept one or both pawns safely, or simply decline the gambit altogether with good chances.
Although it may have been known earlier, Danish player Martin Severin From essayed the gambit in the Paris 1867 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 more defensive lines for Black were discovered and improved, it lost favor in the 1920s. Today it is rarely played in top-level chess.
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 basis from 1857 at the latest. He defeated the later World Champion Wilhelm Steinitz with his gambit in London, 1864. It is possible that Martin Severin From met Lindehn in Paris in this period and learned about the gambit there. According to Graham Burgess, in Denmark itself, the opening is called the Nordic Gambit.[2]
Many games transposed to the Göring Gambit, as Nf3 for White and ...Nc6 for Black are 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. Paul Morphy encountered it at the first USA-Congress of 1857 against Alexander Meek. In the Danish, especially Alexander Alekhine applied 1.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.c3 dxc3 4.Nxc3, but on unimportant occasions.
After 1.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.c3, Black can safely decline the gambit with 3...d6, 3...Qe7, or 3...d5 (Sörensen Defense or Capablanca Defence). If Black enters the Danish Gambit Accepted with 3...dxc3, the main possibilities are 4.Nxc3 and 4.Bc4.
Alekhine Variation: 4.Nxc3
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
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. This move order enables White to avoid the critical main line of the Göring Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.c3 dxc3 5.Nxc3 Bb4) by keeping open the option of meeting an early ...Bb4 by developing the king's knight to e2 rather than f3 and thus preventing Black from disrupting White's queensidepawn structure, as Alekhine did in his game against Pomar above.
4...d6 5.Nxc3 (also Göring Gambit, by transposition)
4...cxb2 5.Bxb2 (Danish Gambit Accepted, see diagram)
5...Bb4+ 6.Kf1 or 6.Nc3
5...d6 6.Qb3
5...d5 (Schlechter Defense)
White can instead offer a second pawn with 4.Bc4. The second pawn can be safely declined by transposing into the Göring 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. A similar position arises except for Black in the Ross Gambit,[3] a variation of the Scandinavian Defence.
Carl Schlechter recommended one of the most reliable defenses for Black: by returning one of the pawns with 5...d5, Black gains time to complete development. After 6.Bxd5 Nf6 (6...Bb4+ is also possible) 7.Bxf7+ Kxf7 8.Qxd8 Bb4+ 9.Qd2 Bxd2+ 10.Nxd2 Re8 (Nyholm–Tartakower, Baden 1914),[4] 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 (Schlechter suggested 10...c5!?[5]).[6]
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. There have been attempts, especially by German correspondence player Ingo Firnhaber, to revive the gambit idea with 7.Nc3, but according to Karsten Müller and Martin Voigt in Danish Dynamite, this line gives insufficient compensation after 7...Nxd5 8.Nxd5 Nbd7 (8...c6?? 9.Nf6+) 9.Nf3 c6, since the piece sacrifice 10.0-0 is dubious on account of 10...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 big advantage of Göring's move order (Nf3 before c3) is avoiding Schlechter's Defence, since after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.c3 dxc3 5.Bc4 cxb2 6.Bxb2 Black cannot safely play 6...d5 with the queen's knight committed to c6. The big advantage of 2.d4 exd4 3.c3 is the option to meet 3...d5 with 4.exd5 Qxd5 5.cxd4 Nc6 6.Be3 instead of 6.Nf3 transposing to the Göring Gambit Declined (the main objection being the Capablanca Variation, 6.Nf3 Bg4 7.Be2 Bb4+ 8.Nc3 Bxf3 9.Bxf3 Qc4, when White must exchange queens or give up castling). It also has the advantage of avoiding Black's other options after 2.Nf3, mainly 2...Nf6 (the Petrov Defence).
danish, gambit, known, nordisches, gambit, german, noords, gambiet, dutch, both, meaning, nordic, gambit, chess, opening, that, begins, with, moves, abcdefgh8877665544332211abcdefghmoves1, exd4, c3ecoc21origin1867named, afterdanish, player, martin, severin, fr. The Danish Gambit known as the Nordisches Gambit in German and the Noords Gambiet in Dutch both meaning Nordic Gambit is a chess opening that begins with the moves 1 Danish Gambitabcdefgh8877665544332211abcdefghMoves1 e4 e5 2 d4 exd4 3 c3ECOC21Origin1867Named afterDanish player Martin Severin FromParentCenter GameSynonym s Nordic Gambit Norwegian Gambit 1 e4 e5 2 d4 exd4 3 c3White will sacrifice one or two pawns for the sake of rapid development and the attack However with care Black can accept one or both pawns safely or simply decline the gambit altogether with good chances Although it may have been known earlier Danish player Martin Severin From essayed the gambit in the Paris 1867 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 more defensive lines for Black were discovered and improved it lost favor in the 1920s Today it is rarely played in top level chess Contents 1 History 2 Main lines 2 1 Alekhine Variation 4 Nxc3 2 2 Lindehn s continuation 4 Bc4 3 See also 4 ReferencesThis article uses algebraic notation to describe chess moves History EditFrom 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 basis from 1857 at the latest He defeated the later World Champion Wilhelm Steinitz with his gambit in London 1864 It is possible that Martin Severin From met Lindehn in Paris in this period and learned about the gambit there According to Graham Burgess in Denmark itself the opening is called the Nordic Gambit 2 Many games transposed to the Goring Gambit as Nf3 for White and Nc6 for Black are logical moves As Carl Theodor Goring 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 Goring Gambit than in the Danish Paul Morphy encountered it at the first USA Congress of 1857 against Alexander Meek In the Danish especially Alexander Alekhine applied 1 e4 e5 2 d4 exd4 3 c3 dxc3 4 Nxc3 but on unimportant occasions Main lines EditThis section does not cite any sources Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed July 2012 Learn how and when to remove this template message 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 Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings classification After 1 e4 e5 2 d4 exd4 3 c3 Black can safely decline the gambit with 3 d6 3 Qe7 or 3 d5 Sorensen Defense or Capablanca Defence If Black enters the Danish Gambit Accepted with 3 dxc3 the main possibilities are 4 Nxc3 and 4 Bc4 Alekhine Variation 4 Nxc3 Edit 4 d6 5 Bc4 Nc6 6 Nf3 Goring Gambit by transposition 4 Bc5 5 Bc4 Nc6 6 Nf3 Goring Gambit by transposition 4 Nc6 5 Bc4 and 6 Nf3 Goring 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 1943Alekhine recommended that White play 4 Nxc3 This line often transposes into the Goring Gambit of the Scotch Game There are only few lines with Black omitting Nc6 and or White omitting Nf3 This move order enables White to avoid the critical main line of the Goring Gambit 1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 d4 exd4 4 c3 dxc3 5 Nxc3 Bb4 by keeping open the option of meeting an early Bb4 by developing the king s knight to e2 rather than f3 and thus preventing Black from disrupting White s queenside pawn structure as Alekhine did in his game against Pomar above Lindehn s continuation 4 Bc4 Edit abcdefgh8 877665544332211abcdefghDanish Gambit Accepted after 1 e4 e5 2 d4 exd4 3 c3 dxc3 4 Bc4 cxb2 5 Bxb2 4 d6 5 Nxc3 also Goring Gambit by transposition 4 cxb2 5 Bxb2 Danish Gambit Accepted see diagram 5 Bb4 6 Kf1 or 6 Nc3 5 d6 6 Qb3 5 d5 Schlechter Defense White can instead offer a second pawn with 4 Bc4 The second pawn can be safely declined by transposing into the Goring 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 A similar position arises except for Black in the Ross Gambit 3 a variation of the Scandinavian Defence Carl Schlechter recommended one of the most reliable defenses for Black by returning one of the pawns with 5 d5 Black gains time to complete development After 6 Bxd5 Nf6 6 Bb4 is also possible 7 Bxf7 Kxf7 8 Qxd8 Bb4 9 Qd2 Bxd2 10 Nxd2 Re8 Nyholm Tartakower Baden 1914 4 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 Schlechter suggested 10 c5 5 6 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 There have been attempts especially by German correspondence player Ingo Firnhaber to revive the gambit idea with 7 Nc3 but according to Karsten Muller and Martin Voigt in Danish Dynamite this line gives insufficient compensation after 7 Nxd5 8 Nxd5 Nbd7 8 c6 9 Nf6 9 Nf3 c6 since the piece sacrifice 10 0 0 is dubious on account of 10 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 big advantage of Goring s move order Nf3 before c3 is avoiding Schlechter s Defence since after 1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 d4 exd4 4 c3 dxc3 5 Bc4 cxb2 6 Bxb2 Black cannot safely play 6 d5 with the queen s knight committed to c6 The big advantage of 2 d4 exd4 3 c3 is the option to meet 3 d5 with 4 exd5 Qxd5 5 cxd4 Nc6 6 Be3 instead of 6 Nf3 transposing to the Goring Gambit Declined the main objection being the Capablanca Variation 6 Nf3 Bg4 7 Be2 Bb4 8 Nc3 Bxf3 9 Bxf3 Qc4 when White must exchange queens or give up castling It also has the advantage of avoiding Black s other options after 2 Nf3 mainly 2 Nf6 the Petrov Defence See also EditList of chess openings List of chess openings named after places Israel Albert Horowitz Horowitz DefenseReferences Edit The Wikibook Chess Opening Theory has a page on the topic of Danish Gambit Edward G Winter 1999 Kings Commoners and Knaves Further Chess Explorations Russell Enterprises p 158 ISBN 978 1 888690 04 0 Graham Burgess The Mammoth Book of Chess Carroll amp Graf 1997 p 114 ISBN 0 7867 0725 9 Scandinavian Defense Marshall Ross Gambit Black Attack 21 July 2015 Retrieved 10 October 2016 Gustaf Nyholm vs Savielly Tartakower Baden bei Wien 1914 Chessgames com Matanovic Aleksandar ed 1997 Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings Vol C 3rd ed Yugoslavia Chess Informant p 175 n 16 ISBN 86 7297 035 7 Korn Walter 1982 Modern Chess Openings 12th ed David McKay Company Inc p 110 ISBN 0 679 13500 6 10 c5 With mobilization of the queen side pawns Bibliography 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 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Danish Gambit amp oldid 1062105008, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
