What is the Danish Gambit in chess?

The Danish Gambit begins after the moves 1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. c3. White offers up to two pawns to develop quickly and aim both bishops at Black's kingside.

Is the Danish Gambit good for beginners?

Yes, especially at club level. The plan is easy to learn and the traps catch many opponents, but against careful defence White is simply two pawns down.

Is the Danish Gambit sound?

Objectively, no. It is an unsound gambit: if Black takes both pawns and defends calmly, Black is slightly better. In practice the defence is hard to find, and White scores well at club level.

What is the main idea of the Danish Gambit?

White gives up two pawns to get a lead in development. The bishops on c4 and b2 then aim at f7 and g7 before Black's king is safe.

What is the Schlechter Defence?

It is 5... d5, where Black gives both pawns back to take the sting out of the attack. After 6. Bxd5 Nf6 7. Bxf7+ Kxf7 8. Qxd8 Bb4+ 9. Qd2 Bxd2+ 10. Nxd2 the queens are off and the endgame is equal.

What is the difference between the Danish Gambit and the Göring Gambit?

Both offer the c-pawn after ...exd4. In the Göring, White plays Nf3 and Black ...Nc6 first, so both sides already have a knight out when the gambit starts.

What is the best response to the Danish Gambit?

There is no single best line. Take both pawns and develop with 5... Nf6 or 5... Bb4+ if you want to keep the material, or choose 5... d5 or 3... d5 for a quieter game.

Which famous players have played the Danish Gambit?

Lindehn, Mieses, Marshall, Blackburne, and Alekhine all used it, and Magnus Carlsen has played it in blitz.

Should I play the Danish Gambit or the Scotch Game?

Choose the Scotch Game if you want to open the centre and keep your material. Choose the Danish Gambit if you would rather give two pawns for a fast attack.

Danish Gambit

The Danish Gambit begins after the moves 1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. c3. It is one of White's sharpest answers to 1... e5, and is a favourite of attacking players who value time over material.

For white
Sharp
Tactical

Written by:

Eirik Aarnes

The Essentials

Early moves:: 1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. c3
Colour:: Played by White
Style:: Sharp and tactical
Difficulty to learn:: Easy for White, intermediate for Black
Named after:: Martin Severin From, a Danish player who used it at Paris 1867, although the Swede Hans Lindehn played it earlier.
Trivia:: In Denmark itself, the opening is called the Nordic Gambit, as it is in German and Dutch.
Variations:: Classical Defence. Copenhagen Defence. Schlechter Defence. Chigorin Defence. 4. Nxc3. Sörensen Defence. 3... Qe7.
Good for:: BulletBlitzRapid

Best suited for rating

600-1600

30015002800

Known for this opening

Frank Marshall

Savielly Tartakower

Hans Lindehn

Why play the Danish Gambit?

The Danish Gambit is generosity with a purpose.

After 1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4, 3. c3 offers a pawn. If Black takes twice, 4. Bc4 and 5. Bxb2 put two bishops on the diagonals toward f7 and g7.

Objectively, two pawns is a high price for a head start. Once Black has castled, the two extra pawns start to count, and one of them is a passed c-pawn.

Black can develop with 5... Nf6 or 5... Bb4+, return the material with Schlechter's 5... d5, or decline at once with 3... d5 or 3... Qe7.

Stall, and White is simply two pawns down. The Schlechter Defence even heads for an equal endgame with the attack gone.

In return, the game is fast and open from move three, and at club level the defence is often harder to find than the attack.

Try the Danish Gambit yourself!

Play A Game

Why the Danish Gambit is good with the:

Quick development - After 5. Bxb2, White has two minor pieces in play and Black has none.

Twin bishops - The bishops on c4 and b2 aim straight at f7 and g7, beside Black's king.

Practical sting - Several natural-looking defences lose at once, and club players fall for them often.

Suited for - Attacking players who are not afraid of risk.

Why the Danish Gambit is good with the white pieces

Quick development - After 5. Bxb2, White has two minor pieces in play and Black has none.

Twin bishops - The bishops on c4 and b2 aim straight at f7 and g7, beside Black's king.

Practical sting - Several natural-looking defences lose at once, and club players fall for them often.

Suited for - Attacking players who are not afraid of risk.

Why the Danish Gambit is good with the black pieces

Two extra pawns - Take both and defend calmly, and Black is objectively slightly better.

A way out - With 5... d5, Black gives both pawns back and reaches an equal endgame with the attack gone.

Queenside majority - Once the attack is over, Black's extra queenside pawns can decide the endgame.

Suited for - Calm defenders who know when to give material back.

Themes

Bishops on target

With bishops pointed at f7 and g7, king safety comes before material, and many games end before Black's king finds shelter.

Natural is not safe

Several natural-looking defensive moves lose to a single tactic, so both sides need to check before playing on instinct.

The refund

Black does not have to keep the extra pawns. Returning them on Black's own terms trades away White's activity, and the game turns quiet.

Race against the clock

The lead in development fades with every move, so White's attack has to land before Black finishes catching up.

1857
Swedish roots
The Swede Hans Lindehn plays 3. c3 on a regular basis, a decade before the gambit gets its Danish name.
1864
Giant killer
Lindehn beats Wilhelm Steinitz with the gambit in London, years before Steinitz becomes the first world champion.
1867
Paris debut
Martin Severin From plays the gambit at the Paris tournament, and the opening takes its name from his country.
1900s
Masters of attack
Mieses, Marshall, Blackburne, and later Alekhine take it up, and it becomes a weapon of the great attacking players.
1920s
Schlechter's antidote
Carl Schlechter's 5... d5 gives both pawns back and trades queens, and the gambit falls out of favour at the top.
2020s
Club favourite
Modern engines give Black a slight edge against the full gambit, but online it is still a popular and dangerous weapon.

Model Games

Games that defined the Danish Gambit.

4 games

Preparing game board...

FAQ

: The Danish Gambit begins after the moves 1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. c3. White offers up to two pawns to develop quickly and aim both bishops at Black's kingside.
: Yes, especially at club level. The plan is easy to learn and the traps catch many opponents, but against careful defence White is simply two pawns down.
: Objectively, no. It is an unsound gambit: if Black takes both pawns and defends calmly, Black is slightly better. In practice the defence is hard to find, and White scores well at club level.
: White gives up two pawns to get a lead in development. The bishops on c4 and b2 then aim at f7 and g7 before Black's king is safe.
: It is 5... d5, where Black gives both pawns back to take the sting out of the attack. After 6. Bxd5 Nf6 7. Bxf7+ Kxf7 8. Qxd8 Bb4+ 9. Qd2 Bxd2+ 10. Nxd2 the queens are off and the endgame is equal.
: Both offer the c-pawn after ...exd4. In the Göring, White plays Nf3 and Black ...Nc6 first, so both sides already have a knight out when the gambit starts.
: There is no single best line. Take both pawns and develop with 5... Nf6 or 5... Bb4+ if you want to keep the material, or choose 5... d5 or 3... d5 for a quieter game.
: Lindehn, Mieses, Marshall, Blackburne, and Alekhine all used it, and Magnus Carlsen has played it in blitz.
: Choose the Scotch Game if you want to open the centre and keep your material. Choose the Danish Gambit if you would rather give two pawns for a fast attack.