Chess Opening Theory/1. e4/1...e5/2. d4/2...exd4/3. c3

Danish Gambit
a b c d e f g h 8 8 7 7 6 6 5 5 4 4 3 3 2 2 1 1 a b c d e f g h
Position in Forsyth-Edwards Notation (FEN) rnbqkbnr/pppp1ppp/8/8/3pP3/2P5/PP3PPP/RNBQKBNR b
Moves: 1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. c3

Danish Gambit

White chooses to play an aggressive game. By giving a two-pawn material advantage to his opponent, Black spends two moves to capture both of the pawns, and has to deal with a massive attack. Black has few choices here:

• The most common move for Black to play here is to take the pawn, 3...dxc3.
• However, another common alternative is to safely decline the gambit and play 3...d5 or 3...d6.
• It's also possible to safely decline the gambit with 3...Nf6 (intending to transpose to the Ponziani after 4. e5 Nd5 5. cxd4 d6 6. Nf3 Nc6) or 3...Nc6 (leading to an independent line after 4. cxd4 d5 5. e5 f6! or the Göring Gambit of the Scotch Game after 4. Nf3, which can still be declined with 4... d5 or 4... Nf6)
• Another way to "accept" the gambit is 3...Qe7, which has recently been suggested by computers.

Theory table

1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. c3pxp

3.pxp

	3	4	5	6	7	8	9
Danish Gambit Accepted	c3 dxc3	Bc4 cxb2	Bxb2 Nf6	e5 d5	exf6 Bb4+	Bc3 Bxc3+	Nxc3 dxc4	∞
Sörensen Defence	... d5	exd5 Qxd5	cxd4 Nc6	Nf3 Bb4+	Nc3 Bg4	Be2 Bxf3	Bxf3 Qc4	=
Ponziani	... Nf6	e5 Nd5	cxd4 d6	Nf3 Nc6	Bb5 Be7	Nc3 Nxc3	bxc3 a6	=
Alternate Declination	... d6	cxd4 d5	e5 c5	Nf3 Nc6	Bb5 cxd4	Nxd4 Bb4+	Nc3 Ne7	=
Advance Variation	... d3	Bxd3 Nc6	Nf3 Bc5	b4 Bb6	a4 a6	O-O d6	Nbd2 Nf6	+=
Qe7 Variation	... Qe7	cxd4 Qxe4+	Be3 Bb4+	Nc3 Nf6	Nf3 Ng4	Qd2 Nxe3	fxe3 Qe7	∞

References

• Kasparov, Garry, & Keene, Raymond 1989 Batsford chess openings 2. ISBN 0-8050-3409-9.