Chess Opening Theory/1. e4/1...e5/2. Nf3/2...Nf6/3. Bc4/3...Nxe4/4. Nc3

Boden-Kieseritzky gambit
	a b c d e f g h 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 a b c d e f g h
	Position in Forsyth-Edwards Notation (FEN) rnbqkb1r/pppp1ppp/8/4p3/2B1n3/2N2N2/PPPP1PPP/R1BQK2R
	Moves: 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Bc4 Nxe4 4. Nc3
	ECO code: C27
	Parent: ; Russian game → Italian variation → 3...Nxe4 → 4. Nc3?!; Vienna game → Frankenstein-Dracula variation → 4. Nf3?!;

4. Nc3?! · Boden-Kieseritzky gambit

This gambit can arise from the Russian or Vienna games. White invites Black to trade knights. White's plan after 4...Nxc3 is to take back with the d-pawn, opening up their queen's bishop, and threaten 5. Ng5 to win material. This is similar to Black's idea in the Stafford gambit, but here it's safer for White since, having played Bc4 already, they are effectively up a tempo. While the engine doesn't think this gambit completely sound (giving an evaluation of -0.5), it is a great weapon to use in faster time controls.

Accepting the gambit, 4...Nxc3, is Black's main and objectively strongest move. White invariably responds 5. dxc3. Black must find a move that both defends e5 and prevents 5. Ng5: only 5...f6 works.

Probably the safest way to decline the gambit is 4...Nc6. This is a transposition to the Italian variation of the four knights game: 5. Nxe4 d5 6. Bd3 dxe4 7. Bxe4 and the game is equal. If White insists on playing a gambit, they could try 5. O-O!? and the game may transpose into the main line after 5...Nxc3 6. dxc3 f6.

Otherwise, retreating the knight, 4...Nf6, lets White recover the pawn leading to a roughly equal position.

Theory table

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Bc4 Nxe4 4. Nc3

	4	5	6	7	8	9
Boden-Kieseritzky gambit	... Nxc3	dxc3 f6	O-O Nc6				⩱
	... ...	... d6?	Ng5 Be6	Bxe6 fxe6	Qf3 Qf6	Qxb7	+-
(transposes)	... Nc6	O-O Nxc3	dxc3 f6	-
Four knights game, Italian variation (by transposition)	... ...	Nxe4 d5	Bd3 dxe4	Bxe4

Chess Opening Theory/1. e4/1...e5/2. Nf3/2...Nf6/3. Bc4/3...Nxe4/4. Nc3

4. Nc3?! · Boden-Kieseritzky gambit

Theory table

References

See also