Chess Opening Theory/1. e4/1...e5/2. d4/2...exd4/3. c3/3...dxc3

Danish Gambit Accepted
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/8/8/4P3/2p5/PP3PPP/RNBQKBNR w
Moves: 1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. c3 dxc3
Responses: 4. Bc4 - Double Danish 4. Nxc3 - Single Danish

Danish Gambit Accepted

The Danish Gambit Accepted is popular among club players, but not so popular at the highest level. That is because, it is easy for black to fall into one of the many traps on this line, but if black knows what to do, white can get no more than equality out of the opening.

White has two main options from this position:

4. Bc4 - Double Danish Gambit

4. Nxc3 - Single Danish Gambit

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 Alexander Alekhine, Frank Marshall, Joseph Henry Blackburne, and Jacques 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 attack. With care, Black can accept one or both pawns safely, or simply decline the gambit altogether.

Theory table

1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. c3 dxc3

	4	5	6
	Bc4 cxb2	Bxb2 d5	Bxd5 Nf6	=
	Nxc3 Nc6	Bc4 Bb4	Nf3 d6	=

References

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