Evans Gambit

The Evans Gambit is a chess opening that begins with the moves:

1. e4 e5

2. Nf3 Nc6

3. Bc4 Bc5

4. b4

The Evans Gambit is an attacking line of the Giuoco Piano. White offers a pawn to divert the bishop on c5. If Black accepts, White can follow up with c3 and d4, ripping open the centre, while also opening diagonals to play Ba3 or Qb3 at some point, preventing Black from castling kingside and threatening the pawn on f7, respectively. If Black declines, the pawn on b4 stakes out space on the queenside, and White can follow up with a4 later in the game, potentially gaining a tempo by threatening to trap Black's dark-square bishop.

According to Reuben Fine, the Evans Gambit poses a challenge for Black since the usual methods of handling aggressive gambits from White are more difficult to achieve than with other gambits. Fine was once beaten by this gambit in a friendly game against Bobby Fischer, in just 17 moves.^[1] The gambit was very popular during the era of Romantic chess in the 19th century.^[2]

The Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings has two codes for the Evans Gambit, C51 and C52. C52 contains lines beginning 4.b4 Bxb4 5.c3 Ba5, the main line. C51 contains all other lines.

The gambit is named after the Welsh sea captain William Davies Evans, the first player known to have played it. The first game with the opening is considered to be Evans–McDonnell, London 1827, although in that game a slightly different move order was tried (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.0-0 d6 and only now 5.b4). In his monthly Chess Life column, Andrew Soltis commented that Evans was "the first player to be widely honored for an opening we know he played".^[3] Dutch Grandmaster Paul van der Sterren described the Evans Gambit as "unreal" and "fairylike".^[4]

The first analysis of the gambit was published in the Second Series of Progressive Lessons (1832) by William Lewis.^[5] The gambit became extremely popular and was played several times in the series of games between McDonnell and Louis de la Bourdonnais in 1834. Players including Adolf Anderssen, Paul Morphy and Mikhail Chigorin later took it up. The Evergreen Game won by Adolf Anderssen against Jean Dufresne opened with the Evans Gambit. Eventually, however, the second world chess champion Emanuel Lasker dealt a heavy blow to the opening with a modern defensive idea: returning the pawn under favourable circumstances. The opening was out of favour for much of the 20th century, although John Nunn and Jan Timman played it in some games in the late 1970s and early 1980s. In the 1990s, Garry Kasparov used it in a few games (notably a famous 25-move win against Viswanathan Anand in Riga, 1995^[6]), which prompted a brief revival of interest in it, and has proven resilient under modern analysis, with no clear refutation.^[2]

Black's usual response is to accept the gambit with 4...Bxb4. 4...Nxb4 is also possible, but usually transposes to the McDonnell Defense after 5.c3 Nc6. White then almost always plays 5.c3, attacking Black's bishop again, so the bishop must move or be captured. Black most often retreats with 5...Ba5, which gets out of the way of White's central pawns, and pins the pawn on c3 if White plays 6.d4, but it has the drawback of removing the option of moving to the square a5 from the Black knight. Black usually later retreats the bishop to b6 to facilitate ...Na5. White then usually follows up with 6.d4, establishing a strong center, although 6.0-0 and 6.Qb3 are lesser played alternatives.

Because White cannot respond with 7.cxd4 (nor 7.Nxd4 Nxd4 8.cxd4) due to the pin by Black's bishop on a5, White most often plays 7.0-0 or 7.Qb3 (a move preferred by Nigel Short) instead.

This move is traditionally met by 7...Nge7, the Mieses Defense, intending to meet 8.Ng5 or 8.cxd4 with 8...d5, returning the pawn in many lines. The materialistic 7...dxc3, dubbed the "Compromised Defense", is well met by 8.Qb3 with a very dangerous initiative for the sacrificed pawns, and thus is not well regarded. 7...d6, 7...Nf6, and 7...Bb6 are the main sound alternatives to 7...Nge7. Following 7...d6, 8.cxd4 Bb6 transposes to the Normal Position of the McDonnell Defense (5...Bc5), of which it is the main line, although reaching it from 5...Ba5 is common. 7...Bb6 8.cxd4 d6 also transposes.

As White has established a battery along the b3-f7 diagonal that threatens Black's king, Black must defend the pawn or else allow a later Bxf7+, forcing the king to move and lose castling rights. As such, Black usually responds with 7...Qe7 or 7...Qf6 (which may later be kicked with an e5 by White). In either case, play most often continues 8.0-0 Bb6, with Black adding another defender to the pawn on d4.

With this move, Black supports the pawn on e5, opens the square d7 for the queen, and unblocks the c8-g4 diagonal for the queen's bishop. White most often continues with 7.Qb3 or 7.0-0. 7.dxe5, as well as 7.Bg5, the Sokolsky Variation, are also seen.

As in other lines with Qb3, Black must defend the pawn or else allow a later Bxf7+. Black's most common response is 7...Qd7. The weaker 7...Qe7 permits 8.d5, forcing the awkward move 8...Nd4, but following 7...Qd7, 8...Ne7 can be played instead. 7...Nh6 does not effectively defend the pawn either as White can simply play 8.Bxh6. Following 7...Qd7, White most often plays 8.dxe5, 8.0-0, or 8.Nbd2. Following any of these, Black can return the pawn with 8...Bb6 or hold onto it with 8...dxe5, though White obtains sufficient compensation in lines following this move.

Following this move, a common response for Black is 7...Bb6, the Lasker Defense. It most often continues 8.dxe5 (8.a4 is an alternative but not as well regarded^[2]) dxe5 9.Qxd8+ Nxd8 10.Nxe5 Be6. Although less ambitious than other options, this variation takes the sting out of White's attack by returning the gambit pawn and exchanging queens, and according to Fine, "is psychologically depressing for the gambit player" whose intent is usually an aggressive attack. Mikhail Chigorin analyzed the alternative 9.Qb3 Qf6 10.Bg5 Qg6 11.Bd5 Nge7 12.Bxe7 Kxe7 13.Bxc6 Qxc6 14.Nxe5 Qe6, which avoids the exchange of queens, but reached no clear verdict. Alternative moves for Black include 7...Bg4, 7...Nf6, 7...Bd7, known as the Sanders-Alapin Defense, regarded as solid,^[2] and 7...exd4, transposing to the Pierce Defense.

• 6.0-0, the Slow Variation, is a notable alternative for White, though 6.d4 is significantly more common. Black most often plays 6...Nf6 or 6...d6. The latter usually transposes to the Bronstein Defense after 7.d4, but the former features notable independent lines. For example, 6...Nf6 7.d4 0-0 8.Nxe5 is dubbed the Richardson Attack. The variation is also assigned 6...d6 7.d4 exd4 8.Qb3, the Waller Attack, very often reached by transposition.
• 6.Qb3, a move usually delayed by at least another move by White, is a playable sideline.^[2] Black most often defends against the battery with 6...Qe7. Following this, White usually plays 7.d4 or 7.0-0. Black may then play 7...exd4 to transpose to the Pierce Defense, but 7...Nf6 is more challenging for White. An alternative for Black is 6...Qf6, which can also transpose. 6...Nh6 is possible but rare.
• 6.d4 b5 is the Leonhardt Countergambit, which most often continues 7.Bxb5 Nxd4 8.Nxd4 exd4, followed by either 9.Qxd4 or 9.0-0.

5...Bc5 is the McDonnell Defense. It is often played by those unfamiliar with the Evans Gambit, and is regarded as inferior to 5...Ba5 and 5...Be7,^[2] because 6.d4 (the usual next move) attacks the bishop again, gaining tempo, and Black's options are limited when compared to the other two main options.

The main line is 6.d4 exd4 7.0-0 d6 8.cxd4 Bb6, also known as the "Normal Position". It was very common in the 19th century but is not as well regarded in the present.^[2] This gives rise to a variety of named lines. Black is content to settle for a one-pawn advantage and White seeks compensation in the form of open lines and strong central pawns. White can also often reaches this via other move orders, such as 6.0-0 and 7.d4, or 6.d4 exd4 7.cxd4 Bb6 8.0-0 d6, though against the latter Black may instead play 7...Bb4+, followed by 8.Nbd2 or 8.Kf1. The Normal Position can also be reached by transposition from the main line of the Evans Gambit (5...Ba5) via 6.d4 exd4 7.0-0 d6 8.cxd4 Bb6.

9.d5 and 9.Nc3, the Morphy Attack, are the most common next moves for White after reaching the Normal Position. In response to the former, Black usually plays 9...Na5. White often plays 10.Bb2, known as the Ulvestad Variation, which frequently continues 10...Ne7 (or 10...Nf6; 10...Nxc4 allows 11.Bxg7, dooming Black's rook on h8; 10...f6 is playable but not well regarded for Black^[2]) 11.Bd3 O-O 12.Nc3 Ng6 13.Ne2. Following 9.Nc3, preferred by Mikhail Chigorin and Paul Morphy,^[2] the usual continuations are 9...Na5 10.Bg5, the Göring Attack, and 9...Bg4 10.Qa4, the Fraser Attack.

White can also play 7.Ng5 after 6.d4 exd4. The usual continuation is 7...Nh6 8.Nxf7 Nxf7 9.Bxf7 Kxf7 10.Qh5+, forking Black's king and bishop on c5. Black can then gain the initiative by chasing White's queen (despite a weak king), so the line is not well regarded.^[2] Also playable for Black after 6.d4 is 6...Bb6, but White is regarded as having a small advantage following 7.Nxe5 Nxe5 8.dxe5 Ne7,^[2] where Black's position is quite cramped, though White has a poor pawn structure.

• 5...Be7, the Anderssen Variation, is the most frequent alternative to 5...Ba5 and has often been considered one of the "safer" retreats, as the bishop can assist in the defense of the king, though often results in the return of the pawn.^[2] It has been played by Viswanathan Anand. After 6.d4 Na5, the usual continuation, White can attempt to maintain an initiative with 7.Be2 or 7.Bd3 is another option, or immediately recapture the pawn with 7.Nxe5. In the former lines, play usually continues with 7...exd4 8.Qxd4, popularized by Kasparov, who is seen as having revitalized 7.Be2,^[2] or alternatively 7...d6. After 7.Nxe5, play most often continues 7...Nxc4 8.Nxc4, where White has a strong center but has given up the bishop pair. 6.Qb3 is also possible, most often continuing 6...Nh6 7.d4 Na5.^[2]
• 5...Bd6 is the Stone–Ware Variation, named after Henry Nathan Stone and Preston Ware. It reinforces the pawn on e5 but blocks Black's pawn on d7 from moving. It has been played by several grandmasters such as Andrei Volokitin, Alexander Grischuk and Loek van Wely.
• 5...Bf8 is the Mayet Defense. It is rarely seen as it undevelops Black's good bishop.

There are various ways to decline the gambit, most often with 4...Bb6. Due to the wasted tempo, most commentators consider declining the Evans Gambit to be weaker than accepting it and returning the pawn at a later stage. Aron Nimzowitsch claimed in his book My System that declining the gambit does not lose a tempo, since b4 is developmentally unproductive, "as is every pawn move, if it does not bear a logical connection with the centre. For suppose after 4...Bb6 5.b5 (to make a virtue of necessity and attempt something of a demobilizing effect with the ill-moved b-pawn move), 5...Nd4 and now if 6.Nxe5, then 6...Qg5 with a strong attack."^[7]

• 4...Bb6 5.a4 a6 (5...a5 is an alternative but allows 6.b5, kicking Black's knight) is the most common continuation and often leads to the Showalter Variation (5...a6 6.Nc3). Black usually responds with 6...Nf6 or 6...d6. White seems to have a small advantage with a space advantage on the queenside.^[2]
• 4...Bb6 5.b5 Na5 leads to various known lines, such as the Lange Variation (6.Nxe5 Nh6). Black is considered to have an advantage as White's attack is premature.^[2]
• 4...Bb6 may also be followed by 5.0-0, 5.c3, and 5.Bb2 (the Cordel Variation).
• 4...d5, counterattacking White's bishop on c4, is the Evans Countergambit.
• 4...Be7 is possible but passive.

• List of chess openings
• List of chess openings named after people

Bibliography

• Harding, Tim and Bernard Cafferty (1997). Play the Evans Gambit. Cadogan. ISBN 1-85744-119-2.
• ChessCafe.com article about the Evans Gambit (PDF)
• Handbuch des Schachspiels
• Fine, Reuben (1990). Ideas Behind the Chess Openings. Random House. ISBN 0-8129-1756-1.
• Rohde, Michael (1997). The Great Evans Gambit Debate. Thinkers' Press. ISBN 0-938650-75-0.
• Yvinec, Jean-Marc (2012). Mon Gambit Evans. auto-édition. ISBN 979-10-91279-00-0.

• Evans Gambit video and analysis
• Overview of Evans Gambit
• Kibitzer article, part one (PDF file)
• Fischer vs. Fine, New York 1963
• History of the Evans Gambit