1. e4 e5
2. d4 exd4
3. c3

Here’s another of the classic gambit openings. What is a gambit, you ask? It’s a sacrifice of a pawn in the opening in exchange for some other advantage – usually the rapid development of your pieces, leading to a strong attack. Gambit openings tend to be very aggressive and to lead to sharp tactical play.

The Danish Gambit follows on from the Centre Game which we looked at earlier. After 2… exd4, in the Centre Game white usually recaptures with 3. Qxd4, keeping material even. In the Danish Gambit, white doesn’t recapture, but offers up another pawn instead. If black accepts the gambit with 3… dxc3, white can either play 4. Nxc3, recapturing and developing the knight, or can offer yet another pawn and develop the king’s bishop before recapturing, with 4. Bc4 cxb2 5. Bxb2. White then has open lines and rapid development as compensation for the pawns.

The Danish Gambit was popular among aggressive, attacking players in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including Frank Marshall, Joseph Blackburne, and world champion Alexander Alekhine. But after Carl Schlechter introduced the move 5… d5 for black, returning one of the pawns in order to gain some time to complete black’s development, the gambit began to lose popularity in the 1920s.