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Evans Gambit

White gives the b-pawn to win time: c3 and d4 follow with tempo, and the pieces fly toward the black king. Kasparov famously beat Anand with it in 1995.

Intermediate · Open games (1.e4 e5) · 15 steps. On Chess Castles, Chess Guru reads each step aloud in English, Hindi or Marathi while the moves play on the board, and you can practise any position against the engine.

Step 1

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position

Evans Gambit (C52). You play White. White gives the b-pawn to win time: c3 and d4 follow with tempo, and the pieces fly toward the black king. Kasparov famously beat Anand with it in 1995.

Step 2

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 1.e4

White plays pawn to e4. It takes a centre square (e4). It opens a line for the queen on d1. It opens a line for the bishop on f1. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 46% of 3.9 million games.

Step 3

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 1...e5

Black plays pawn to e5. It takes a centre square (e5). It opens a line for the queen on d8. It opens a line for the bishop on f8. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 21% of 1.8 million games.

Step 4

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 2.Nf3

White plays knight to f3. It develops the knight into the game. It controls the centre (d4, e5). It attacks the pawn on e5. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 89% of 384k games.

Step 5

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 2...Nc6

Black plays knight to c6. It develops the knight into the game. It controls the centre (d4, e5). Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 86% of 336k games.

Step 6

♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 3.Bc4

White plays bishop to c4. It develops the bishop into the game. It controls the centre (d5). Now castling is possible. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 21% of 293k games.

Step 7

♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 3...Bc5

Black plays bishop to c5. It develops the bishop into the game. It controls the centre (d4). Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 49% of 64k games.

Step 8

♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♝︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 4.b4

White plays pawn to b4. It offers a pawn (a gambit) to win time or the centre. It attacks the bishop on c5. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 8% of 32k games.

Step 9

♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 4...Bxb4

Black plays bishop takes b4. It captures the pawn on b4. It pins the pawn on d2. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 83% of 2529 games.

Step 10

♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♝︎♝︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 5.c3

White plays pawn to c3. It controls the centre (d4). It opens a line for the queen on d1. It attacks the bishop on b4. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 100% of 2177 games.

Step 11

♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♝︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 5...Ba5

Black plays bishop to a5. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 50% of 2094 games.

Step 12

♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♝︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 6.d4

White plays pawn to d4. It takes a centre square (d4). It opens a line for the bishop on c1. It opens a line for the queen on d1. It challenges the opponent's pawns. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 92% of 1067 games.

Step 13

♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♝︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 6...exd4

Black plays pawn takes d4. It captures the pawn on d4. It takes a centre square (d4). It gains space. It challenges the opponent's pawns. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 47% of 947 games.

Step 14

♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♝︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 7.O-O

White castles. Castling puts the king in safety and brings the rook toward the centre. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 72% of 492 games.

Step 15

♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♝︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♜︎♚︎
The position

This is the main position of the Evans Gambit. Now practise it against the engine: choose a strength and play on from here.

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More lessons in Open games (1.e4 e5)

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