Chess opening · ECO C21
Danish Gambit
After 1.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4, the Danish Gambit offers a second pawn with 3.c3. If Black grabs everything, White is two pawns down after five moves but has both bishops on open diagonals aimed at f7 and g7, plus a large lead in development. Black's job is to hand back material at the right moment and get the king castled.
- Rank by weighted share
- #99 of 159
- Material
- Black +1
Key moves
1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. c3
- 2. d4White opens the center on move two. After the trade on d4, the e-pawn stands alone in the middle and the pieces behind it get free diagonals and files.
- 3. c3Instead of recapturing with the queen, which would let ...Nc6 gain time on her, White offers the c-pawn. Taking it, and the b2 pawn after it, clears the long diagonal for a bishop on b2.
The fully accepted line
3...dxc3 4.Bc4 cxb2 5.Bxb2 leaves White two pawns down with bishops on c4 and b2. The c4 bishop eyes f7, the b2 bishop eyes g7 and h8, and a queen on b3 can add a second attacker on f7.
A bishop sacrifice on f7 or a capture on g7 is the shot to watch for until Black has castled, so Black develops with an eye on those two squares.
Handing the pawn back with ...d5
Black does not have to take. 3...d5 strikes back in the center right away; after 4.exd5 Qxd5 5.cxd4 material is level and the black queen sits actively in the middle of the board.
Both pawns taken
3... dxc3 4. Bc4 cxb2 5. Bxb2
White is two pawns down, but the bishops on c4 and b2 already aim at f7 and g7, and the knights and queen can come out with gain of time. Black often returns a pawn with ...d5 to blunt the c4 bishop.
Top replies by rating
Taking on c3 leads every band from 1200 up. The d5 reply, which gives the pawn straight back, has a much larger share at 2000 and up than in the bands below 1800.
| Rating | Top | Second | Third |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 1200 | dxc3 92% | c5 8% | – |
| 1200–1399 | dxc3 84% | Nc6 6% | d6 3% |
| 1400–1599 | dxc3 77% | Nc6 8% | d5 4% |
| 1600–1799 | dxc3 71% | d5 7% | Nc6 6% |
| 1800–1999 | dxc3 65% | d5 16% | d3 7% |
| 2000 and up | dxc3 51% | d5 28% | d3 11% |
Related openings
Try it on the board. The first coached game and three analyses are free.