Chess opening · ECO C51
Italian Game: Evans Gambit
In the Evans Gambit, White meets the Giuoco Piano bishop on c5 with 4.b4, offering a wing pawn so the black bishop has to spend time. If Black takes, c3 arrives with gain of tempo, d4 follows, and White's pieces pour toward the center and the black king. Black keeps an extra pawn and tries to return it only when that suits the position.
- Rank by weighted share
- #137 of 159
Key moves
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4
- 3... Bc5Black puts the bishop on c5, where it eyes f2 and controls d4. That active square is also the target: the bishop is unprotected there, so a pawn that attacks it gains White a move.
- 4. b4The b-pawn steps forward to lure the bishop away from c5. Capturing takes it to b4, where c3 can hit it again, and the b2 square is left empty so White's dark-squared bishop gets a fresh diagonal through a3.
What 5.c3 and 6.d4 build
After 4...Bxb4 5.c3 the bishop must move a second time, and White uses that time to push d4. The idea is a broad pawn center on c3, d4 and e4, backed by quick castling and a rook coming to e1.
White's c1 bishop is the hidden gain. With the b-pawn gone, it can go to a3 and look down the a3 to f8 diagonal, which makes kingside castling awkward for Black while d6 and e7 stay empty.
The f7 square and the queen on b3
Another common follow-up puts the queen on b3, behind the c4 bishop, so both pieces line up on f7. Black can cover f7 with the queen, or play ...Na5, a knight jump that hits both the b3 queen and the c4 bishop.
Accepting and retreating to a5
4... Bxb4 5. c3 Ba5 6. d4 exd4 7. O-O
Black keeps the bishop on the a5 to e1 diagonal, where it pins nothing yet but watches c3. White castles and leaves the d4 pawn alone for now, planning to recapture with the c-pawn or push e5 against Black's undeveloped kingside.
Top replies by rating
| Rating | Top | Second | Third |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1200–1399 | Bxb4 62% | Bb6 26% | Nxb4 7% |
| 1400–1599 | Bxb4 70% | Bb6 23% | Nxb4 5% |
| 1600–1799 | Bxb4 74% | Bb6 22% | Nxb4 4% |
| 1800–1999 | Bxb4 93% | Bb6 7% | – |
Questions
Can Black decline the Evans Gambit?
Yes. 4...Bb6 keeps the bishop on the a7 to g1 diagonal and refuses the pawn. White often answers with 5.a4, threatening a5 to hit the bishop, and Black usually replies 5...a6 so it can drop back to a7.
Related openings
Try it on the board. The first coached game and three analyses are free.