Chess opening · ECO C33
King's Gambit Accepted
Once Black plays 2...exf4, the game turns on one pawn. The black pawn on f4 sits on the c1 bishop's diagonal and denies White the e3 and g3 squares. White wants to take it back later with d4 and Bxf4, while Black chooses between holding the extra pawn and returning it for smooth development.
- Rank by weighted share
- #46 of 159
- Material
- Black +1
Key moves
1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4
- 2... exf4Black accepts. White's e-pawn now stands alone in the center, and the f4 pawn covers g3, the only square where White could block a check from h4. That makes ...Qh4+ a real option if White does not cover h4 next.
Why 3.Nf3 almost always comes first
A knight on f3 guards h4 and keeps the black queen from checking there. It also develops toward the kingside, where White wants to castle and use the half-open f-file.
Without that knight, ...Qh4+ usually forces White's king to move, and castling is gone for good.
The Bishop's Gambit, 3.Bc4
White can allow the check on purpose. After 3.Bc4 Qh4+ 4.Kf1, the king loses the right to castle, but the black queen sits on h4 where Nf3 can attack it with tempo. The bishop on c4 already eyes f7, so White develops quickly while Black's queen moves again.
Winning back f4
White's long-term goal is to play d4 and recapture on f4 with the bishop, ending up with pawns on d4 and e4 while Black has no pawn in the center. Black often defends the f4 pawn with ...g5 or strikes at the center with ...d5 to keep White's pieces busy.
Top replies by rating
Nf3 leads every band below 2000 by a large margin. Bc4 holds second place from 1200 to 1999, the route into the Bishop's Gambit.
Questions
Why does Black's queen check on h4 matter so much?
With the f-pawn gone, the squares between h4 and e1 are empty. The only block is g3, and the f4 pawn attacks that square, so the check usually forces the king to move.
Related openings
Try it on the board. The first coached game and three analyses are free.