Staunton Gambit
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| Moves | 1.d4 f5 2.e4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| ECO | A82–A83 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Named after | Howard Staunton | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Parent | Dutch Defence | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Staunton Gambit is a chess opening characterised by the moves:
- 1. d4 f5 (the Dutch Defence)
- 2. e4!?
White sacrifices a pawn for quick development, with the idea of launching an attack against Black's kingside, which has been somewhat weakened by 1...f5. Black can decline the gambit with 2...d6, transposing to the Balogh Defence, but accepting the pawn with 2...fxe4 is considered stronger.
Although the Staunton Gambit was once a feared weapon for White, it is rarely played today, since theory has shown how to neutralise it, and White scores only about 50 percent.
Black can avoid the Staunton Gambit by playing 1...e6 before f5. The drawback of this move order is that it allows White to transpose to the French Defence on move 2 (an opening that normally starts with 1. e4), in which case playing the Dutch is no longer an option.
The ECO codes for Staunton Gambit are A82 and A83.