Danish Gambit
C21 · Played as white · Beginner · Romantic Gambits
Two pawns for two monster bishops raking the whole board
Also known as Nordic Gambit, Danish, Center Game gambit.
The main line
1.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.c3 dxc3 4.Bc4 cxb2 5.Bxb2 d5 6.Bxd5 Nf6 7.Bxf7+ Kxf7 8.Qxd8 Bb4+ 9.Qd2 Bxd2+
Strategic ideas
- Throw both queenside pawns overboard to get bishops on c4 and b2
- Point one bishop at f7 and the other down the long diagonal at g7
- Develop with tempo while Black's extra pawns sit uselessly on the queenside
- Know the …d5 refutation cold — it's the one line every Danish player must respect
- Play for a fast knockout, because the endgame is two pawns down and lost
Key themes
- Attack — Two bishops on the longest diagonals, aimed at f7 and g7, before Black has developed a piece
- Dynamic — Two pawns is a lot to give — nothing but a rolling initiative can justify it
- Piece Activity — Every white piece comes out fast and with purpose while Black is still counting material
Typical plans
The Danish is chess at its most cheerfully reckless: White gives up two pawns in the first four moves to get both bishops onto the two best diagonals on the board. Against a Black player who tries to hold everything, it's carnage. Against a Black player who knows the …d5 counter — giving a pawn straight back to trade queens and kill the attack — the whole thing fizzles into a dead-level ending with both bishops gone. That line is shown here, and it's exactly what makes the Danish a great practical weapon and a poor theoretical one.
Move by move
- e4 — White claims the centre.
- e5 — Black meets it symmetrically.
- d4 — White strikes at once, the Centre Game move order.
- exd4 — Black takes.
- c3 — White offers the first pawn, planning to recapture on c3 with a piece and get a huge lead in development.
- dxc3 — Black accepts.
- Bc4 — White ignores the c3-pawn entirely and develops toward f7. Now Black can take a second pawn — and probably should not.
- cxb2 — Black takes again, going two pawns up and handing White the long diagonal.
- Bxb2 — White recaptures. Two bishops now rake the board from b2 and c4, pointing at g7 and f7, and Black has not developed a single piece. This is the Danish position every gambiteer dreams of.
- d5 — Black finds the refutation. Giving a pawn straight back kills the c4-bishop's diagonal and forces matters — this is the move that keeps the Danish out of grandmaster games.
- Bxd5 — White takes, since the alternative is losing the bishop's whole purpose.
- Nf6 — Black develops with tempo, hitting the bishop.
- Bxf7+ — White grabs f7 to drag the king out — the only try, and it leads to a forced sequence.
- Kxf7 — Black must take; anything else just drops a pawn for nothing.
- Qxd8 — White wins the queen, which looks like ample reward for the two pawns.
- Bb4+ — Black checks, and this is the move that makes the whole sequence work.
- Qd2 — White blocks the check with the queen — the only move, and it's forced into a trade.
- Bxd2+ — Black takes, and White must recapture on d2. Count what's left: five pawns each, a bishop, two knights and two rooks each. Material is dead level, White's attack is gone and Black's king on f7 is safe enough. That's the Danish in a nutshell: devastating if Black plays naturally, and completely toothless if Black knows this line.
Where the line leads
White's plans
- Get the pieces out fast and aim everything at f7 — the pawn count is not coming back
- Look for the rook lift and Nc3-d5 ideas while Black's king is still in the middle
- If Black finds …d5 and trades queens, fight for activity in the ending — it's the only chance
Black's plans
- Play …d5 to give a pawn back, blunt the c4-bishop and force the queens off
- Get the king to safety and finish development before touching the extra material
- Head for the queenless ending — level material and no attack is a fine result against a gambit
Danish Gambit FAQ
- What are the moves of the Danish Gambit?
- The Danish Gambit (C21) runs 1.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.c3 dxc3 4.Bc4 cxb2 5.Bxb2 d5 6.Bxd5 Nf6 7.Bxf7+ Kxf7 8.Qxd8 Bb4+ 9.Qd2 Bxd2+. It is played from White's side of the board.
- What is the idea behind the Danish Gambit?
- Two pawns for two monster bishops raking the whole board. In practice that means: Throw both queenside pawns overboard to get bishops on c4 and b2; Point one bishop at f7 and the other down the long diagonal at g7; Develop with tempo while Black's extra pawns sit uselessly on the queenside.
- Is the Danish Gambit good for beginners?
- Yes — it is rated Beginner here, which means the moves follow from a handful of ideas rather than from memorised theory.
- What are the plans after the Danish Gambit?
- White: Get the pieces out fast and aim everything at f7 — the pawn count is not coming back. Black: Play …d5 to give a pawn back, blunt the c4-bishop and force the queens off.