Elephant Gambit

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Elephant Gambit
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Moves1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d5
ECO C40
Parent King's Knight Opening
Synonym(s)Queen's Pawn Countergambit
Englund Counterattack

The Elephant Gambit (also called the Queen's Pawn Countergambit or Englund Counterattack) is a rarely played chess opening beginning with the moves:

Contents

1. e4 e5
2. Nf3 d5 ?!

The Elephant Gambit is generally considered unsound, with black typically unable to gain compensation for the sacrificed pawn.

Lines

White is able to capture either of Black's center pawns with the advantage, either by 3.exd5 or 3.Nxe5. With a center pawn removed, Black is in a passive position with White clearly having the initiative as White controls more space .

3.exd5

Black's responses to 3.exd5 include 3...e4 and 3...Bd6 (the Elephant Gambit proper). 3...Qxd5 saves the pawn, but leaves White with a big lead in development after 4.Nc3.

3...e4

After 3...e4 4.Qe2 Nf6 lines might continue:

  • 5.d3 Qxd5 6.Nbd2 Be7 7.dxe4 Qe6 and White remains a pawn ahead, although Black's development is somewhat smoother.
  • 5.d3 Be7 6.dxe4 0-0 7.Nc3 Re8 8.Bd2 Bb4 9.0-0-0, with advantage for White (Nick de Firmian).
  • 5.Nc3 Be7 6.Nxe4:
    • 6...Nxd5 7.d3 0-0 8.Qd1 Bg4 9.Be2 f5 10.Ng3 Nc6 11.c3 with slight advantage for White, as in Salomonsson–H. Sorenson, Malmo 1982 (de Firmian).
    • 6...0-0 7.Nxf6+ Bxf6 8.d4 Re8 9.Be3 with distinct superiority for White (de Firmian).

After 3...e4 4.Qe2, TalLutikov, Tallinn 1964 [1] continued 4...f5 5.d3 Nf6 6.dxe4 fxe4 7.Nc3 Bb4 8.Qb5+ c6 9.Qxb4 exf3 10.Bg5 cxd5 11.0-0-0 Nc6 with advantage for White.

Elephant Gambit proper: 3...Bd6

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8
Chessboard480.svg
Chess rdt45.svg
Chess ndt45.svg
Chess bdt45.svg
Chess qdt45.svg
Chess kdt45.svg
Chess ndt45.svg
Chess rdt45.svg
Chess pdt45.svg
Chess pdt45.svg
Chess pdt45.svg
Chess pdt45.svg
Chess pdt45.svg
Chess pdt45.svg
Chess bdt45.svg
Chess plt45.svg
Chess pdt45.svg
Chess nlt45.svg
Chess plt45.svg
Chess plt45.svg
Chess plt45.svg
Chess plt45.svg
Chess plt45.svg
Chess plt45.svg
Chess plt45.svg
Chess rlt45.svg
Chess nlt45.svg
Chess blt45.svg
Chess qlt45.svg
Chess klt45.svg
Chess blt45.svg
Chess rlt45.svg
8
77
66
55
44
33
22
11
abcdefgh
Elephant Gambit proper: 3.exd5 Bd6

After 3...Bd6 4.d4 e4 5.Ne5 Nf6 6.Nc3 0-0 7.Bc4, according to de Firmian, White enjoys a distinct superiority but no immediate attack.

3.Nxe5

After 3.Nxe5:

See also

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References

  1. "Mikhail Tal vs. Anatoly S. Lutikov, Tallinn (1964)". Chessgames.com .

Bibliography