This article is about the chess term. For alternate meanings see Gambit (disambiguation).

A gambit is a chess opening in which something is sacrificed in order to achieve a better position. Usually, the piece sacrificed is a pawn, but there are also gambits sacrificing a bishop or knight, such as the Muzio Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 g5 4.Bc4 g4 5.0-0) and Cochrane Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nxf7). Usually, the player who plays a gambit gains time or active piece play in exchange for the sacrificed material. A good example is the Middle or Danish Gambit: 1.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.c3 dxc3 4.Bc4 cxb2 5.Bxb2. White has sacrificed two pawns, but his bishops are placed very well, looking to the opponents kingside. A very dubious gambit is the so called Halloween Gambit: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.c3 Nf6 4.Nxe5?! Nxe5 5.d4.

Of course, a player is not obliged to accept a gambit; often, a gambit can be declined without a problem. A gambit can also be accepted with the intention of returning the material later for a positional advantage, as advocated by Emanuel Lasker.

The word gambit was originally applied to chess openings in 1561 by Spanish priest Rúy López de Segura, who was an admirer of Giovanni Gambetto, first chess player to use this kind of subterfuge, in the 12th century. Lopez studied and improved this maneuver during his lifetime, and so the Italian word gained the Spanish form “gambito” that led to French gambit, which has influenced the English spelling of the word. The broader sense of "opening move meant to gain advantage" was first recorded in English in 1855.

Some gambits:

• King's Gambit: 1.e4 e5 2.f4
• Queen's Gambit: 1.d4 d5 2.c4

This is the most played "gambit", but it is technically not a gambit since white can always win his pawn back.

• Evans Gambit: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4
• Smith-Morra Gambit: 1.e4 c5 2.d4 intending 2. ..cxd4 3.c3 dxc3 4.Nxc3
• Two Knights Defence: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 d5 with 5.exd5 Na5 6.Bb5+ c6 7.dxc6 bxc6 likely to follow.
• Blackmar-Diemer Gambit (BDG): 1.d4 d5 2.e4 dxe4 3.Nc3 followed by 4.f3
• From's Gambit: 1.f4 e5
• Staunton Gambit: 1.d4 f5 2.e4
• Budapest Gambit: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e5
• Scotch Gambit: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Bc4
• Latvian Gambit: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 f5
• Elephant Gambit: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d5