The King's Gambit begins 1.e4 e5 2.f4 (ECO C30). White offers the f-pawn in order to open the f-file, seize the centre and start a quick attack on the king. It is one of the oldest and most romantic openings there is.
If Black accepts the sacrifice (2...exf4), White gets a strong centre and an open file for the rook, but falls temporarily behind in development and weakens the king. The game turns sharp and double-edged from the very first moves.
In the age of Anderssen and Morphy the King's Gambit was the main weapon of attacking players. It is rarer today, but remains an excellent choice for anyone who likes the initiative and is not afraid of risk.
Set it up on the board, move the pieces around and copy the FEN - or open the full walkthrough of the opening in a separate article.
Drag a piece onto the board, or click a piece and then click the squares. The cross beside the pieces sweeps every piece of that colour off the board, and a single piece can be dragged off the edge.
The pieces will be arranged into the chosen pattern.
It is the mating side to move. Find mate in one.
Openings, endgame positions and breakthrough studies - the set-up appears on the board.
Build your own position in the board editor, read up on the rules of chess or run a tournament on your own positions in the free app.
Pairings are computed by bbpPairings, an open-source engine implementing the Dutch system by FIDE rules: score groups, floats on an odd field, colour alternation. Free to use.
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