Evans Gambit

ECO C51–C52 · Level: Intermediate

The Evans Gambit is a romantic, aggressive Italian line in which White sacrifices a pawn with 4.b4 to gain rapid development and a strong centre.

Main line

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 Bxb4 5.c3 Ba5 6.d4

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History

Invented by the Welsh sea captain William Evans in 1827, it was a favourite of 19th-century attackers and regained attention after Kasparov beat Anand with it in the 1990s.

White's plan

The b4 pawn is sacrificed; c3 and d4 build the centre with tempo.
Bishop on c4 and queen on b3 put heavy pressure on f7.
White compensates for the pawn with a lasting initiative and development lead.

Black's plan

Taking the pawn (4...Bxb4) and retreating to a5 is the most common path.
Returning the pawn with ...d6 or ...d5 at the right time to finish development is key.
Declining with 4...Bb6 is a solid alternative.

Key variations

Evans Gambit Accepted

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 Bxb4 5.c3 Ba5 6.d4 d6 7.Qb3

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Evans Gambit Declined

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 Bb6 5.a4 a6

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Who should play it?

For attacking White players happy to sacrifice a pawn. Most club opponents do not know the correct defence.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Evans Gambit sound?

With accurate play Black equalises, but White keeps the initiative for a long time and it is very effective in practice.

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Related openings

Italian Game — The Italian Game is a classic 1.e4 e5 opening in which White develops the bishop to c4 and eyes the weak f7 square.
Two Knights Defence — The Two Knights Defence meets the Italian with the counter-attacking 3...Nf6.
King's Gambit — The King's Gambit sacrifices the f-pawn on move two to open the f-file and go straight for the king.

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