Indian Defense: Budapest Gambit
ECO A51 · 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e5
The Budapest Gambit, 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e5, offers the e-pawn to get active piece play. Black usually regains the pawn on e5 with ...Ng4 and ...Nc6, so it is more a counterattack than a real gambit.
Plans for White
White tries to keep the pawn with Bf4 and Nf3, or returns it for a lasting space edge with e4 or Nc3. The main lines involve Bf4, Nf3, Nbd2 and a3.
Plans for Black
Black plays ...Ng4, ...Nc6, ...Bb4+ and ...Qe7, pressuring e5 and pinning White's knight. The Fajarowicz (3...Ne4) is a sharper alternative.
Typical pawn structures
Open center after Black regains e5; Black has free piece play and White a small space edge with c4.
Who it suits
Tricky players who want to avoid main-line Indian theory.
Common traps
The Kieninger trap: 3.dxe5 Ng4 4.Nf3 Nc6 5.Bf4 Bb4+ 6.Nbd2 Qe7 7.a3 Ngxe5 8.axb4?? Nd3# is a famous smothered mate.
Related variations
- Indian Defense: Gibbins-Weidenhagen Gambit
- Indian Defense: Knights Variation
- Indian Defense: Omega Gambit
- Indian Defense: Anti-Grünfeld, Alekhine Variation
- Indian Defense: Budapest Gambit Accepted
- Indian Defense: Accelerated London System
- Indian Defense: Normal Variation
- Indian Defense: Pawn Push Variation
- Indian Defense: Tartakower Attack
- Indian Defense: Czech-Indian
- Indian Defense: Gibbins-Weidenhagen Gambit Accepted
- Indian Defense: Lazard Gambit
- Indian Defense: Maddigan Gambit
- Indian Defense: Medusa Gambit
- Indian Defense: Polish Variation
- Indian Defense: Pyrenees Gambit
- Indian Defense: Reversed Chigorin Defense
- Indian Defense: Spielmann-Indian
- Indian Defense: Wade-Tartakower Defense
- Indian Defense: West Indian Defense
- Indian Defense: Anti-Grünfeld, Advance Variation
- Indian Defense: Anti-Grünfeld, Basman-Williams Attack
- Indian Defense: Anti-Nimzo-Indian
- Indian Defense: Devin Gambit
- Indian Defense: Gedult Attack
- Indian Defense: London System
- Indian Defense: Paleface Attack, Blackmar-Diemer Gambit Deferred
- Indian Defense: Przepiorka Variation
- Indian Defense: Seirawan Attack
- Indian Defense: Anti-Grünfeld, Adorjan Gambit