Italian Game: Evans Gambit

ECO C51, C52 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4

The Evans Gambit, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4, sacrifices the b-pawn to gain time for c3 and d4. It was a favorite of the 19th-century masters, featured in Anderssen's Evergreen Game, and Kasparov revived it in the 1990s.

Plans for White

After 4...Bxb4 5.c3 White builds a center with d4, develops quickly, and attacks f7 and the black king with Qb3, Ba3 and Re1.

Plans for Black

Black can return the pawn at the right moment, or retreat the bishop to a5 or e7 and complete development. Accepting and giving back material is safest.

Typical pawn structures

Open center with White's e4/d4 versus Black's extra pawn on the queenside.

Who it suits

Attacking players who enjoy classical gambits and open positions where development counts more than material.

Common traps

f7 and the a2-g8 diagonal are constant targets; Black must not leave the king in the center or grab more pawns with ...Bxc3.

Variations

• Italian Game: Evans Gambit, Compromised Defense — 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bxb4 5. c3 Ba5 6. d4 exd4 7. O-O dxc3
• Italian Game: Evans Gambit, Anderssen Variation — 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bxb4 5. c3 Be7
• Italian Game: Evans Gambit, McDonnell Defense — 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bxb4 5. c3 Bc5
• Italian Game: Evans Gambit, Fontaine Countergambit — 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 b5
• Italian Game: Evans Gambit, Hein Countergambit — 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 d5
• Italian Game: Evans Gambit, Main Line — 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bxb4 5. c3 Ba5
• Italian Game: Evans Gambit, Mayet Defense — 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bxb4 5. c3 Bf8
• Italian Game: Evans Gambit, Stone-Ware Variation — 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bxb4 5. c3 Bd6
• Italian Game: Evans Gambit, Slow Variation — 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bxb4 5. c3 Ba5 6. O-O
• Italian Game: Evans Gambit, Bronstein Defense — 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bxb4 5. c3 Ba5 6. d4 d6
• Italian Game: Evans Gambit, Laroche Variation — 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bxb4 5. c3 Ba5 6. d4 Nf6
• Italian Game: Evans Gambit, Leonhardt Countergambit — 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bxb4 5. c3 Ba5 6. d4 b5
• Italian Game: Evans Gambit, Pierce Defense — 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bxb4 5. c3 Ba5 6. d4 exd4
• Italian Game: Evans Gambit, Sokolsky Variation — 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bxb4 5. c3 Ba5 6. d4 d6 7. Bg5
• Italian Game: Evans Gambit, Tartakower Attack — 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bxb4 5. c3 Ba5 6. d4 d6 7. Qb3
• Italian Game: Evans Gambit, Alapin-Steinitz Variation — 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bxb4 5. c3 Ba5 6. O-O d6 7. d4 Bg4
• Italian Game: Evans Gambit, Anderssen Defense — 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bxb4 5. c3 Ba5 6. O-O Nf6 7. d4 exd4
• Italian Game: Evans Gambit, Dufresne Defense — 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bxb4 5. c3 Ba5 6. d4 exd4 7. O-O d3
• Italian Game: Evans Gambit, Johner Defense — 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bxb4 5. c3 Ba5 6. d4 exd4 7. O-O b5
• Italian Game: Evans Gambit, Lasker Defense — 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bxb4 5. c3 Ba5 6. O-O d6 7. d4 Bb6
• Italian Game: Evans Gambit, Mieses Defense — 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bxb4 5. c3 Ba5 6. d4 exd4 7. O-O Nge7
• Italian Game: Evans Gambit, Sanders-Alapin Variation — 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bxb4 5. c3 Ba5 6. O-O d6 7. d4 Bd7
• Italian Game: Evans Gambit, Harding Variation — 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bxb4 5. c3 Bc5 6. d4 exd4 7. cxd4 Bb4+ 8. Bd2
• Italian Game: Evans Gambit, Richardson Attack — 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bxb4 5. c3 Ba5 6. O-O Nf6 7. d4 O-O 8. Nxe5
• Italian Game: Evans Gambit, Waller Attack — 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bxb4 5. c3 Ba5 6. d4 exd4 7. O-O d6 8. Qb3
• Italian Game: Evans Gambit, Morphy Attack — 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bxb4 5. c3 Ba5 6. d4 exd4 7. O-O d6 8. cxd4 Bb6 9. Nc3
• Italian Game: Evans Gambit, Fraser Attack — 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bxb4 5. c3 Bc5 6. d4 exd4 7. O-O d6 8. cxd4 Bb6 9. Nc3 Bg4 10. Qa4
• Italian Game: Evans Gambit, Göring Attack — 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bxb4 5. c3 Bc5 6. d4 exd4 7. O-O d6 8. cxd4 Bb6 9. Nc3 Na5 10. Bg5
• Italian Game: Evans Gambit, Ulvestad Variation — 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bxb4 5. c3 Bc5 6. d4 exd4 7. O-O d6 8. cxd4 Bb6 9. d5 Na5 10. Bb2
• Italian Game: Evans Gambit, Paulsen Variation — 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bxb4 5. c3 Bc5 6. d4 exd4 7. O-O d6 8. cxd4 Bb6 9. d5 Na5 10. Bb2 Ne7
• Italian Game: Evans Gambit, Levenfish Variation — 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bxb4 5. c3 Ba5 6. d4 d6 7. Qb3 Qd7 8. dxe5 dxe5 9. O-O Bb6 10. Ba3 Na5 11. Nxe5
• Italian Game: Evans Gambit, Steinitz Variation — 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bxb4 5. c3 Bc5 6. d4 exd4 7. O-O d6 8. cxd4 Bb6 9. Nc3 Na5 10. Bg5 f6 11. Be3
• Italian Game: Evans Gambit, Fraser-Mortimer Attack — 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bxb4 5. c3 Bc5 6. d4 exd4 7. O-O d6 8. cxd4 Bb6 9. Nc3 Bg4 10. Qa4 Bd7 11. Qb3 Na5 12. Bxf7+ Kf8 13. Qc2
• Italian Game: Evans Gambit, Mortimer-Evans Gambit — 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bxb4 5. c3 Bc5 6. d4 exd4 7. O-O d6 8. cxd4 Bb6 9. Nc3 Bg4 10. Qa4 Bd7 11. Qb3 Na5 12. Bxf7+ Kf8 13. Qc2 Kxf7

Related variations

• Italian Game: Giuoco Piano
• Italian Game: Two Knights Defense
• Italian Game: Hungarian Defense
• Italian Game: Classical Variation
• Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo
• Italian Game: Evans Gambit Declined
• Italian Game: Scotch Gambit
• Italian Game: Anti-Fried Liver Defense
• Italian Game: Blackburne-Kostić Gambit
• Italian Game: Paris Defense
• Italian Game: Rousseau Gambit
• Italian Game: Jerome Gambit
• Italian Game: Rosentreter Gambit
• Italian Game: Evans Gambit Accepted
• Italian Game: Scotch Invitation Declined
• Italian Game: Bird's Attack
• Italian Game: Deutz Gambit

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