Danish Gambit - Meeting 5...c6 and ...d5

Black opens the centre with ...d5: the knight on d5 and the black king stuck in the centre give White the initiative.

1.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.c3 dxc3 4.Bc4 cxb2 5.Bxb2 c6 6.Nc3 d5 7.exd5 cxd5 8.Nxd5

Move by move

1.e4 – White occupies the centre and frees the queen and the f1-bishop. In the Danish and the Centre Game, speed of development will matter more than pawns.
1...e5 – Black replies symmetrically, contesting d4 and freeing the f8-bishop. Now White can open the game at once with d4.
2.d4 – White attacks e5 and opens the centre. After 2...exd4 White chooses between the gambit 3.c3 (Danish) and the immediate recapture 3.Qxd4 (Centre Game).
2...exd4 – Black captures: the most natural reply, since defending e5 with 2...d6 leads to a passive game. The d4-pawn becomes either bait or a target to win back.
3.c3 – Danish Gambit: White offers a pawn to open files and diagonals. After 3...dxc3 a piece recaptures with development; if Black declines, cxd4 builds the ideal e4-d4 centre.
3...dxc3 – Black accepts the gambit. White now chooses: 4.Nxc3 plays just one pawn down, while 4.Bc4 offers the b2-pawn as well.
4.Bc4 – White leaves the c3-pawn and develops the bishop against f7, Black's weakest point. After 4...cxb2 the other bishop also joins the game by recapturing on b2.
4...cxb2 – Black takes the second pawn. In return White gets two bishops aimed at f7 and g7 and a big lead in development: every tempo Black wastes can become decisive.
5.Bxb2 – The typical Danish position: two pawns down, but the bishops on c4 and b2 hit f7 and g7 while Black has developed nothing. White aims for Nc3, Nf3, O-O and opening the game.
5...c6 – Black prepares ...d5 to return material, block the c4-bishop's diagonal and open lines for Black's own pieces.
6.Nc3 – Development that defends e4 and controls d5: if Black pushes ...d5, the knight is ready to recapture in the centre.
6...d5 – Black strikes in the centre: the pawn attacks both the c4-bishop and the e4-pawn.
7.exd5 – White captures and opens the e-file, where the black king is still sitting on e8.
7...cxd5 – Black recaptures, but now the c-, d- and e-files are open while the king is in the centre and no piece is developed.
8.Nxd5 – The knight takes the pawn and dominates the centre. White prepares checks such as Qe2+ or Bb5+ against the king stuck on e8, and Nc7+ if the d8-queen moves.

How to exploit the position

White is a pawn down, but the knight dominates on d5, the c4- and b2-bishops are active and the black king is on e8 with every piece still at home. Black must develop quickly without allowing dangerous checks.

Qe2+ or Bb5+: checks on the e-file and the b5-e8 diagonal hinder Black's castling.
Nc7+: if the d8-queen moves without covering c7, the knight forks king and a8-rook.
Nf3, O-O and Re1: finish development and put a rook on the open e-file.
Bxg7: if the f8-bishop stops guarding g7, the b2-bishop takes g7 and attacks the h8-rook.

Master tips

The d5-knight controls c7

With open files and the black king on e8, the d5-knight controls c7, e7 and f6 and sets up forks.