Evans Gambit

The gift of the chess gods: invented by Captain William Davies Evans, championed by Morphy, Kasparov, and Carlsen!

The most glorious and electrifying attacking weapon in the Italian Game. With 4.b4 White audaciously sacrifices a flank pawn to deflect the bishop, seize crucial tempi with c3 and d4, and blast open diagonal highways against Black's king stuck in the center.

Chapter 1: Main Lines (5...Ba5 & 5...Bc5) & Lasker Defense

Black's soundest defensive retreats: where to pull the bishop after 4.b4 Bxb4 5.c3 and how White seizes the ideal classical pawn center with d4.

  1. 1. Main Line 5...Ba5 6.d4 exd4 7.O-O 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 Bxb4 5.c3 Ba5…
  2. 2. Lasker Defense (5...Ba5 6.d4 d6 7.O-O Bb6) 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 Bxb4 5.c3 Ba5…
  3. 3. Natural Retreat 5...Bc5 6.d4 exd4 7.cxd4 Bb6 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 Bxb4 5.c3 Bc5…
  4. 4. Modern Retreat 5...Be7 (Positional Line) 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 Bxb4 5.c3 Be7…
  5. 5. Evans Gambit Declined with 4...Bb6 5.a4 a6 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 Bb6 5.a4 a6…
  6. 6. Direct Assault with 6.d4 exd4 7.Qb3! 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 Bxb4 5.c3 Ba5…
  7. 7. Central Counter-Gambit 4...d5!? 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 d5 5.Bxd5 Nxb4…

Chapter 2: Romantic Attacks, Compromised Defense & Tactical Traps

Waller Attack, Richardson Attack, and the legendary assault with Qb3 and Ba3 to shut down enemy castling permanently.

  1. 8. Compromised Defense (6.d4 exd4 7.O-O dxc3 8.Qb3 Qf6) 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 Bxb4 5.c3 Ba5…
  2. 9. Waller Attack (6.d4 exd4 7.O-O d6 8.Qb3 Qd7) 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 Bxb4 5.c3 Ba5…
  3. 10. Richardson Attack (8.Qb3 Qf6 9.e5 Qg6 10.Re1) 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 Bxb4 5.c3 Ba5…
  4. 11. Kasparov's Masterpiece vs. Anand (Riga 1995) 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 Bxb4 5.c3 Be7…
  5. 12. The Trap of Capturing the a5-Bishop with Qa4 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 Bxb4 5.c3 Ba5…
  6. 13. Cordel Defense with 5...Bb4!? (Tactical Provocation) 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 Bxb4 5.c3 d5…
  7. 14. Pierce Attack (6.d4 exd4 7.O-O d6 8.cxd4 Bb6 9.Nc3) 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 Bxb4 5.c3 Bc5…