Italian Game: Evans Gambit

About this variation

White offers a pawn with 4. b4 to gain time for c3 and d4. It is a romantic gambit that Kasparov revived in the 1990s.

The Evans Gambit is 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4. White offers a pawn to deflect the bishop from c5, then plays c3 and d4 with gain of time. It was invented by the Welsh sea captain William Evans in the 1820s and became one of the favorite weapons of the romantic era, with players such as Anderssen and Morphy winning brilliant games with it.

After 4...Bxb4 5. c3, the bishop retreats to a5, c5, e7 or d6. White follows with d4, O-O and often Qb3, hitting f7, and the open lines and lead in development give strong attacking chances. Black can return the pawn at the right moment with ...d6 or ...d5 to reach a balanced game; trying to keep it at all costs is risky. Declining with 4...Bb6 is also possible and leads to quieter positions where White's b-pawn has gained some space.

The gambit fell out of fashion when Lasker showed a reliable defense for Black, but Kasparov brought it back in the 1990s, most famously beating Anand with it in 1995. Today it is rarely seen in elite classical games but remains popular in rapid and blitz chess, where the defense is hard to find over the board.

The Evans Gambit suits White players who want an open attacking game and enjoy studying classical attacking ideas. Black players should learn one sound set-up against it, since natural moves can quickly lead to trouble.

Many defenders choose a simple set-up with ...Ba5, ...d6 and ...Bb6, returning the pawn if necessary to complete development and castle. White's job is to keep the initiative going with central pawn breaks and pressure on f7, since a slow game generally favors Black's extra pawn.

It is one of the main lines of the Italian Game.