King's Gambit Accepted: Kieseritzky Gambit

About this variation

After 3. Nf3 g5 4. h4 g4 5. Ne5, White attacks the pawn chain straight away. It is one of the oldest main lines.

The Kieseritzky Gambit is 1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Nf3 g5 4. h4 g4 5. Ne5. White undermines Black's pawn chain with h4 and puts the knight on e5, aiming at f7 and the d7 and g4 squares. It is one of the main lines of the King's Gambit and leads to sharp, tactical positions.

Black's main replies include 5...Nf6, attacking e4 and developing, 5...d6, kicking the knight, and 5...Bg7, putting pressure on e5. Each leads to sharp play where Black tries to hold the extra pawn and White tries to open lines against Black's king.

White's typical plans include d4 and Bxf4 to regain the pawn, Bc4 to attack f7, and Nxg4 in some lines to open the position. White often gets a strong center and quick development for the pawn.

Black's typical ideas include ...d5 to open the center and free the pieces, ...Nf6 to attack e4, and ...Bg7 to pressure e5 and the long diagonal. Black must be careful about the f7 square and the open lines around the king.

The Kieseritzky suits White players who like concrete, tactical positions. Black players should know at least one main line well, since natural moves can quickly lose against accurate attacking play.

Many famous attacking games were played in the Kieseritzky in the nineteenth century, and studying them is a good way to learn the typical sacrifices and attacking patterns. The opening rewards calculation and a good understanding of king safety for both sides.

The main line with 5...Nf6 6. d4 d6 7. Nd3 Nxe4 8. Bxf4 is a good place to start, since it shows the typical trade of material for development. Black ends up with an extra pawn but a loose kingside, while White has open lines and quick piece play.

It is one of the main lines of the King's Gambit.