Scandinavian Defense: Portuguese Gambit

About this variation

After 2...Nf6 3. d4, Black plays 3...Bg4, offering a pawn for rapid development and attacking chances.

The Portuguese Gambit is 1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Nf6 3. d4 Bg4. Black develops the bishop with an attack on the queen, and if White tries to keep the extra pawn with f3 and c4, Black gets a large lead in development.

The most testing answer is 4. f3, attacking the bishop (4. Be2 is played slightly more often in master games). Black retreats with 4...Bf5, and after 5. c4, 5. g4 or 5. Bb5+ the game becomes sharp, with Black trying to use the weakened dark squares and the lead in development. Typical follow-ups include ...e6, ...Bb4+, ...Nc6 and ...Qe7, with ideas of ...O-O-O and play against White's center. White can also give the pawn back with 4. Be2 or 4. Nf3 for a calmer game.

The danger for White is that holding the pawn costs time, and Black's pieces arrive quickly. The danger for Black is that if the attack fails, the missing pawn counts in the endgame. Several short wins exist for both sides, so knowing the critical lines and typical tactics is important.

The Portuguese Gambit suits Black players who want an aggressive reply to 1. e4 and like positions with initiative for a pawn. It is a common choice even in master games, where it is played almost as often as 3...Nxd5.

White players facing the Portuguese Gambit often do best by giving the material back and finishing development, rather than trying to keep every pawn. Black players need to know the lines with 4. f3 and with 4. Bb5+ in particular, since White's simplest replies can blunt Black's initiative and leave the gambit with too little to show for the pawn. Studying a handful of model games from both sides is the quickest way to see when Black's lead in development is worth the pawn and when it simply fades away.

It is one of the main lines of the Scandinavian Defense.