Englund Gambit

The idea

After 1.d4 e5 2.dxe5, Black has given up a pawn on move one. The usual follow-up is 2...Nc6 3.Nf3 Qe7, hitting e5 and setting up tricks along the e-file and the a5 to e1 diagonal. If White defends with Bf4, Black's ...Qb4+ checks the king and eyes the b2 pawn, and a famous trap waits for a careless reply.

Against good defense the gambit does not give enough. White keeps the extra pawn with Nf3, Bf4 and Nc3, or gives it back calmly with e4 and a lead in development. Black's hope is that White will not know the traps.

A surprise weapon, not a main line. The Englund is played mostly in fast games, where one slip can end the game in a few moves. It is named after the Swedish player Fritz Englund.

Players who enjoy setting traps in blitz and bullet. If you face it with White, it is worth five minutes of study, because the traps are quick and painful.

As White, Bf4 is fine, but after ...Qb4+, Bd2 and ...Qxb2, do not chase the queen with Bc3. Play Nc3: your queen then guards the rook, and the gambit pawn stays yours.

The main line, move by move

1. 1.d4 · White puts a pawn in the center, where the queen guards it, and opens lines for the queen and the bishop on c1. It also invites the Englund Gambit, 1...e5, a quick pawn offer.
2. 1...e5 · Black offers a pawn at once to pull the d-pawn out of the center and open lines for fast development. This is the Englund Gambit, a surprise weapon rather than a sound opening.
3. 2.dxe5 · White takes the pawn, the natural and best answer. Declining with 2.d5 or 2.Nf3 is possible, but the pawn is worth taking, since Black gets little for it.
4. 2...Nc6 · The knight develops and attacks the pawn on e5. Black wants it back quickly, with ...Qe7 to add a second attacker.
5. 3.Nf3 · White guards the pawn with the knight while developing. Keeping the extra pawn with simple moves is the whole plan for White here.
6. 3...Qe7 · The queen hits e5 again and sets a famous trap: if 4.Bf4, the queen checks on b4 and takes on b2, attacking the rook and knight, and a quick mate on c1 can follow. White does better with 4.Qd5 or 4.Nc3.

Next moves in book

• 2.d5 · Englund Gambit Declined
• 2.dxe5
• 2.e3 · Englund Gambit Declined: Reversed French
• 2.Nf3 · Englund Gambit Declined: Reversed Alekhine

Watch out for

• Englund Gambit trap

Related openings

• Queen's Gambit Declined D02–D69 · 138 named lines
• King's Indian Defense E60–E99 · 109 named lines
• Nimzo-Indian Defense E20–E59 · 68 named lines
• Dutch Defense A80–A99 · 58 named lines