Danish Gambit tactics
The most extravagant offer in the open games: two pawns, immediately, for two diagonals that cross the entire board.
- 120 positions in the course
- Difficulty 1006–2235
- Section: Sidelines and Surprises
- 5 levels
What the Danish produces tactically
White sacrifices two pawns in the opening to reach a position with bishops on c4 and b2, aiming at f7 and along the long diagonal at g7 and the black king's future home. Black is a clear two pawns up and completely undeveloped. That imbalance is enormous and it resolves quickly, one way or the other.
The tactics are the resolution. If Black takes everything and then develops normally, the blow lands on f7 or straight down the long diagonal, usually within four moves. If Black returns material and closes the diagonals instead, White has nothing and a long defence ahead. Every position in this skill is White cashing a development lead before it expires, or failing to.
How to spot it
- Look at f7 and the a1-h8 diagonal in the same glance. In this opening the two bishops work as one unit.
- Count developed pieces rather than pawns. Two pawns is roughly two moves, and this position is decided by moves.
- As Black, ask what returning one pawn would buy. The answer is usually the whole game.
- The g7 square is the standard collection point once Black castles short. Check what defends it before castling.
Three Danish Gambit positions
Three positions from the 120 in this skill, easiest first. The highlighted squares are the move your opponent has just played. Work it out before you open the answer.
Position 1
White to move. Find the best move.
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14...Qxf7 15.Re8#
The line ends in checkmate. The Danish trades two pawns for two raking diagonals, and these are the middlegames where that trade gets settled.
The position comes from the middlegame of a real game, rated 1305 for difficulty. The answer reaches checkmate.
Position 2
White to move. Find the best move.
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18...Qf4 19.Rf6+ Kh8 20.Rxf4
The line wins a queen. The Danish trades two pawns for two raking diagonals, and these are the middlegames where that trade gets settled.
The position comes from an endgame of a real game, rated 1548 for difficulty. The answer reaches a clear advantage.
Position 3
White to move. Find the best move.
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14...Bxh4 15.Qc3 g6 16.Qxf3
The line wins a piece. The Danish trades two pawns for two raking diagonals, and these are the middlegames where that trade gets settled.
The position comes from the middlegame of a real game, rated 1869 for difficulty. The answer reaches a clear advantage.
Defending two pawns up
The reliable defence has been known for over a century and it is still hard to execute: take one pawn, decline the second, and give material back to complete development and shut the long diagonal. A defender who does that has a fine position and no fun at all.
The thing that loses is greed followed by normal development. Taking everything is playable; taking everything and then playing a natural developing move while both bishops are still raking is how Danish games end before move fifteen.
Questions people ask
Is the Danish Gambit sound?
Not by modern standards. Accurate defence gives Black a good game and the extra material tends to tell. It remains dangerous in practice because the defence has to be precise for several moves and the attack does not.
How should Black meet the Danish Gambit?
The best-known method is to accept the first pawn and then return material at the right moment, typically with a central counter-strike that blocks the long diagonal and frees the pieces. Declining the gambit entirely is also completely reasonable.
Nearby patterns
Danish Gambit sits in Sidelines and Surprises. The rest of that section: