Englund Gambit tactics
An opening that is objectively bad, wins a remarkable number of short games, and is refuted by one calm move that almost nobody finds.
- 120 positions in the course
- Difficulty 1127–2224
- Section: Sidelines and Surprises
- 5 levels
What the Englund produces tactically
Black answers 1.d4 with 1...e5, gives up the pawn, and sends the queen to b4 and then to b2 to raid the undefended queenside. It should not work, and it does not against correct play. It wins games because several of White's most natural developing moves let the queen in, and the resulting attack is unusually forcing for something that starts on move one.
The trap that made the line famous ends in mate on c1 after the bishop that would defend it has been traded off the back rank. That is worth knowing from both sides, and it is not what these positions are: the puzzles here come from games that went past the trap into a real middlegame, where Black is usually a pawn down and looking for the activity to justify it.
How to spot it
- Ask what the c1 bishop is still defending every time it gets attacked or chased. That question is the whole opening.
- A queen on b2 has to have an escape route. As Black, check it before the raid; as White, look for the move that removes it.
- The b4 check gains time against an undeveloped queenside. Count what answers it.
- As White, developing normally is usually right and occasionally loses. Check the queenside specifically before each of the first six moves.
Three Englund 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.
Show the answer
18...Rxf4 19.Rxe8+ Qxe8 20.Bxf4
The line wins a rook. The Englund gives up a pawn for immediate queenside activity, and these positions are what is left of that once the opening is over.
The position comes from the middlegame of a real game, rated 1127 for difficulty. The answer reaches a winning advantage.
Position 2
Black to move. Find the best move.
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18.Qxc7 18...Rd1+ 19.Rxd1 19...Qxc7
The line wins a piece. The Englund gives up a pawn for immediate queenside activity, and these positions are what is left of that once the opening is over.
The position comes from the middlegame of a real game, rated 1575 for difficulty. The answer reaches a clear advantage.
Position 3
White to move. Find the best move.
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17...Kf8 18.Rd8+ Nxd8 19.Re8#
The line ends in checkmate. The Englund gives up a pawn for immediate queenside activity, and these positions are what is left of that once the opening is over.
The position comes from the middlegame of a real game, rated 1900 for difficulty. The answer reaches checkmate.
Both sides of a bad opening
Playing the Englund is a bet that the opponent has not seen it. That is sometimes a good bet in blitz and a poor one in a long game, because the refutation is one developing move that also covers the key square, and after it Black is a pawn down with nothing.
Facing it, the useful instruction is not a memorised line. It is to notice that the b2 pawn and the c1 bishop need attention before anything else, and to be willing to spend one move on the queenside rather than playing the developing move that looks obviously correct.
Questions people ask
Is the Englund Gambit playable?
Not seriously. Theory considers it clearly worse for Black, and strong players do not play it. It exists as a surprise weapon in fast games, where the practical value of an opponent who has never seen it is real.
How do you refute the Englund Gambit?
By developing the queenside pieces before grabbing anything, so that the queen raid on b4 and b2 arrives at squares that are already covered. Once White has done that, the extra pawn simply counts.
Nearby patterns
Englund Gambit sits in Sidelines and Surprises. The rest of that section: