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The Practical Danish Gambit

An active Danish Gambit repertoire built on rapid development, central control and concrete answers to defensive counterplay.

After 1.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4, 3.c3 offers a pawn to accelerate development. This forty-line repertoire covers accepted gambits, ways Black can return material, and practical responses when the offer is declined. We learn which attacking chances justify the missing pawns and when a simpler central position is the sensible result. Accurate development and attention to counterplay matter more than trying to force an attack in every line.

GambitsAttacking
chapters
6
lines
40
moves to know
245
Try the first line free

1. Accepted gambit: development and central breaks

7 lines

Accepting both pawn offers gives Black extra material and gives our bishops immediate scope. We add knights, secure the king and look for central breaks before Black finishes development. Some replies permit direct tactics, but the early ...d5 challenge can instead lead to a balanced queenless position. The recurring lesson is to judge compensation through active pieces and concrete threats, rather than assume every accepted gambit produces a forced attack.

  1. Line 11.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.c3 dxc3 4.Bc4 cxb2 5.Bxb2 d6 6.Nf3 Nc6 7.O-O Be6 8.Bxe6 fxe6 9.Qb3 Qd7 10.Ng5FreeLearn
  2. Line 2… 6.Nf3 Nf6 7.O-O Be7 8.e5 dxe5 9.Qb3 O-O 10.Nxe5 Qe8 11.Re1 Nc6 12.Nxc6 bxc6 13.Bxf6 gxf6 14.Nd2Premium
  3. Line 3… 6.Nf3 h6 7.Ne5 dxe5 8.Bxf7+ Ke7 9.Ba3+ Kxf7 10.Qxd8Premium
  4. Line 4… 5.Bxb2 d5 6.Bxd5 Nf6 7.Bxf7+ Kxf7 8.Qxd8 Bb4+ 9.Qd2 Bxd2+ 10.Nxd2 Re8 11.Ngf3 Nc6 12.O-OPremium
  5. Line 5… 10.Nxd2 Nc6 11.Ngf3 Bg4 12.Rb1 Bxf3 13.gxf3Premium
  6. Line 6… 6.Bxd5 Bb4+ 7.Nd2 Nf6 8.Qa4+ c6 9.Bxf7+ Kxf7 10.Qxb4Premium
  7. Line 7… 5.Bxb2 Qg5 6.Nf3 Qxg2 7.Rg1 Qh3 8.Bxf7+ Kd8 9.Rg3 Qh6 10.Nc3Premium

2. Active defences: answer checks and knight attacks

8 lines

Black can meet the accepted gambit with active development instead of passive pawn defence. We learn how bishop checks and attacks on e4 change the order of our own moves, and when a central advance creates tactical opportunities. The resulting positions include unusual material balances, so counting accurately matters. Our aim is to connect every sacrifice to a concrete threat, then complete development before Black can neutralise the initiative.

  1. Line 11.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.c3 dxc3 4.Bc4 cxb2 5.Bxb2 Bb4+ 6.Nc3 Bxc3+ 7.Bxc3 Nf6 8.e5 Ne4 9.Qd5 Ng5 10.Ne2Premium
  2. Line 2… 6.Nc3 Qe7 7.Ne2 Qxe4 8.Qb3 Bxc3+ 9.Bxc3Premium
  3. Line 3… 6.Nc3 Nc6 7.Nf3 Nf6 8.O-O Bxc3 9.Bxc3 O-O 10.Ng5 h6 11.Nxf7 Rxf7 12.Bxf7+ Kxf7 13.e5 Ne8 14.f4 d6 15.e6+Premium
  4. Line 4… 5.Bxb2 Nf6 6.e5 Ne4 7.Bxf7+ Kxf7 8.Qd5+ Ke8 9.Qxe4Premium
  5. Line 5… 6.e5 Qe7 7.Qe2 Ng8 8.Nc3Premium
  6. Line 6… 6.e5 d5 7.exf6 dxc4 8.Qxd8+ Kxd8 9.fxg7 Bb4+ 10.Nc3 Rg8 11.O-O-O+Premium
  7. Line 7… 6.e5 Ng4 7.Nc3 Nxe5 8.Qe2 d6 9.f4 Bg4 10.Qe3 Qh4+ 11.g3 Qh5 12.fxe5 dxe5 13.Nge2Premium
  8. Line 8… 6.e5 Bb4+ 7.Bc3 Bxc3+ 8.Nxc3 Qe7 9.Qe2Premium

3. One-pawn gambits: keep the initiative

9 lines

When Black leaves the pawn on c3 available, recovering it with a knight often gives us a one-pawn gambit with active pieces. We learn to distinguish real attacking chances from positions where accurate defence keeps the balance. Queen-and-bishop batteries, central pawn advances and knight forks recur, but their timing depends on the exact setup. The guiding habit is to count the material after every exchange while developing with purpose.

  1. Line 11.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.c3 dxc3 4.Bc4 Nf6 5.Nxc3 Bb4 6.e5 Ne4 7.Qd5 Ng5 8.Bxg5 Qxg5 9.Qxf7+ Kd8 10.Nf3Premium
  2. Line 2… 6.e5 d5 7.exf6 dxc4 8.Qxd8+ Kxd8 9.fxg7 Rg8 10.Bg5+ Ke8 11.O-O-OPremium
  3. Line 3… 5.Nxc3 d6 6.Qb3 Qd7 7.Bg5 Nc6 8.Bxf6 gxf6 9.Nd5Premium
  4. Line 4… 4.Bc4 d6 5.Nxc3 Be7 6.Qb3 Be6 7.Bxe6 fxe6 8.Nf3 Qc8 9.Nd4 e5 10.Ne6 Bf6 11.Nb5 Na6 12.Nexc7+ Nxc7 13.Nxd6+Premium
  5. Line 5… 5.Nxc3 Be6 6.Bxe6 fxe6 7.Qb3 Qc8 8.f4 Nc6 9.Nf3 Nf6 10.O-O Be7 11.f5Premium
  6. Line 6… 4.Bc4 Bc5 5.Bxf7+ Kxf7 6.Qd5+ Ke8 7.Qh5+ Kf8 8.Qxc5+ d6 9.Qxc3Premium
  7. Line 7… 4.Bc4 Nc6 5.Nf3 Bb4 6.O-O Nf6 7.e5 d5 8.exf6 dxc4 9.Qxd8+ Nxd8 10.fxg7 Rg8 11.Nxc3 Bxc3 12.bxc3Premium
  8. Line 8… 4.Bc4 Qf6 5.Nxc3 Bc5 6.Nf3 d6 7.Nd5 Qd8 8.b4 Bb6 9.Qb3 Be6 10.Bb2 Bxd5 11.Bxd5Premium
  9. Line 9… 4.Bc4 d5 5.Bxd5 Nf6 6.Bxf7+ Ke7 7.Qxd8+ Kxd8 8.Nxc3Premium

4. Queen and central challenges: develop actively

8 lines

Black can decline the pawn offers with an early queen sortie or a central ...d5 break. Against the queen, we often gain developing tempi in return for a pawn; after central exchanges, an isolated d-pawn may give our pieces useful space. Pins repeatedly delay queen attacks until castling releases the knight. Our task is to connect king safety, central support and active rook files before choosing a further pawn advance.

  1. Line 11.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.c3 Qe7 4.cxd4 Qxe4+ 5.Be3 Nf6 6.Nc3 Bb4 7.Nf3 Nd5 8.Qd2 Nxe3 9.fxe3 Qe7 10.Bd3 d5 11.O-OPremium
  2. Line 2… 7.Nf3 O-O 8.Bd3 Qe7 9.O-OPremium
  3. Line 3… 5.Be3 d5 6.Nc3 Qe6 7.Nf3 c6 8.Bd3 Nf6 9.O-O Be7 10.Qc2 Qd6 11.Rae1 O-O 12.Ne5Premium
  4. Line 4… 3.c3 d5 4.exd5 Qxd5 5.cxd4 Nc6 6.Nf3 Bg4 7.Be2 O-O-O 8.Nc3 Bb4 9.O-O Bxc3 10.bxc3 Nf6 11.h3 Bh5 12.Be3 Rhe8 13.c4Premium
  5. Line 5… 6.Nf3 Bb4+ 7.Nc3 Nf6 8.Be2 O-O 9.O-O Qa5 10.Bd2Premium
  6. Line 6… 5.cxd4 Nf6 6.Nc3 Qd8 7.Nf3 Be7 8.Bc4 O-O 9.O-O Bg4 10.h3 Bh5 11.g4 Bg6 12.Ne5Premium
  7. Line 7… 5.cxd4 Bb4+ 6.Nc3 Nf6 7.Nf3 O-O 8.Be2Premium
  8. Line 8… 4.exd5 Nf6 5.Nf3 Nxd5 6.Qxd4 Nc6 7.Bb5 Be7 8.O-O O-O 9.Qa4 Bd7 10.Rd1Premium

5. Third-move declines: claim central space

4 lines

When Black declines the c-pawn offer, we should be ready to recover material and build the centre. These lines often call for ordinary developing moves rather than another sacrifice, but central pawn advances can still gain time against exposed pieces. We study how to handle the e5 space advantage, active queen recaptures and exchanges on d4. The practical aim is coordinated development, with the king safe before the position opens further.

  1. Line 11.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.c3 Nc6 4.cxd4 d5 5.e5 Bb4+ 6.Nc3 Nge7 7.Nf3 O-O 8.Be2 Bg4 9.O-OPremium
  2. Line 2… 3.c3 Nf6 4.e5 Nd5 5.Nf3 d6 6.Qxd4 dxe5 7.Qxe5+ Qe7 8.Bc4 Nb6 9.Bb3Premium
  3. Line 3… 3.c3 c5 4.Nf3 Nc6 5.Bc4 Nf6 6.cxd4 cxd4 7.O-O Bc5 8.e5 d5 9.exf6 dxc4 10.fxg7 Rg8 11.Bg5Premium
  4. Line 4… 3.c3 d6 4.cxd4 d5 5.exd5 Nf6 6.Nc3 Nxd5 7.Bc4Premium

6. Early alternatives: occupy the centre

4 lines

Some early replies let us keep the material balance and build a strong centre instead of entering a gambit. We explore when to exchange e5, when a developing move is more useful and how an exposed queen or misplaced knight can supply extra tempi. Kingside pawn weaknesses can create immediate tactics, while quieter positions require ordinary development. Our aim is to recognise which opportunity the actual board offers.

  1. Line 11.e4 e5 2.d4 Nc6 3.dxe5 Nxe5 4.Nc3 Nf6 5.f4 Nc6 6.e5 Ng8 7.Bc4 Bb4 8.Bd2 d6 9.Qe2Premium
  2. Line 2… 2.d4 d6 3.Nc3 exd4 4.Qxd4 Nc6 5.Qd3 Nf6 6.Be3 Be7 7.O-O-OPremium
  3. Line 3… 2.d4 f6 3.dxe5 fxe5 4.Qh5+ g6 5.Qxe5+ Qe7 6.Qxh8Premium
  4. Line 4… 2.d4 Nf6 3.dxe5 Nxe4 4.Qe2 Nc5 5.Nc3 Be7 6.Be3 Nc6 7.O-O-O O-O 8.f4 b6 9.Qh5 Bb7 10.Nf3Premium