← Bishop's Opening

Practice: Four Pawns Gambit

An aggressive pawn sacrifice

A wild, romantic-era gambit where White sacrifices several pawns for a crushing attack. Not entirely sound but incredibly fun.

1. e4 e5
2. Bc4 Bc5
3. b4 Bxb4
4. f4 exf4
5. Nf3 Be7
6. d4 Bh4+
7. g3 fxg3
8. O-O gxh2+
9. Kh1 h5
♟

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Key strategic ideas

  • White develops the bishop to c4 to control the d5 square and target f7
  • White often follows up with Nf3 and c3 to build a pawn center with d4
  • The Urusov Gambit (3.d4) is a direct way to open the center for attacking chances

Common mistakes & traps

  • The Lewis Countergambit (2...Bc5 3.c3 d5) can catch unprepared players - White should capture on d5 rather than advance
  • Black's ...Qg5 in the del Rio Variation attacks the g2 pawn and can create early counterplay if White is careless

Pawn structure notes

White typically has a pawn on e4 with a flexible setup. In quiet lines Black often plays ...d6, keeping tension in the center. The Urusov Gambit leads to open positions with an extra pawn for Black but strong piece play for White.

Tips

  • White sacrifices multiple pawns for a devastating attack against Black's king
  • The open f-file and diagonals give White strong compensation
  • Black must defend accurately or get mated quickly

About this line

This line is rated advanced. Practice it repeatedly until you can play the entire sequence without thinking. The in-app trainer tracks your perfect streaks and celebrates milestones.