← Dutch Defense

Practice: Staunton Gambit

White sacrifices a pawn to attack the Dutch

White immediately sacrifices a pawn with 2.e4 to open lines and attack Black's kingside. The Staunton Gambit is White's most aggressive try against the Dutch.

1. d4 f5
2. e4 fxe4
3. Nc3 Nf6
4. Bg5 d5
5. Bxf6 exf6
6. Bd3 Bb4
7. Bc4 O-O
♟

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Key strategic ideas

  • Black plays 1...f5, immediately staking a claim on the kingside. This creates an unbalanced game where Black attacks on the king's side of the board.
  • The key pawn moves for Black are ...e5 (fighting for the centre) and ...g5 (pushing White's pieces back). Both create attacking chances.
  • White often plays g3 and Bg2 to control e4, then expands on the queenside. Black attacks on the kingside. It is often a race.

Common mistakes & traps

  • The Staunton Gambit (2.e4!?) is a sharp attempt to blow open the centre. If Black accepts with 2...fxe4 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5, the black king can get stuck in the centre.
  • In the Leningrad setup (g3, Bg2, then ...d5 and ...c6), Black must not push ...g5 too early. White can respond with h4 and the attack turns against Black.

Pawn structure notes

Black has a solid e6-d5-c6 chain with f5 as the defining feature. The f5 pawn controls e4 and supports a kingside attack. White aims for the e4 break to undermine Black's centre.

Tips

  • 2.e4 is the Staunton Gambit — one of the sharpest ways to meet the Dutch
  • White gets rapid development and attacking chances against Black's weakened kingside
  • Black must play precisely to navigate the complications and consolidate the extra pawn

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.