8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 a b c d e f g h

The Elephant Gambit (also called the Queen's Pawn Counter Gambit or Englund Counterattack) is a rarely played chess opening beginning with the moves (in algebraic notation):

1.e4 e5

2.Nf3 d5?!

In this gambit, Black ignores the attack on his e-pawn and immediately tries to wrest the initiative from White. It is generally considered unsound, because if White plays accurately Black does not get sufficient compensation for the sacrificed pawn. A typical line might continue 3.exd5 e4 4.Qe2 Nf6 5.d3 Qxd5 6.Nbd2 Be7 7.dxe4 Qe6 and White remains a pawn ahead, though Black's development is somewhat smoother. A quieter alternative for Black is to continue 3...Bd6 and maintain the strongpoint on e5 while quickly following up with ...Nf6 and ...0-0.

References

Hooper, David and Kenneth Whyld. "Queen's Pawn Counter Gambit." Oxford Companion to Chess. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1992. 329.

External links