Kieseritzky Gambit
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| Moves | 1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 g5 4.h4 g4 5.Ne5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| ECO | C39 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Origin | Manuscript by Giulio Cesare Polerio, 1590 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Named after | Lionel Kieseritzky (1805-1853) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Parent | King's Gambit | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In chess, the Kieseritzky Gambit is an opening line in the King's Gambit. It begins with the moves:
This is the main line of the Classical Variation (3...g5) and one of the main lines of the King's Gambit in general. After Black attempts to establish defense of the pawn on f4, White reacts by immediately undermining the pawn chain with 4.h4, where Black has little choice but to play 4...g4. The gambit's overall assessment is still unclear but approximately equal. Boris Spassky used it to defeat Bobby Fischer in 1960, leading Fischer to develop the Fischer Defense (3...d6).
The Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings classifies the Kieseritzky Gambit under code C39. C39 is also the code for the Allgaier Gambit, in which White plays 5.Ng5?!, sacrificing the knight for an attack after 5...h6 6.Nxf7 Kxf7. The Allgaier Gambit is considered dubious.