King's Gambit Accepted

1. 1

   A pawn for the initiative

   1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4

   White does not plan to recapture the pawn quickly — the whole point is open lines (especially the f-file) and a fast lead in development. Black's task is to hold the extra pawn safely without falling too far behind in development, a much harder balance than it looks.

2. 2

   3.Nf3: stopping the check and preparing g5

   1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3

   The most common move: it prevents 3...Qh4+ and prepares to meet 3...g5 (the classical way to hold the extra pawn) with h4 or Bc4, fighting for the initiative before Black can consolidate.

3. 3

   Classical Defense: holding the pawn with ...g5

   1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 g5

   Black defends the extra pawn directly. White's main tries are 4.h4 (undermining the g5 pawn at once) and 4.Bc4 (developing while eyeing f7), both leading to razor-sharp positions where a single inaccuracy from either side can be fatal.

4. 4

   Kieseritzky Gambit: the knight sacrifice for time

   2...exf4 3.Nf3 g5 4.h4 g4 5.Ne5

   White's knight jumps into e5 rather than retreating, planning Bc4/d4 and using every tempo for development and attack. One of the sharpest and best-analysed branches of the entire King's Gambit.

5. 5

   Fischer's Defense: give the pawn back safely

   1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 d6

   Bobby Fischer's famous recommendation: instead of holding f4 with the risky ...g5, Black plays a quiet developing move first, ready to meet 4.d4 g5 with 5.h4 g4 6.Ng1! — a move that looks absurd but keeps the extra pawn very safely, since the knight simply re-routes via e2.

6. 6

   Bishop's Gambit: an immediate check

   1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Bc4

   White develops the bishop immediately instead of guarding against ...Qh4+, inviting 3...Qh4+ 4.Kf1 — giving up castling rights for a piece already developed and full control of the position's character. A completely different type of gambit from the 3.Nf3 lines.

These are the patterns worth knowing. For the full count, see the King's Gambit Accepted mistakes players make most often at each rating.

1. 1

   White: the f-file and the attack on f7

   6...d5 7.exd5 Bd6 8.d4 O-O 9.O-O

   White's whole compensation rests on fast development, the half-open f-file for a rook, and pressure against f7 and the king. Every tempo spent on a move that doesn't further this plan (a slow prophylactic move, a premature trade) gives Black time to consolidate the extra material.

2. 2

   Black: consolidate the extra pawn safely

   6...Qf6 7.Nc3 Ne7 8.Bc4 Bh6 9.Nge2

   Black's entire strategic task is finishing development while keeping the extra f4 pawn, or giving it back only on favourable terms. In Fischer's line the queen on f6 and the bishop on h6 hold f4, ...Ne7 and ...Nbc6 follow, and the king often goes long. Rushing an attack with an underdeveloped position usually backfires; patience is the whole point of Fischer's approach.

3. 3

   White: undermine the g-pawn chain with h4

   6...d5 7.exd5 Bd6 8.d4 Nh5 9.O-O

   Against the classical ...g5 defence White plays h4 at once to break up Black's pawn chain. After ...g4 the knight jumps to e5 (the Kieseritzky Gambit), and White builds the centre with d4, castles and aims to win back f4 with Bxf4 or Rxf4, opening lines towards Black's king even at the cost of the g-pawn.

4. 4

   Black: give the pawn back for safety (Modern Defense)

   6.O-O Bg7 7.d4 d6 8.exd6 cxd6

   Rather than cling to the extra pawn under fire, Black simply lets it go in exchange for smooth development and a safe king — the position after ...cxd6 and ...O-O is roughly balanced with no attacking chances for White at all, a very practical way to neutralise the gambit.

5. 5

   White: the extra tempo in the Bishop's Gambit

   4...c6 5.d4 d5 6.exd5 cxd5 7.Bb5+

   In the Bishop's Gambit White develops the bishop before the knight, so that ...Qh4+ only costs castling rights (Kf1) rather than a weakening g3. White builds the centre with Nc3 and d4, answers ...c6 and ...d5 with the Bb5+ check, and regains f4 with Bxf4 with active pieces and a lead in development.