Evans GambitC51

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4. White offers the b-pawn so that Black's bishop has to move again, and White gets time to build a big middle with c3 and d4.

Its full name in the Lichess list is Italian Game: Evans Gambit.

Move by move

4. b4: pawn to b 4

White: e4, pawn to e 4.
Black: e5, pawn to e 5.
White: Nf3, knight to f 3.
Black: Nc6, knight to c 6.
White: Bc4, bishop to c 4.
Black: Bc5, bishop to c 5.
White: b4, pawn to b 4.

What each side wants

⚪ White: After 4...Bxb4, play c3 to hit the bishop, then d4, and attack quickly before Black castles.

⚫ Black: Taking the pawn is fine. Give it back later if that helps you castle safely.

White made the last move, so after this it is Black's turn.

You will also hear it called the Evans.

Three things every opening does

The Evans Gambit follows the three ideas strong players use in every opening. Get a pawn or two into the middle of the board, because pieces in the middle can reach more squares. Bring out your knights and bishops before you move the queen a lot, so she is not chased around. And castle early, so your king is tucked behind a wall of pawns and your rook joins the game. When you forget the moves, those three ideas will still help you find a good one.

Try it

Play it against Peabody on Play, then solve today's puzzle. Openings that start the same way:

Name, code and moves from the Lichess openings list (CC0), checked 31 October 2026. The words are Peabody's own, and every move on this page is checked by Peabody's chess engine.