The word "gambit" can often be heard when dealing with a game of chess. However, this term is sometimes used in everyday life, for example, in literature and cinema. Further you will learn what a gambit is, where this word came from and in what sense it is used.
Etymology of the word
What is a "gambit" can be understood if we look at the origin of this noun. According to well-known historical sources, the first named word was used to denote certain actions at the beginning of chess games in 1561 by the Spanish priest Roy Lopez de Segura.
He, in turn, took it from the Italian expression dare il gambetto, which means "to set a trap." In Italian, gamba is “foot”, and the verb gambettare translates as “put the footboard”.
Subsequently, from Spanish this word passed into French, and from there it migrated to all other languages ​​of the world.
Why play gambit?
What is a gambit in chess? This word is used to denote the beginning of a chess game in which a player sacrifices a pawn or piece in order to further gain any advantage. If the second player responds to the opponent’s sacrifice with his victim, then this beginning of the game is called a countergambit.
The effectiveness of a gambit can manifest itself as follows:
- Winning in time. After the player accepts the gambit and takes the pawn or the opponent’s piece, it will take him some time to put his position in order and reorganize the pieces.
- Increased activity figures. As soon as the player accepts the gambit, he scatters the pieces, and the opponent can put his own on the vacated fields. In addition, when a pawn is sacrificed, the stands are freed up and the opportunity to enter bishops and rooks is created. One of the famous world champions, Mikhail Tal , once said that he sacrificed his pawn because it stood in his way.
- Creating weaknesses in the position. By accepting the gambit, the player violates the solid structure of his pawns, and significant defects appear in his position.
Types of Gambits
Finding out what a gambit is, many people think about the famous queen's gambit. Indeed, he is one of the most popular principles of chess games among players of various levels. They play it like this: 1.d4 d5 2.c4. dxc4.
In fact, the queen's gambit is not full-fledged, since here the donated pawn d is easily won back, for example, 4 +, and then 4. However, most often the sacrificed material is played out with a finer game.
In addition to the queen's gambit, the royal gambit is often played, which begins as 1.e4 e5 2.f4 and is sharper.
A good example of a sharp debut is its Danish version. It is played as follows: 1.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.c3 dxc3 (3 ... d5 would mean the deviation of the gambit) 4.Cc4 cxb2 5.Cxb2. In this variation of the game, White sacrificed two pawns, but thanks to this, they developed both of their bishops, which put strong pressure on Black's kingside on the f7 and g7 squares.
If Black does not know how to properly defend in this situation, then it is not recommended for them to take all White pawns.
On the other hand, the gambit of Halloween is a dubious start to the party. The following moves explain how it is played: 1.e4 e5 2.Kf3 Kc6 3.Kc3 Kf6 4.Kxe5 ?! Kxe5 5.d4. The game begins with the debut of four knights , but then White sacrifices the knight in order to obtain a significant advantage in the center.
Gambit in modern chess
After getting acquainted with the questions of what a gambit is and what its types are currently used, one cannot help but dwell on how the masters recommend playing against this aggressive beginning of the chess game.
As a rule, experts advise to accept the gambit, since the rejection of it in most cases leads to a deterioration in the position of the refused player. Subsequently, at the right time, it is necessary to return the material taken to the opponent.
In poorly studied gambits, the player who takes them is more likely to stay with a material advantage. According to the general rule in chess, it makes sense to play a gambit only when a player wins a time equal to 3 moves for a given pawn.
What is a Turkish gambit?
This phrase no longer refers to the world of chess, but to literature. Turkish Gambit is a historical novel by writer Boris Akunin, which was published in 1998. The events of the novel unfold in Bulgaria during the Russian-Turkish war of 1877-1878. The main character, Varvara Suvorova, travels from St. Petersburg to the war in search of her lover and by force of chance meets Erast Fandorin. As a result of a series of erroneous actions, her lover is captured, and the Russian troops cannot deliver a decisive blow and put an end to the war, in which they have an undeniable advantage.
The events taking place in the novel indicate the presence of a traitor in the command headquarters of the Russian troops. In "Turkish Gambit" an amazing ending, which is a mixture of the fate of the heroes of the novel and a possible change in history, if all the plans of some of his characters were implemented.
In 2005, based on the novel by Boris Akunin, director Janik Fayziev made a film of the same name, which was a great success.