Evans Gambit

ECO C51-C52intermediate

The Evans Gambit, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4!?, is the Italian Game with the gloves off: White deflects the bishop, gains the tempo for c3 and d4, and builds the broad center plus open lines the Romantics dreamed of — for one pawn. Anderssen and Morphy made it immortal, Kasparov revived it against Anand, and it remains one of the most dangerous practical weapons in 1.e4 e5: Black's defenses are adequate but narrow, and every natural-looking alternative loses brilliantly.

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Main line

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

Diagram shows the position after 6 half-moves of the main line. On SpeakChess you can drill this line move by move — the trainer plays the other side and corrects you instantly, then spaced repetition schedules each variation so you review it right before you would forget it.

Move by move

The first 12 moves of the main line, explained one at a time. Every move of every variation is annotated like this inside the trainer — this page shows the opening moves so you can judge the explanations before signing up.

This move stakes a claim in the center, freeing the queen and bishop for action. Controlling the center with pawns is a key opening principle, as it gives your pieces more space and mobility.
This move stakes a claim in the center, challenging White's pawn on e4. It opens lines for your bishop and queen, preparing for your own development.
This move develops a piece while attacking Black's e5 pawn, immediately putting pressure on the center. It also prepares for quick kingside castling, bringing your king to safety and connecting the rooks.
This develops a knight to its natural square and immediately challenges White's control of the center by attacking the e4 pawn. It also prepares for a future ...d5 push to challenge White's central dominance further.
This move develops your bishop to an active diagonal targeting the weak f7 square, which is only defended by Black's king. It also helps control the center by supporting the e4 pawn and prepares for quick kingside castling.
This develops your bishop to an active central square, attacking White's pawn on e4. It prepares for quick kingside castling while reinforcing your control over the center.
This move sacrifices a pawn to open the b-file and develop your bishop to b2, aiming to challenge Black’s control of the center. It also disrupts Black’s knight by forcing it to move, speeding up your attack.
This move develops your bishop to a safe square, protecting the vulnerable f6-square near your king. It also prepares for castling kingside, which gets your king to safety and connects your rooks.
This move wins the bishop pair and opens the a-file for White's rook, creating long-term pressure. It also weakens Black's queenside pawn structure, giving White targets to attack later in the game.
This move pins the bishop on e7 to the king, preventing Black from castling immediately. It also develops the knight to an active square, attacking the key central pawn on e5.
This move clears the f3-square for your knight, strengthening your control of the center and preparing to castle kingside. By removing Black's central pawn, you also open lines for your bishops to become more active against Black's position.
White recaptures the pawn to restore material balance and develops the knight to a strong central square. This move also opens the b5-d7 diagonal for the light-squared bishop, increasing pressure on Black’s position.

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Win rates by rating

Results from real online games, measured after the line shown in each row. Most opening sites show one aggregate number — how an opening scores depends heavily on who is playing it.

Rating	Games	White wins	Draws	Black wins	Position after
400-600	893	50.2%	7.3%	42.6%	1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5
600-800	1,821	55.1%	2.5%	42.4%	1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4
800-1000	75	56%	1.3%	42.7%	1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 Be7
1000-1200	37	56.8%	2.7%	40.5%	1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 Be7
1200-1400	32	46.9%	3.1%	50%	1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 Be7 5.b5 Na5
1400-1600	27	51.9%	0%	48.1%	1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 Be7 5.b5 Na5 6.Nxe5 Nxc4
1600-1800	123	60.2%	0.8%	39%	1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 Be7
1800-2000	26	57.7%	3.8%	38.5%	1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 Be7 5.b5 Na5
2000-2200	28	32.1%	3.6%	64.3%	1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 Be7
2200-2400	2,755	48.5%	4.2%	47.3%	1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4

Most played continuations (2200-2400 rating)

After 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4:

Bxb4 — played 82.9% of the time (White wins 48.8%, draws 4.2%, Black wins 47%)
Bb6 — played 11.5% of the time (White wins 42%, draws 4.4%, Black wins 53.6%)
Nxb4 — played 1.3% of the time (White wins 44.4%, draws 5.6%, Black wins 50%)

Related openings

Frequently asked questions

Is the Evans Gambit sound by modern standards?

It is in excellent theoretical health: Black's best defenses (5...Ba5 with the Lasker ...d6 and ...Bb6 return, or 5...Be7) hold the balance but concede White full practical compensation — initiative, center, and development. There is no line where White stands worse, which for a gambit is the definition of soundness.

Should Black accept or decline the Evans?

Accepting with 4...Bxb4 5.c3 Ba5 is critical and best — the Lasker plan of returning the pawn with ...d6 and ...Bb6 defuses the worst of the attack. Declining with 4...Bb6 (5.a4 a6) is solid and avoids the sharpest theory, at the cost of letting White claim queenside space for free.