Position 1 of 8
1.e4
Controls the center and opens lines for your bishop and queen.
C33Play as White9 lines to train
Learn the King's Gambit
The oldest and most romantic gambit — sacrifice a pawn for a fierce kingside attack.
Main line
1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Nf3 g5 4. Bc4 Bg7 5. d4 d6 6. O-O
1.e41…e52.f42…exf43.Nf33…g54.Bc44…Bg75.d45…d66.O-O
The idea
Why this opening works
The King's Gambit gives up a pawn to rip open the f-file, accelerate development, and build a dangerous attack against the enemy king. At club level, opponents often struggle to defend accurately and the initiative you gain is worth far more than one pawn.
What to remember
- Know the first 8 half-moves of the main line.
- Understand the purpose of your key moves before adding more theory.
- Practice the branches until you can respond without move-order guessing.
Move by move
The moves worth understanding
Theory sticks when every move has a job. Start with these ideas from the trainer.
Scroll down through 8 positions
- e2 → e4
- f2 → f4
Position 2 of 8
2.f4
The King's Gambit! Offers a pawn to open the f-file and seize the initiative. One of the oldest and boldest openings in chess.
- g1 → f3
Position 3 of 8
3.Nf3
Develops the knight, prevents ...Qh4+ check, and prepares to castle. The most principled follow-up.
- f1 → c4
Position 4 of 8
4.Bc4
Aims at the f7 weakness. Combined with the open f-file (after castling), this creates tremendous attacking pressure.
- d2 → d4
Position 5 of 8
5.d4
Builds a powerful pawn center. With pawns on d4 and e4, you control the board while Black is still developing.
- e1 → g1
Position 6 of 8
6.O-O
Castles to safety and immediately activates the rook on the open f-file.
- b1 → c3
Position 7 of 8
5.Nc3
Develops the knight, supports e4, and prepares to reclaim the gambit pawn or build an attack.
- e4 → e5
Position 8 of 8
4.e5
Pushes forward to attack the knight, gaining space and tempo in the center.
Trainer variations
Lines you’ll meet
These are representative branches from the drill, not a demand to memorize everything at once.
Line 11. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Nf3 g5 4. Bc4 Bg7 5. d4 d6 6. O-O
Line 21. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Nf3 g5 4. Bc4 d6 5. d4 Bg7 6. O-O
Line 31. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Nf3 d6 4. d4 g5 5. Bc4 Bg7 6. O-O
Line 41. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Nf3 d6 4. d4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Be7 6. Bc4
Line 51. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. e5 Nh5 5. d4 d6 6. Bc4
Line 61. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. e5 Nh5 5. d4 Be7 6. Bc4
Quick answers
King's Gambit questions
What is the King's Gambit?
The oldest and most romantic gambit — sacrifice a pawn for a fierce kingside attack. The King's Gambit gives up a pawn to rip open the f-file, accelerate development, and build a dangerous attack against the enemy king. At club level, opponents often struggle to defend accurately and the initiative you gain is worth far more than one pawn.
What is the main line of the King's Gambit?
This trainer starts with 1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Nf3 g5 4. Bc4 Bg7 5. d4 d6 6. O-O. The exact move order can change by variation, so learn the purpose of each move as well as the sequence.
Is the King's Gambit good to learn as White?
Yes. Chess Trainer recommends it as learn attacking chess. Start with the main line, then add one opponent branch at a time.
Study next
C50Italian GameClassic development with Bc4 targeting f7. Solid and principled.1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d4 exd4 6. cxd4 Bb4+ 7. Bd2 Bxd2+ 8. Nbxd2 d5 9. exd5C60Ruy LopezOne of the oldest and most respected openings, pressuring the knight defending e5.1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 O-O 8. d3B20Sicilian Defense (Open)The most popular response to 1.e4. Asymmetric and combative.1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be2 e5 7. Nb3 Be7 8. O-O
Turn the guide into recall
Now play the King's Gambit from memory.
The drill gives you an opponent reply, checks your response, and repeats the branches that need more work.