How to Play the Evans Gambit
The most famous attacking gambit in the Italian Game — sacrifice the b-pawn on move four, gain two tempi, build the classical c3+d4+e4 center one move ahead of Black, and unleash 19th-century-style fireworks. Played by Captain Evans in 1827, Anderssen and Morphy in the 1850s, Chigorin for two decades, and resurrected by Garry Kasparov in 1995.
TL;DR — Quick Answer
- Moves: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4!? — sacrifice the b-pawn for two tempi and central control
- White's plan: After 4...Bxb4 5.c3, attack the bishop again with d4, build the classical c3+d4+e4 center, develop with O-O + Nc3 + Bb2, then break with e5 or Nb5
- Key gambit idea: One pawn for two tempi, then use those tempi to finish development one move ahead of Black — positional gambit dressed as a tactical one
- Main lines: Anderssen 5...Ba5, Lasker 5...Be7 (Black's best antidote), Normal Position 5...Bc5, Sokolsky 5...Bd6, and Evans Gambit Declined 4...Bb6
- Best for: Italian Game players 1200–2200 who want a surprise attacking weapon. Excellent at blitz and rapid; trickier at classical level above 2200 where Black knows the Lasker
- Pedigree: Captain Evans 1827 → Anderssen 1850s → Morphy 1858 → Chigorin 1880s–1900s → Kasparov 1995 revival against Anand, Piket, and Kamsky
What Is the Evans Gambit?
The Evans Gambit is a sharp attacking sub-line of the Italian Game. The starting moves are:
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6
3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4!?
The defining move is 4.b4!? — White offers the b-pawn so that after 4...Bxb4 5.c3 the bishop is attacked again. Black must retreat (5...Ba5, 5...Be7, 5...Bc5, or 5...Bd6), and during those two tempi White plays 6.d4 to build the classical c3+d4+e4 central pawn trio one move ahead of Black's development. The gambit's fundamental trade: one pawn for two tempi and central domination.
The Evans transposes naturally from a standard Italian Game — you reach it whenever Black plays 3...Bc5 (the Giuoco Piano move). Against 3...Nf6 you cannot play the Evans because the d-pawn defender has moved to the kingside; instead the game enters Two Knights Defense territory. So the Evans is the natural attacking branch of an Italian Game repertoire, not a separate opening — it costs you nothing to learn in addition to your normal Italian.
The opening's history is among the most dramatic in chess. Captain William Davies Evans (1790–1872), a Welsh sea captain in the Royal Navy who commanded the mail packet ship between Milford Haven and Waterford, developed the 4.b4 idea aboard his ship and first unleashed it on Alexander MacDonnell at the Westminster Chess Club in 1827. MacDonnell — one of the strongest players of his generation — was crushed by the new attacking ideas, and word of the gambit spread rapidly through 1830s London chess clubs. For the next 70 years the Evans was the most feared opening in master chess. Adolf Anderssen used it against Kieseritzky and Harrwitz in the 1850s. Paul Morphy used it against Anderssen, Harrwitz, and Howard Staunton in 1858, scoring devastating wins. Mikhail Chigorin played it for two decades from the 1880s into the 1900s and produced the deepest classical analysis. After 1900 Emanuel Lasker's defensive analysis (the 5...Be7 followed by ...Na5 line) effectively retired the gambit at master level — until Garry Kasparov revived it 95 years later in 1995 with spectacular wins over Anand (Riga blitz), Piket (Amsterdam VSB), and Kamsky (Las Palmas).
The Evans is best understood as a positional gambit dressed as a tactical one. Yes, the resulting positions are tactical — open lines, attacking bishops on c4 and b2, queen sorties to b3 attacking f7 — but the deeper reason the gambit works is structural: by sacrificing one pawn White gains two tempi (one for 4...Bxb4, one for the next bishop retreat after 5.c3), and uses those tempi to reach the ideal Italian Game central structure one move ahead of Black. The attacking patterns are simply the natural consequence of having two more developed pieces in an open position. Anderssen, Chigorin, and Kasparov all won their famous Evans games through development advantage, not direct king attacks.
New to the gambit family? The Evans sits in the “true gambit” camp — the pawn is genuinely sacrificed, never recovered, and the compensation is purely development and central control. See our What Is a Gambit in Chess? explainer for the four gambit types (accepted, declined, counter-gambit, true vs sham), the Italian etymology, and how the Evans compares to other classic attacking gambits like the King's, Smith–Morra, and Latvian.
Main Variations — Six Ways the Game Can Go
At move 4 Black must choose between accepting the gambit (4...Bxb4) or declining it (4...Bb6). After accepting, the bishop retreat on move 5 defines the entire game. Here are the six lines you must know:
Anderssen Variation — 5...Ba5 (the main line)
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 Bxb4 5.c3 Ba5 6.d4 exd4 7.O-O
The principled Black retreat. The bishop stays on the long diagonal pinning a possible c3-knight and threatening to swing back to b6 or d8. White's 6.d4 builds the classical e4+d4 center, and after 7.O-O White is fully developed with two minor pieces and a rook active versus Black's single developed bishop and knight. The critical theoretical line continues 7...d6 8.cxd4 Bb6 9.Nc3 Nf6 10.e5! dxe5 11.Ba3 — White's two bishops, lead in development, and immediate attacking ideas (Nb5, Rb1, e6 breakthrough) give full compensation for the pawn. Adolf Anderssen's signature line in the 1850s and the move Mikhail Chigorin played for two decades. Modern engines evaluate it at roughly 0.00 to +0.20 — fully sound for both sides.
Lasker Defense — 5...Be7 (the safest Black antidote)
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 Bxb4 5.c3 Be7 6.d4 Na5
Emanuel Lasker's 1895 St. Petersburg recipe — instead of contesting the center, Black returns the pawn to neutralize White's attacking chances. After 6.d4 Na5! 7.Nxe5 Nxc4 8.Nxc4 d5! Black opens the position with even material and the bishop pair, then plays a normal French/Petrov-style middlegame. The Lasker Defense effectively refuted the Evans Gambit at the master level for 90 years and is the reason Tarrasch declared the gambit unsound. Kasparov's 1995 revival did not address the Lasker — he won his famous Anand game from a different defense, and elite Black players who still face the Evans simply play 5...Be7 to reach a drawish position with roughly 0.00 evaluation. If you play the Evans as White, prepare for the Lasker — accept that you cannot force a win, and aim instead for slight pressure in the resulting open middlegame.
Sokolsky / Normal Position — 5...Bc5 (modern engine recommendation)
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 Bxb4 5.c3 Bc5 6.d4 exd4 7.cxd4 Bb6
The bishop returns to its original diagonal, accepting an immediate tempo loss but keeping pressure on f2 and refusing to retreat to a passive square. After 6.d4 exd4 7.cxd4 Bb6 8.Nc3 (the Möller Attack — 8.O-O d6 9.d5 also good) Na5 9.Bd3 d6 10.O-O the position is unbalanced — White has the broad center and an attack, Black has the bishop pair and a sound pawn structure. The Normal Position is what Stockfish 16+ recommends for Black in the Evans Gambit because the bishop on b6 attacks the d4-pawn AND covers f2 simultaneously. Surprisingly popular in modern correspondence play because it sidesteps the Anderssen main-line theory while keeping practical equality. The line all serious Evans players above 2400 face.
Sokolsky Variation — 5...Bd6 (the rare and tricky retreat)
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 Bxb4 5.c3 Bd6 6.d4 Nf6 7.O-O O-O 8.Nbd2
Named for Alexey Sokolsky (the same theoretician behind the 1.b4 Sokolsky Opening), this bishop retreat looks awkward but defends the e5-pawn and clears the e7 and f8 squares for Black's king and queen development. White must play patiently — there's no quick tactical refutation. The plan is 8.Nbd2 with Nb3 + a4 + Bb2 building a slow positional bind. Stockfish evaluation: roughly +0.30 for White, less than the Anderssen main line. Played by Nigel Short and Vassily Ivanchuk as a surprise weapon — Sokolsky himself preferred the 6...exd4 / 7...d5 path. The Sokolsky is the move every Evans-playing White must know exists because it sidesteps 100+ years of mainline theory in a single bishop move.
Evans Gambit Declined — 4...Bb6 (refusing the pawn)
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 Bb6 5.a4 a6 6.Nc3
Black declines the gambit entirely, retreating the bishop to safety on b6 and refusing to spend tempi grabbing the b-pawn. After 5.a4 a6 6.Nc3 the position resembles a slow Italian-style maneuvering game — White's b4-pawn becomes a queenside space-gaining asset rather than a wasted material sacrifice. White's main plan is a5 + Bb2 (or Ba3) + d3 + Nd5 with kingside attacking chances. Black's main plan is ...d6 + ...Nf6 + ...O-O with a solid but slightly passive Italian setup. Played by Magnus Carlsen as Black to neutralize Kasparov-style attacking prep. Most Whites prefer to face the Anderssen 5...Ba5 — when Black declines you cannot generate the same forcing attack, and the game becomes a slow positional contest favoring the player with better technique. Evaluation: roughly +0.30 for White, comparable to a normal Italian Game.
Nakhmanson Gambit — 5...Ba5 6.O-O (the modern double-gambit)
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 Bxb4 5.c3 Ba5 6.O-O Nf6 7.Nxe5
The Nakhmanson Gambit is White's modern attacking try — instead of 6.d4 immediately, White castles first, allowing 6...Nf6 7.Nxe5! Nxe5 8.d4! which sacrifices a SECOND pawn for a roaring central attack. After 8...Nxc4 9.dxa5 Nb6 10.a5 Nbd7 11.e5 White has full piece activity for two pawns. Used by online attackers and IM-level prep. Borderline-sound at engine level (roughly -0.40) but extremely difficult to defend over the board. The Nakhmanson is the Evans Gambit's nuclear option — if you really want to attack and don't mind playing down two pawns, this is your line. Best for blitz and rapid where Black has no time to find the precise defensive sequence.
Practical tip: As White, spend 40% of your study on the Anderssen 5...Ba5 mainline (you'll see it in 60% of practical Evans games below 2000), 30% on the Lasker 5...Be7 defense (the only line where you cannot force an attack — accept slight pressure and play technically), 15% on the Normal Position 5...Bc5, 10% on the Evans Gambit Declined 4...Bb6, and 5% on the rare 5...Bd6 Sokolsky. Above 2200 invert that weighting — study the Lasker first because strong opponents will know it.
Anderssen Main Line — Move by Move
The Anderssen Variation (5...Ba5) is the most principled Black response and the line every Evans player must know cold. Black keeps the bishop on the long diagonal and refuses to concede central squares without a fight:
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6
3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bxb4
5. c3 Ba5 6. d4 exd4
7. O-O d6 8. cxd4 Bb6
9. Nc3 Nf6 10. e5! dxe5
11. Ba3 Bd7 12. Re1
The critical moves are 6.d4! (the central trio comes immediately — exd4 opens the c-file and creates targets along the long diagonal), 7.O-O (castling before recapturing on d4 — White spends one more tempo on safety, gaining the option of either cxd4 or the spectacular Qb3 ideas), 9.Nc3 (developing toward the center; alternative 9.d5 kicks the c6-knight), 10.e5! (the central breakthrough — opens the e-file and clears e4 for the c3-knight or queen), and 11.Ba3 (the second bishop swing to the long a3-f8 diagonal — pressuring the f8-square and preparing Nb5 ideas). After move 12 White has all minor pieces developed, both rooks connected via castling, and the Black king still on e8. Stockfish evaluates the position at approximately +0.30 for White with full compensation for the pawn.
- WhiteBuild the c3+d4+e4 center and develop with tempo. The standard Anderssen plan is 6.d4 → 7.O-O → 8.cxd4 → 9.Nc3 → 10.e5! → 11.Ba3 → 12.Re1. Every move develops a piece OR opens a line. Never play a pure defensive move before move 15 — the gambit's compensation depends on continuous initiative. Look for tactical breaks: e5 → exd6 → Nb5 attacking c7, or Nd5 → Bxd5 → exf7+ ideas. The queen typically goes to b3 attacking f7 or to d3/h5 supporting the kingside attack. Trade pieces only when it accelerates your attack — every minor piece traded reduces the attacking force by 25%.
- BlackHold the extra pawn, complete development, and aim for the endgame. The Anderssen defensive plan is 5...Ba5 → 6...exd4 → 7...d6 → 8...Bb6 → 9...Nf6 → 10...dxe5 → 11...Bd7 → 12...O-O. Castle as fast as possible — every move the king sits on e8 invites tactical strikes. The key prophylactic moves are 7...d6 (defending e5 and preventing d5 ideas) and 8...Bb6 (retreating before Ba3-Bxc5 ideas materialize). If you survive the first 20 moves with extra material and king safety, you should win the endgame — the extra pawn matters once the attacking initiative dissipates.
Lasker Defense — How Black Equalizes
Emanuel Lasker's 1895 defensive recipe is the one line where the Evans Gambit fails to produce an attack. Black returns material immediately to reach a roughly equal middlegame:
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6
3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bxb4
5. c3 Be7 6. d4 Na5!
7. Nxe5 Nxc4 8. Nxc4 d5!
9. exd5 Qxd5 10. Nc3 Qd6
The critical Black moves are 5...Be7 (retreat to the unattacked square — no further tempo loss is invited), 6...Na5! (Lasker's key resource — the knight attacks the c4-bishop, forcing White to choose between losing the bishop or capturing on e5 with the knight, where it can be exchanged), 7...Nxc4 (eliminating White's most dangerous attacking piece — the bishop on c4 is the engine of Evans attacks against f7), and 8...d5! (the central counter — Black sacrifices a pawn back to open the position with equal material and the bishop pair). After 9.exd5 Qxd5 the position is engine-evaluated at 0.00 — perfectly equal. Black has the bishop pair, a healthy central pawn structure, and zero attacking weaknesses; White has slight piece activity but no compensation for the lost initiative.
The Lasker Defense is why the Evans Gambit is not a primary world-championship weapon. Against prepared opposition Black equalizes by force, and even Garry Kasparov's 1995 revival did not refute the Lasker — Kasparov's famous wins over Anand, Piket, and Kamsky all came from variations OTHER than 5...Be7. If you face a 2400+ opponent in classical chess, expect the Lasker and accept that you cannot force more than equality. The Evans' practical power lies in the fact that below 2200, almost no one plays the Lasker correctly — the moves 6...Na5 and 8...d5 look anti-positional and require precise understanding to execute.
Evans Gambit vs Other Italian Lines — When to Choose Which?
White has several options against 3...Bc5 in the Italian Game. The Evans is the sharpest; each alternative has a distinct trade-off:
Evans Gambit — this article
Sacrifice a pawn for two tempi and central control. Best for White players who love 19th-century-style attacking chess, want a surprise weapon against Italian-prepared opponents, and don't mind playing for an attack rather than a small positional edge. Theoretical respectability confirmed by Kasparov's 1995 revival.
Evans Gambit vs Giuoco Piano (4.c3 or 4.d3)
The Giuoco Piano ("quiet game") plays 4.c3 or 4.d3 instead of 4.b4 — a slow positional approach with a small structural edge but no fireworks. Choose the Giuoco Piano if you're facing a strong opponent who knows the Lasker Defense; choose the Evans if you want a tactical fight with attacking chances. Modern elite players (Carlsen, Caruana, Anand) overwhelmingly prefer the Giuoco Piano with 4.d3 — they consider the Evans theoretically inferior at the world- championship level.
Evans Gambit vs Two Knights Defense (3...Nf6)
Against 3...Nf6 (the Two Knights) you cannot play the Evans because the b4 tempo doesn't hit the bishop — Black's c5-bishop never develops. Instead the game enters Two Knights territory with 4.Ng5 (Fried Liver Attack) or 4.d3 (Modern Italian). So an Italian Game repertoire requires both: the Evans for 3...Bc5 lines and a Two Knights weapon for 3...Nf6. Most White players choose 4.Ng5 against the Two Knights for symmetry with the Evans attacking style.
Evans Gambit vs King's Gambit
Both are romantic 19th-century gambits, but the trade-offs differ. The King's Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.f4) opens the f-file immediately and exposes the king on e1 — high risk, high reward. The Evans Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4) keeps the kingside intact and gains tempi without weakening White's king. Choose the King's Gambit for open-file attacks; choose the Evans for central control with attacking bishops. At the club level the Evans is significantly more reliable — the King's Gambit has several Black defenses that effectively refute it (Falkbeer, Fischer Defense, Modern Defense).
Evans Gambit vs Ruy López (3.Bb5)
The Ruy López (3.Bb5) is the modern world- championship choice against 1...e5 — a slow positional opening with hundreds of pages of theory through move 25. The Evans is the 19th-century answer — fast, tactical, and 90% less theory to memorize. Choose the Ruy López if you want a long-term positional grind; choose the Evans if you want a forcing attacking game with a structural surprise factor. Many 1.e4 players use BOTH — Ruy López as their main weapon and Evans as a surprise alternative against opponents who prepare specifically against the Spanish.
Evans Gambit vs Scotch Game (3.d4)
The Scotch (3.d4 instead of 3.Bc4) plays for immediate central tension before developing the king-bishop. Choose the Scotch if you want a structural advantage from move 3 with no material sacrifice; choose the Evans if you want to give up material for tempo. The Scotch is more flexible (it transposes into Sicilian-style positions in many lines), the Evans is more forcing (the attack arrives by move 10). Many players combine them — Scotch against booked-up opponents, Evans against Italian-prepared opponents who don't expect 4.b4.
Key Strategic Themes
Master these four concepts and any Evans Gambit middlegame becomes navigable:
Tempo for pawn — the gambit's fundamental trade
The Evans Gambit's core insight is that 4.b4!? gains exactly one tempo by hitting the c5-bishop, and after 4...Bxb4 5.c3 gains another tempo by attacking it again. White spends one pawn (b4) to win two tempi (Bxb4 and Ba5/Be7/Bc5/Bd6 — wherever the bishop retreats), then uses those tempi to play 6.d4 building the e4+d4 classical center one move faster than Black can develop the queenside. The Evans is not about attacking the king directly — it's about reaching the ideal Italian Game center position with a tempo advantage. Once you internalize 'b4 = two tempi for one pawn' the entire gambit becomes intuitive: every White move after 6.d4 should either develop a piece (Nc3, O-O, Bb2, Bd3) or open the position further (e5 break, Nb5 jump). If your position becomes passive, you've spent the tempo bonus poorly. The Evans is a positional gambit dressed as a tactical one — Anderssen, Chigorin, and Kasparov all won their famous Evans games through development advantage, not direct mating attacks.
The c3+d4+e4 central trio — the gambit's structural goal
Every Evans Gambit line White plays aims for the same pawn structure: pawns on c3, d4, and e4 with a knight on f3 and bishop on c4. This central trio gives White spatial domination of the entire center plus an open b-file for the rook (since the b4-pawn is sacrificed). Black, by contrast, has a pawn on e5 (after 5...Ba5 6.d4 exd4) that is immediately captured, then either has no center at all (the open Anderssen lines) or has a passive setup with pieces blocking key squares (the Lasker Defense). The c3+d4+e4 trio explains why Black's main practical defense is the Lasker 5...Be7 with 6...Na5 — Black returns material immediately to prevent White from ever establishing this center. If you face the Evans as Black, the question to ask yourself is: 'Will White get c3+d4+e4 in the next three moves?' If yes, play the Lasker. If no, play the Anderssen 5...Ba5. The answer is almost always yes, which is why the Lasker remains the practical Black antidote.
Open lines for the bishops — the Italian's central bishop unleashed
The bishop on c4 is already pointing at f7 (Black's weakest pawn) in the Italian Game starting position. After 4.b4 Bxb4 5.c3 Ba5 6.d4 exd4 the d-file opens, freeing the queen on d1 to swing to a3 (after Bb2 or Ba3) or b3 attacking f7 again. Even more importantly, after 6.d4 exd4 White can play 7.O-O dxc3 8.Qb3! attacking f7 with queen + bishop battery — the classical Evans Gambit attacking idea. The Bb2 (or Ba3) move that often comes by move 9 creates a second diagonal attack against Black's kingside, and the central c3+d4+e4 trio means the c4-bishop never has to worry about being blocked. Every successful Evans game features at least three of these themes: the c4-bishop pressing f7, the b2/a3-bishop on the long diagonal, the open d-file, and the open b-file. If you don't have three of these by move 12, you've misplayed the gambit.
Kasparov's 1995 revival — Anand, Piket, and Kamsky
By the 1990s the Evans Gambit was considered a romantic relic that strong Black players easily neutralized with the Lasker Defense. Then in 1995 Garry Kasparov resurrected it as a serious attacking weapon — first against Viswanathan Anand at the Riga blitz tournament (Kasparov-Anand, 1995, a brilliant 25-move win after 5...Ba5 6.d4 exd4 7.O-O Nge7 8.Ng5! d5 9.exd5 Ne5 10.Bb3), then against Jeroen Piket (Amsterdam VSB 1995, another 25-move win) and Gata Kamsky (Las Palmas 1995). Kasparov's analysis revealed that the modern engine-confirmed best Black response to 5...Ba5 6.d4 exd4 7.O-O is 7...Nge7 (not 7...d6 or 7...Bb6), and that White can generate huge attacking chances against any Black move except the Lasker. Kasparov's revival inspired Nakamura, Caruana, and Carlsen to occasionally use the Evans at blitz and rapid level. The gambit's modern reputation: not a serious classical weapon at the world-championship level, but extremely dangerous in faster time controls and against unprepared opponents.
How to Learn the Evans Gambit (Step by Step)
- Memorize the Anderssen main line through move 12. The sequence 5...Ba5 6.d4 exd4 7.O-O d6 8.cxd4 Bb6 9.Nc3 Nf6 10.e5 dxe5 11.Ba3 Bd7 12.Re1 is the Evans Gambit tabiya — the position from which 60% of practical Evans games are decided. Don't overthink the early moves; play the formation automatically and look for tactical breaks (Nb5, Nd5, exd6, Bxf7+) only after move 12. Almost every Evans win below 2000 comes from reaching this setup with all minor pieces developed, then exploiting one Black inaccuracy.
- Study three Kasparov 1995 Evans wins. Kasparov-Anand (Riga blitz 1995, 25 moves), Kasparov-Piket (Amsterdam VSB 1995, 25 moves), and Kasparov-Kamsky (Las Palmas 1995) are the modern Evans bibles. Each game features a different Black defense and a different White attacking idea, and together they cover 80% of the practical Evans patterns. Replay each game three times — once just watching, once trying to predict each move, once with engine analysis to understand why each move was the only one. After this you'll recognize the Evans attacking patterns over the board automatically.
- Prepare for the Lasker Defense. The line 5...Be7 6.d4 Na5! 7.Nxe5 Nxc4 8.Nxc4 d5! is the one Black defense where you cannot force an attack. Accept this and play technically — after 9.exd5 Qxd5 10.Nc3 Qd6 11.O-O Nf6 the position is equal but slightly more comfortable for White (better piece coordination, slightly safer king). Aim to outplay Black in a long maneuvering game rather than searching for a non-existent attacking break. The Lasker is not a refutation — it's the line you must play patiently. Roughly 20% of your Evans games against 1900+ opponents will reach this position.
- Review your Evans games for the e5 break. The single most common winning idea in the Evans Gambit is the e5 push at exactly the right moment — usually after Nc3 is developed and the b1-knight has cleared the d2-square for pawn captures. Almost every successful Evans game features e5 at some point: opening the e-file for the rook, clearing e4 for a knight, or supporting a Nd5 outpost. Export your PGNs and use chess.rodeo for Stockfish analysis — no account, no paywall, unlimited games. The engine will show you exactly which move the e5 break should have happened on. After 15 Evans games reviewed this way, you'll see the pattern automatically over the board.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Evans Gambit?
The Evans Gambit is a sharp attacking sub-line of the Italian Game: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4!? — White sacrifices the b-pawn to gain two tempi and build the classical c3+d4+e4 central pawn trio one move ahead of Black. Invented by Captain William Davies Evans in 1827 against Alexander MacDonnell.
Is the Evans Gambit sound?
At engine level, yes — Stockfish evaluates the main Anderssen lines at 0.00 to +0.20. The Lasker Defense (5...Be7 + 6...Na5 + 8...d5) is the one line where Black equalizes by force. Below 2200 the Evans scores significantly better than its evaluation because Black rarely plays the Lasker correctly.
Who invented the Evans Gambit?
Captain William Davies Evans (1790–1872), a Welsh sea captain who commanded the mail packet ship between Milford Haven and Waterford. He invented 4.b4 aboard his ship and first played it against Alexander MacDonnell at the Westminster Chess Club in 1827. The gambit dominated 70 years of master chess before Lasker's 1895 defensive analysis effectively retired it at the elite level.
What is the Lasker Defense?
5...Be7 6.d4 Na5! 7.Nxe5 Nxc4 8.Nxc4 d5! — Emanuel Lasker's 1895 recipe for equalizing against the Evans by returning material to eliminate White's attacking pieces. Reaches a roughly equal middlegame with the bishop pair. The reason the Evans is no longer a primary world-championship weapon.
Should club players play the Evans Gambit?
Absolutely yes — the Evans is one of the best attacking weapons for club players from 1200 to 2200. Below 2000 Black almost never plays the Lasker Defense correctly, and the Evans' attacking patterns (c3+d4+e4 center, Bb2/Ba3 fianchetto, e5 break, Qb3 pressure on f7) are easy to memorize from the Anderssen and Kasparov classics. Above 2200 keep it as a surprise weapon for blitz and rapid.
Analyze your Evans Gambit games — free, no account
The Evans is a forcing opening where one missed e5 break or one missed Nb5 jump can decide the entire game. Engine analysis catches exactly when your attacking opportunity slipped — and which sacrifice would have won the game. Export your PGN and use chess.rodeo for full Stockfish analysis. No account, no paywall, unlimited games. Evans games typically end by move 30; 10 minutes of review per game reveals the exact tactical patterns you missed.