King's Gambit Declined · C30

Classical, Hanham Variation

1. e4 e5 2. f4 Bc5 3. Nf3 d6 4. Nc3 Nd7

f4 offers a pawn to drag Black's e-pawn off the centre and open the f-file - development and attack against material, the oldest bargain in chess.

The first 4 moves, explained

• 1. e4 Stakes a claim in the centre, controlling d5, and frees the bishop and queen.
• 1... e5 Stakes a claim in the centre, controlling d4, and frees the bishop and queen.
• 2. f4 Challenges the pawn on e5 - the central tension has to resolve. The pawn is genuinely on offer - this is the King's Gambit: development and initiative over material.
• 2... Bc5 Develops the bishop with tempo - it attacks the knight on g1. It eyes f2, the one square only the king defends. Theory calls this the Classical Variation.

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