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Elephant Gambit

Elephant Gambit on chess board

The Elephant Gambit is an uncommon gambit that arrives after the starting moves:

1. e4 e5
2. Nf3 d5

White can take either of the pawns on e5 or d5. Both of the pawns have the own unique challenges.

If white takes on d5, then black can retake with the Queen but falls in development after Nc3 from white. Taking the pawn on e5 with Nxe5 is also viable but leaves the board state open for lots of attacking lines for black.

This is not the strongest gambit and is not recommended in games where your opponent has an extended time bank to think about the most accurate moves. If you are playing a blitz or rapid game and want something different then you may want to try out the Elephant Gambit.

If you would like to learn more about each of these variations be sure to watch the video below.