The Centre Game and The Centre Gambit.
1 P-K4
P-K4
2 P-Q4 ...
Black frustrates the simple threat to gain a pawn most easily by capturing the assailant Pawn.
2 ... PxP
3 QxP ...
The early exposure of the Queen allows Black to gain a move by attacking it.
3 ... Kt-QB3
4 Q-K3 ...
The Queen might also go to R4, but on K3 it has better opportunities for attack on the King's side.
4 ... Kt-B3
5 Kt-QB3 ...
White must not attack prematurely as, for instance, by 5 P-K5
Kt-KKt5;
6 Q-K4
P-Q4!;
7 PxP in passing
7 ... B-K3, and Black is so well developed that the Pawn minus is more than compensated for.
5 ... B-Kt5
6 B-Q2
O-O
7 O-O-O
P-Q3
8 Q-Kt3
Kt-K4
Black menaces now 9 ..., (]BxX followed by 10 ..., XxP, also 9 ..., [!)X-R4. All in all, he is well prepared for the ensuing struggle.
White can play a veritable Gambit -- the above line of play is one in name only -- by abandoning his Pawn for the time being.
3 P-QB3
P-Q4
To capture the Pawn would develop White so rapidly as to give him sufficient compensation for the loss in material.
4 KPxP
Kt-KB3
5 QxP
QxP
6 Kt-B3
Kt-B3
Black is well developed.