The Evans Gambit.
1 P-K4
P-K4
2 Kt-KB3
Kt-QB3
3 B-B4
B-B4
4 P-QKt4 ...
The idea of this Gambit, the discovery of Captain Evans, is to win a move for the formation of the centre, provided the proffered Pawn is taken.
Black is by no means forced to accept the sacrifice. If 4 ... B-Kt3, the Bishop is there safe and strong. A furious attack by White undertaken with the rejected Pawn would fail
5 P-Kt5
Kt-R4;
6 KtxP
Kt-R3, and now Black menaces many attacks,
7 P-Q4
P-Q3;
8 BxKt
PxKt;
9 BxP
R-KKt1. White wins only Pawns while Black develops pieces continually.
10 BxPch.
KxB;
11 BxP
Q-Kt4; Black will continue the attack by
12 ... QxKtP or X-B5 and by force of his superior development will win with ease. On the other hand, if the Bishop, being attacked by 5 ... Kt-R4, gives way with the object of keeping X on R4 captive.
6 B-K2
P-Q4!;
7 PxP
P-K5. A blockade of the Black Knight cannot be efficiently carried through, since Black by his energetic onslaught gives White many other things to think of.
Although the immediate attack by 5 (]P-X5 fails, there are several quiet continuations which allow White a fair game. But the most important point is whether the Gambit may not be accepted with advantage.
4 ... BxP
5 P-B3 ...
The Bishop may retire to B4 or to R4 -- not so well to K2, where it would hinder the Queen from protecting KB2 if the need arise. In the last century many masters to name only the foremost: Anderssen, Zukertort, Tschigorin, most diligently analyzed these variations. The following continuations were discovered:
5 ... B-B4
6 O-O
P-Q3
7 P-Q4
PxP
8 PxP
B-Kt3
9 P-Q5
Kt-R4
Not 9 ... Kt-K4;
10 KtxKt
PxKt;
11 B-R3.
10 B-Kt2
Kt-K2
in order to use the open line should BxP.
11 B-Q3
O-O
White will now operate so as to advance the King's side Pawns P-B4-B5, etc., whereas Black will attempt to bring his Queen's side Pawns to bear. Whichever side is the first to arrive with the Pawns at the enemy's gate will win. Again a wholly different picture.
9 Kt-B3
Kt-R4
Not 9 ... Kt-B3, because
10 P-K5
PxP and again
11 B-R3.
10 B-Kt5
P-KB3
11 B-B4
KtxB
12 Q-R4ch. ...
and White stands firmly entrenched in the centre. And again, but not so strong
9 B-Kt2
KKt-K2
10 Kt-Kt5
P-Q4
11 PxP
Kt-R4
12 P-Q6
KtxB
13 PxKt
Q-Q4
14 Kt-QB3
KtxB
15 KtxQ
KtxQ
16 KRxKt
P-KR3
These various attacks may or may not succeed, but for the purpose of judging the value of the Gambit they are unfortunately not the measure. Black, by accepting the Gambit and then giving up his Pawn plus voluntarily, can strike a good bargain, because he thus escapes all peril and possibly gains a slight advantage over White.
7 ... B-Kt3
If White wants to change Queens, he can regain his Pawn. If not, Black will hold on to the Pawn, while refusing to exchange the KP. And thus White will be blocked by the QBP and be without avenues of attack. If White foregoes 8 PxP
PxP;
9 QxQch.
KtxQ;
10 KtxP, which would allow Black a good Ending, he cannot set into motion his chain of King's side Pawns, since the presence of the Black KP would prevent it at its very inception. This line of play is of account also in the variation
5 ... B-R4
If White wants to avoid the above defence, he cannot proceed with 6 O-O
P-Q3;
7 P-Q4, ... since then
7 ... B-Kt3 as above, and therefore he must immediately advance with the QP.
6 P-Q4 ...
If Black now captures the Pawn with Pawn, White obtains the attack because the weak point KB2 can be guarded only by the Queen and in view of the many mobile White pieces the Queen in its turn becomes an object of attack, thus: 6 ... PxP;
7 O-O
PxP;
8 Q-Kt3
Q-B3
9 P-K5
Q-Kt3;
10 KtxP
KKt-K2;
11 B-R3. Black will have to liberate himself, even at the expense of a pawn
11 ... P-Kt4;
12 KtxP
R-QKt1;
13 Q-R4; or 11 ... P-Q3;
12 PxP
PxP;
13 QR-Q1
O-O; or else Black will have to forego Castling, 11 ... BxKt;
12 QxB
P-Kt3;
13 KR-Q1
B-Kt2;
14 QR-B1, ... but all of this is rather unsatisfactory, undefined, aimless, as dancing upon a tight rope from which the dancer may easily fall [!for instance, 14 ... Kt-R4;
15 B-Q3
Q-R4;
16 QxP
BxKt;
17 B-K2 wins). And during nearly the hundred years that the above position has been analysed, no final conclusion has been arrived at, which is significant of the validity of the position. For this reason the conscientious analyst is driven to recommend
6 ... P-Q3
with the intention of turning into the variation discussed above. If White wants to evade this line of play, he must immediately attack; the only target for attack at present is Black's KB2. Hence
7 Q-Kt3
Q-Q2
Not 7 ... Q-K2, nor 7 ... Q-B3 because of
8 P-Q5. In the position arrived at Black will have time to develop by means of X-B3, and O-O, etc., provided he is ever ready to give up his plus of a Pawn in the interest of rapid development.
On account of this readiness the masters, during the last thirty years, have little by little ceased the playing of Gambits.