Ponderchess / Openings
Play the guided film, or select a scene to pause and study its position.
Opening
The Danish Gambit in 3D
1.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.c3. White offers one or two pawns for rapid development, aiming both bishops at Black's kingside along open diagonals.
Rebuild the sequence yourself. The board responds to each move, and hints are available.
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Select a piece, then its destination. Switch to 2D for a clear overhead view or rotate the 3D board to explore the position.
Danish Gambit, move by move: e4 e5 d4 exd4 c3
The white pieces
Develop at speed with Bc4, Nf3 or Ne2, Nc3 and quick castling, and aim at f7 and g7. The attack must come before Black consolidates, because in an endgame the extra pawns count.
The black pieces
Take the pawns only with a clear plan to give one back. The ...d5 counterstrike and quick development with ...Nf6, ...Bb4+ or ...Be7 and castling defuse most of White's play.
Look a little deeper · 01
The full gambit runs 3...dxc3 4.Bc4 cxb2 5.Bxb2. White is two pawns down, but the bishops on c4 and b2 bear down on f7 and g7, and White is well ahead in development.
Look a little deeper · 02
4.Nxc3 instead of 4.Bc4 gives only one pawn, keeping a lead in development with less risk.
Look a little deeper · 03
Black's best-known defence is to return material at once. In the Schlechter Defense, 5...d5 6.Bxd5 Nf6, Black gives back a pawn to finish development and blunt the bishops.
Look a little deeper · 04
Declining with 3...d5 is also good. After 4.exd5 Qxd5 5.cxd4, White has an isolated d-pawn and active pieces, and Black has easy development.
Danish Gambit, move by move: e4 e5 d4 exd4 c3
Keyboard: Space pauses, the arrow keys step. Gold arrows are White's moves, violet are Black's, red rays are threats, green shows support, blue shows plans.
