In short: An opening where one side sacrifices material, usually a pawn, to get development, the center or an attack.
In a gambit you give away material as early as the opening, usually a pawn. In return you get something that is harder to count: quicker development, a strong center, open lines or an attack on the king. It is a sacrifice, but one that is built into the opening itself.
Accepted or declined
If you are offered a gambit, you can choose. If you take the pawn, you have accepted the gambit, and then you have to survive your opponent's attack and find time to develop your pieces. If you leave the pawn alone, you have declined it, and then you play on without taking any risk.
Some famous gambits
- The King's Gambit: 1. e4 e5 2. f4. One of the oldest and wildest openings.
- The Queen's Gambit: 1. d4 d5 2. c4. Not really a true gambit, since White almost always gets the pawn back.
- The Evans Gambit: 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4. White sacrifices the b-pawn to gain time and build a center.
Rule of thumb: if you accept a gambit, use the time to get your pieces out and castle, not to hunt more pawns. If you both keep the pawn and catch up in development, you have usually come out ahead on the deal.
You'll find more openings, with and without sacrifices, among our chess openings.
Frequently asked questions
Why is it called a gambit?
The word comes from the Italian gambetto, a way of tripping someone up with your leg. The Spanish chess player Ruy López used it for chess openings as early as 1561.
What does it mean to accept or decline a gambit?
If your opponent takes the offered pawn, the gambit is accepted. If your opponent leaves the pawn alone, the gambit is declined.
Is the Queen's Gambit a real gambit?
Not really. Black can take the pawn on c4, but White almost always gets it back. The name has stuck anyway.
Updated October 31, 2026