Evans Gambit
1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.b4
The Evans Gambit is a rare bird in the modern tournament scene.
4...Bxb4 5.c3 Bd6!?
The Stone-Ware Defence is an even rarer riposte - there are just 541 examples of 5...Bd6!? in ChessBase's 2025 Mega database.
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| How should White respond? |
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6.d4
This is easily the most popular move, and is liked by Stockfish17 and Dragon1 along with 6.0-0
6...Nf6 7.dxe5!?
The main line in Mega25 runs 7.0-0 0-0 8.Re1 h6!? 9.Nbd2 Re8 10.Bd3!? (10.Qb3 is also popular, and is preferred by the engines) Bf8 11.Nxe5 Nxe5 12.dxe5 Rxe5, with White having full compensation for a pawn, according to the engines.
7...Bxe5
Not 7...Nxe5? 8.Nxe5 Bxe5 9.f4 Bd6 10.e5, and if 10...Qe7 then simply 11.Qe2.
8.Nxe5 Nxe5 9.Bb3
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| White has the bishop-pair and easy development, but that is not enough for a pawn, according to the engines |
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9...0-0 10.Bg5
The engines prefer castling, as after the text ...
10...h6
... puts White in a predicament.
11.Bh4
This looks natural, but the engines much prefer giving up the bishop-pair by capturing on f6, or keeping the bishop-pair while maintaining a pin on the black king's knight by 11.f4!? Ng6 12.f5!? Ne5 13.Bh4.
11...Ng6 12.Bg3!?
Offering a second pawn, presumably on the basis that 12.Bxf6 Qxf6 leaves White with no compensation for a single pawn.
12...Nxe4 13.0-0 Nxg3 14.fxg3 d6 15.Nd2 Ne5 16.Qc2 Bd7 17.Rf4 a5!? 18.a3
On 18.Raf1 Black has 18...a4!?, when 19.Bxa4 Bxa4 20.Rxa4 Rxa4 21.Qxa4 Qg5 leaves Black 'only' a pawn up materially, but in a simplified position in which White has queenside pawn-weaknesses.
18...Qe7 19.Raf1 Bb5 20.c4
18...Qe7 19.Raf1 Bb5 20.c4
There appears to be nothing better.
20...Bc6 21.Ne4?
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| This loses further material |
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21...Ng6 22.Rg4
Or 22.Nf6+ gxf6 23.Rxf6 Qe3+ 24.Kh1 Be4.
22...h5 23.Rxg6
If 23.Nf6+ gxf6 24.Rxg6+ fxg6 25.Qxg6+, Black has 25...Qg7.
23...Bxe4 24.Qe2 fxg6 25.Re1 Qf6!? 0-1
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