The Gambit Declined : King's Gambit Openings - Part 9

Welcome to Part 9 of the King's Gambit Openings miniseries. Part 8 focused on The King's Bishop's Gambit. This lesson will explain The Gambit Declined.

The Gambit Declined.

If Black does not choose to accept the Gambit, he has several modes of defense, which may be briefly noticed.

GAME THE FIRST.

WHITE.	BLACK.
1. P. to K's 4th.	1. P. to K's 4th.
2. P. to K. B's 4th.	2. B. to Q. B's 4th.
This appears to be Black's best move, if he declines taking P. with P.
3. K. Kt. to B's 3d.	3. P. to Q's 3d.
4. P. to Q. B's 3d.	4. B. to K. Kt's 5th.
5. B. to K's 2d. (best)	5. B. takes Kt.
6. B. takes B.	6. Q. Kt. to B's 3d.
7. P. to Q. Kt's 4th.	7. B. to Q. Kt's 3d.
8. P. to Q. Kt's 5th.	8. Q. Kt. to K's 2d.
9. P. to Q's 4th.
And the position is, perhaps, a little in your favor.

Variation,

Beginning at White's 5th move.

WHITE.	BLACK.
1. P. to K's 4th.	1. P. to K's 4th.
2. P. to K. B's 4th.	2. B. to Q. B's 4th.
3. K. Kt. to B's 3d.	3. P. to Q's 3d.
4. P. to Q. B's 3d.	4. B. to K. Kt's 5th.
5. P. to Q's 4th.	5. P. takes P.
6. P. takes P.	6. B. takes Kt.
7. P. takes B.	7. Q. to K. R's 5th. (ch.)
8. K. to his 2d.	8. B. to Q. Kt's 3d.
9. B. to K's 3d.	9. Kt. to K. B's 3d.
10. Kt. to Q. B's 3d.	10. Kt. to Q. B's 3d.
Equal game.

GAME THE SECOND.

WHITE.	BLACK.
1. P. to K's 4th.	1. P. to K's 4th.
2. P. to K. B's 4th.	2. P. to Q's 3d.
3. K. Kt. to B's 3d.	3. B. to K. Kt's 5th.
4. B. to Q. B's 4th.	4. Q. Kt. to B's 3d.
5. P. to Q. B's 3d.	5. B. takes Kt.
6. Q. takes B.	6. Kt. to K. B's 3d.
The game is slightly in your favor.

Variation,

Beginning at White's 3d move.

WHITE.	BLACK.
1. P. to K's 4th.	1. P. to K's 4th.
2. P. to K. B's 4th.	2. P. to Q's 3d.
3. B. to Q. B's 4th.	3. P. takes P.
4. K. Kt. to B's 3d.	4. B. to K's 3d.
5. B. takes B.	5. P. takes B.
6. P. to Q's 4th.	6. P. to K. Kt's 4th.
7. P. to K. R's 4th.	7. P. to K. Kt's 5th.
8. Kt. to K. Kt's 5th.	8. Q. to K. B's 3d.
9. Q. takes P.
You have the advantage.

GAME THE THIRD.

WHITE.	BLACK.
1. P. to K's 4th.	1. P. to K's 4th.
2. P. to K. B's 4th.	2. P. to Q's 4th.
3. P. takes Q. P.	3. Q. takes P.
4. Q. Kt. to B's 3d.	4. Q. to K's 3d.
5. K. Kt. to B's 3d.	5. P. takes P. (dis. ch.)
6. K. to B's 2d.	6. P. to Q. B's 3d. (best)
7. P. to Q's 4th.	7. B. to Q's 3d.
8. B. to Q's 3d.	8. K. Kt. to K's 2d.
9. R. to K's sq.
You have a fine game.

Variation,

Beginning at Black's 3d move.

WHITE.	BLACK.
1. P. to K's 4th.	1. P. to K's 4th.
2. P. to K. B's 4th.	2. P. to Q's 4th.
3. P. takes Q. P.	3. P. takes K. B. P.
4. B to Q. Kt's 5th. (ch.)	4. B. to Q's 2d.
5. Q. to K's 2d. (ch.)	5. Q. to K's 2d.
6. Kt. to Q. B's 3d.	6. Kt. to K. B's 3d.
7. B. takes B. (ch.)	7. Q. Kt. takes B.
8. P. to Q's 4th.	8. Castles.
9. Q. takes Q.	9. B. takes Q.
10. B. takes P.	10. Q. Kt. to his 3d.
Equal game.

---

GAMES

ILLUSTRATIVE OF THE KING'S GAMBIT DECLINED.

Game I.—Played by Mr. Morphy without seeing the
Chess-board or men, against M. Bornemann.

Mr. Paul Morphy

WHITE.  (Mr. M.)	BLACK.  (M. B.)
1. P. to K's 4th.	1. P. to K's 4th.
2. P. to K. B's 4th.	2. K. B. to Q. B's 4th.
3. K. Kt. to K. B's 3d.	3. P. to Q's 3d.
4. P. to Q. B's 3d.	4. Q. B. to K. Kt's 5th.
5. K. B. to Q. B's 4th.	5. K. Kt. to K. B's 3d.
6. P. takes P.	6. B. takes Kt.
7. Q. takes B.	7. Q. P. takes P.
8. P. to Q's 3d.	8. Q. Kt. to Q. B's 3d.
9. Q. B. to K. Kt's 5th.	9. P. to Q. R's 3d.
10. Q. Kt. to Q's 2d.	10. B. to K's 2d.
11. Castles on Q's side.	11. Q. to Q's 2d.
12. Kt. to K. B's sq.	12. Castles on Q's side.
13. Kt. to K's 3d.	13. P. to K. R's 3d.
14. Q. B. to K. R's 4th.	14. P. to K. Kt's 4th.
15. Q. B. to K. Kt's 3d.	15. Q. R. to K. B's sq.
16. Kt. to Q's 5th.	16. K. Kt. to K's sq.
17. P. to Q's 4th.	17. P. takes Q. P.
18. P. takes P.	18. K. Kt. to Q's 3d.
19. K. B. to Q. Kt's 3d.	19. B. to Q's sq.
20. K. R. to K. B's sq.	20. K. Kt. to Q. Kt's 4th.
21. Q. to K's 3d.	21. P. to K. B's 4th.
22. P. takes P.	22. Q. R. takes P.
23. Kt. to Q. Kt's 6th. (ch.)[A]	23. P. takes Kt.
24. K. B. to K's 6th.	24. Q. R. to Q's 4th.
25. K. R. to K. B's 7th.	25. Q. Kt. to K's 2d.
26. K. to Q. Kt's sq.	26. K. R. to K's sq.
27. Q. R. to Q. B's sq. (ch.)	27. K. Kt. to Q. B's 2d.
28. K. B. takes Q. (ch.)	28. Q. R. takes B.
29. P. to Q's 5th.[B]	29. Q. Kt. to Q. B's 3d.
30. P. takes Kt.	30. K. R. takes Q.
31. P. takes Q. R. (ch.)

And Black gives up the battle, after fighting for above nine hours.

[A] A manœuvre altogether unforeseen by M. Bornemann.

[B] Capitally played. Black can take it only at the expense of a Piece.

Game II.—Played at the Philadelphia Athenæum, between
Messrs. H. P. Montgomery and W. R. McAdam, at odds of Knight.

Remove White Queen's Knight.

WHITE.  (Mr. M.)	BLACK.  (Mr. McA.)
1. P. to K's 4th.	1. P. to K's 4th.
2. P. to K. B's 4th.	2. K. B. to Q. B's 4th.
3. K. Kt. to B's 3d.	3. P. to Q's 3d.
4. P. to K. R's 3d.	4. Q. Kt. to B's 3d.
5. P. to Q. B's 3d.	5. K. Kt. to B's 3d.
6. Q. to Q. B's 2d.	6. Castles.
7. P. to Q. Kt's 4th.	7. B to Q. Kt's 3d.
8. P. to Q. Kt's 5th.	8. Q. Kt. to K's 2d.
9. P. takes P.	9. P. takes P.
10. Kt. takes P.	10. Q. Kt. to K. Kt's 3d.
11. Kt. to K. B's 3d.	11. Q. to K's 2d.
12. P. to Q's 3d.	12. K. Kt. to Q's 4th.
13. B. to K's 2d.	13. K. Kt. to K's 6th.
14. Q. B. takes Kt.	14. B. takes B.
15. P. to Q's 4th.	15. P. to K. B's 4th.
16. P. to K's 5th.	16. P. to K. B's 5th.
17. K. B. to Q. B's 4th. (ch.)	17. K. to R's sq.
18. P. to K. R's 4th.	18. Q. B. to K. B's 4th.
19. Q. to K's 2d.	19. Q. to Q. R's 6th.
20. B. to Q. Kt's 3d.	20. Kt. to K's 2d.
21. Kt. to K. Kt's 5th.	21. B. to K. Kt's 3d.
22. P. to K. R's 5th.	22. B. to K. B's 4th.
23. P. to K. R's 6th.	23. P. to K. Kt's 3d.
24. P. to K. Kt's 4th.	24. Q. to Q. R's 4th.
25. Q. to Q. B's 4th.	25. Q. B. takes P.
26. P. to Q's 5th.	26. Kt. takes P.
27. R. to Q. B's sq.	27. B. takes R.
28. Q. takes Kt.	28. Q. takes P. (ch.)
29. K. to B's sq.	29. B. checks.
30. K. takes B.	30. Q. to K's 6th. (ch.)
31. K. to B's sq.	31. B. to Q's 7th.
32. Q. to K. Kt's 8th. (ch.)	32. R. takes Q.
33. Kt. mates.

This lesson concludes my 9 part series on King's Gambit Openings on the Learn to Play Chess blog. For you beginning chess students, I invite you go through my free online chess lessons. For you advanced chess players looking for a strategic advantage, I recommend you read through some of the other miniseries including The King's Knight's Opening, The King's Bishop's Opening, The Queen's Gambit, and Irregular Openings chess sequences.