Italian Game, Rousseau Gambit

Rousseau Gambit

a b c d e f g h 8 File:Chessboard480.svg a8 black rook c8 black bishop d8 black queen e8 black king f8 black bishop g8 black knight h8 black rook a7 black pawn b7 black pawn c7 black pawn d7 black pawn g7 black pawn h7 black pawn c6 black knight e5 black pawn f5 black pawn c4 white bishop e4 white pawn f3 white knight a2 white pawn b2 white pawn c2 white pawn d2 white pawn f2 white pawn g2 white pawn h2 white pawn a1 white rook b1 white knight c1 white bishop d1 white queen e1 white king h1 white rook 8 7 7 6 6 5 5 4 4 3 3 2 2 1 1 a b c d e f g h
Moves	1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 f5
ECO	C50
Origin	19th century
Named after	Eugène Rousseau
Parent	Italian Game
Synonym	Ponziani Countergambit

The Rousseau Gambit (or Ponziani Countergambit after Domenico Lorenzo Ponziani) is a chess opening that begins with the moves:

1. e4 e5

2. Nf3 Nc6

3. Bc4 f5

The gambit is named after French chess master Eugène Rousseau. White can decline the gambit by supporting the e-pawn with 4.d3. The resulting position is similar to a King's Gambit Declined with colours reversed, and White's king bishop aiming at Black's weakened kingside. Black will have trouble castling kingside, and Ng5 is a likely threat. White's position is better, but still requires careful play.

Key themes for White are to attack Black's kingside and to avoid attempts by Black to simplify the position. Exchanges involving White's light-square bishop are particularly suspect.

White responses

Gambit Declined: 4.d3

White can decline the gambit and wait to capture the f-pawn. 4...Bc5 transposes to the Lucchini Gambit.

Gambit Accepted: 4.exf5

White still has a good game after the inferior 4.exf5, but the position is less clear. Black usually plays 4...e4, which White may meet by 5.Nd4! Nf6 (5...Nxd4? leads to trouble after 6.Qh5+) 6.Nxc6.

4.d4!

	a	b	c	d	e	f	g	h
8	File:Chessboard480.svg a8 black rook c8 black bishop d8 black queen e8 black king f8 black bishop g8 black knight h8 black rook a7 black pawn b7 black pawn c7 black pawn d7 black pawn g7 black pawn h7 black pawn c6 black knight e5 black pawn f5 black pawn c4 white bishop d4 white pawn e4 white pawn f3 white knight a2 white pawn b2 white pawn c2 white pawn f2 white pawn g2 white pawn h2 white pawn a1 white rook b1 white knight c1 white bishop d1 white queen e1 white king h1 white rook								8
7									7
6									6
5									5
4									4
3									3
2									2
1									1
	a	b	c	d	e	f	g	h

After 4.d4!

White gets a clear advantage with 4.d4!:

• 4...fxe4 5.Nxe5 d5 6.Bb5 Ne7 7.0-0 a6 8.Bxc6+ bxc6 (8...Nxc6? 9.Qh5+) 9.f3 Bf5 10.Nc3 +/− (Bilguer Handbuch).
• 4...d6 and now:
  • 5.Ng5 Nh6 6.d5 Nb8 (6...Ne7 7.Nc3 f4 8.g3 Ng6 9.Bb5+ +/−; Maróczy) 7.Nc3 f4 8.h4 Bg4 9.f3 Bd7 10.g3 fxg3 11.f4 +/− (Sozin).
  • 5.dxe5 and now:
    • 5...fxe4 6.Qd5 Qe7 7.Bg5 Be6 8.Qxe4 +/− de Rivière–Anderssen, London 1862.
    • 5...dxe5 6.Qxd8+ Nxd8 (6...Kxd8 7.Bg5+ Nf6 8.Nc3 +/− Morphy–Worrall, London 1859) 7.Nxe5 fxe4 8.Bd2 Bd6 9.Bc3 +/− Löwenthal & Medley vs. Morphy & Mongredien, London 1857.
• 4...Nf6 5.dxe5 Nxe4 6.0-0 Bc5 7.Nc3 Nxc3 8.bxc3 h6 9.Nd4 g6 10.Nb3 +/− (Bilguer).

See also

• Latvian Gambit
• List of chess openings
• List of chess openings named after people

External links

• Learn to play the Rousseau Gambit