Englund Gambit

1.d4 e5 2.dxe5 Nc6 trades a pawn for quick development and early queen checks. You get concrete traps that punish common mistakes.

The Englund Gambit hands White an extra pawn in exchange for quick piece activity and early chances against the king. You'll meet every major reply, from 4.Bf4 and 4.Nc3 to 4.Qd5, 4.Bg5, 3.Bf4, 2.d5 and 2.c4, each with a clear plan. Trap lines and puzzles sharpen the tactics that decide these games early.

What you'll learn

4.Bf4 Lines (after 2.dxe5 2...Nc6 3.Nf3 3...Qe7)

1.d4 e5 2.dxe5 Nc6 3.Nf3 Qe7 4.Bf4

After 4.Bf4 we check with Qb4+ and grab the pawn on b2 with Qxb2, hunting White's rook on a1. White's rook chases our queen with Rb1 and Rb3, but after Bxc3 we trade for the bishop pair while leaving White with an isolated pawn on c2 and doubled pawns on the e-file.

4.Nc3 Lines (after 2.dxe5 2...Nc6 3.Nf3 3...Qe7)

1.d4 e5 2.dxe5 Nc6 3.Nf3 Qe7 4.Nc3

After 4.Nc3 we recapture the pawn with Nxe5, and once knights trade on e5 we take back with Qxe5, equalizing material for free. White fianchettos with g3 and Bg2 while we pin the knight with Bb4, then castle kingside with O-O after 8...Nf6 and 9.O-O. Following 10.a3 Bc5 11.b4 Bd4, we plan Re8, Qf5 and d5, or Bxc3 followed by c6.

Stockholm Variation (4.Qd5, after 2.dxe5 2...Nc6 3.Nf3 3...Qe7)

1.d4 e5 2.dxe5 Nc6 3.Nf3 Qe7 4.Qd5

After 4.Qd5 defends the pawn on e5, we hit back with f6, and once White takes with exf6 we recapture with Nxf6. We push d5 after the queen retreats to d1, then castle queenside with O-O-O while White castles short, and follow with g5 to fight on opposite wings. From here our plan is to centralize with Ne5 and push c5.

Other 4th moves after 2.dxe5 2...Nc6 3.Nf3 3...Qe7 (4.Bg5)

1.d4 e5 2.dxe5 Nc6 3.Nf3 Qe7 4.Bg5

White blocks with 5.Bd2 rather than offering a queen trade with Qd2. This leaves White's pawns doubled on the e-file, a long-term target.

3.Bf4 Lines (after 2.dxe5 2...Nc6)

1.d4 e5 2.dxe5 Nc6 3.Bf4

After the inaccurate 3.Bf4, we push d6 to clear the way to castle, and once White plays 4.exd6 we hit the bishop on f4 with Qf6. The retreat 5.Bc1 lets us recapture with Bxd6, and after 6.Nf3 Bf5 7.c3 our last knight comes out with Nge7.

Englund Gambit Declined (2.d5)

1.d4 e5 2.d5

White declines with 2.d5, so our bishop goes to c5 and we solidify the center with d6. After 4.Nc3 f5 5.e4 Nf6 6.Bd3 O-O 7.Nf3 Na6, we plan Bb4 and Nc5, meeting Bg5 actively and keeping White's king exposed in the centre. Trap lines punish White's slips with early Bg5 or Bd3 tries.

2.c4 Lines

1.d4 e5 2.c4

White tries 2.c4 instead, and we grab the pawn with exd4, meeting the queen recapture with the tempo-gaining Nc6. After 4.Qd1 Nf6 5.Nc3 Bb4, we pin the knight on c3, and following 6.Bd2 d6 7.Nf3 O-O we finish development with castling. From here we keep improving our pieces.

What's inside

• 4 traps featured as priority lines, so you learn the tricks that win games first.
• 26 puzzles from real games of this opening.

Why this repertoire?

• Built for amateurs. The Englund Gambit lets you fight for the initiative right out of the opening with concrete tactics instead of long maneuvering.
• Compact to learn. White has only a handful of main tries after 1.d4 e5 2.dxe5 Nc6 3.Nf3 Qe7, such as 4.Bf4, 4.Nc3, 4.Qd5 and 4.Bg5, each covered with one clear line.
• Recurring plans. You'll repeatedly check with Qb4+ or pin White's knight on c3 with Bb4, then target weaknesses like an isolated c-pawn or doubled e-pawns.
• Traps reward attention. Trap lines punish natural-looking moves that win material outright or deliver checkmate.
• Understanding over memorizing. Each chapter explains what every move does and why, so you can adapt when your opponent deviates instead of guessing.