Editor’s note: David R. Sands is off on assignment this week. The following is a reprint of a column that ran on Jan. 17, 2012.
The most romantic of chess openings doesn’t get many dates these days.
A favorite of 19th-century masters, including Paul Morphy and Johannes Zukertort, and a powerful — if occasional — weapon in the arsenal of gunslingers such as David Bronstein and Boris Spassky, the King’s Gambit is a rarity on the modern tournament circuit.
Though never refuted, the gambit opens up White to a dangerous attack, and a number of defensive ideas have been found for Black to return the sacrificed pawn and set up a reasonable defense.