Englund Gambit
Initial Moves: 1.d4 e5
Strategic Summary & Main Idea
The Englund Gambit answers 1.d4 with 1...e5, giving up a pawn on move one for a famous trap and little else. The position after 1...e5 is +1.53, a pawn and a half down before move two. The trap is real — if White plays 6.Bc3? in the ...Qb4+ and ...Qxb2 line, Black mates and the position measures −7.17 — but against 6.Nc3 the same line measures +2.29. The cheapest version is the Hartlaub-Charlick, with 2...d6, which measures +0.92.
The pawn structure this opening produces
The Englund has no structure of its own in the sense of the classical defences: after 2.dxe5, Black is a pawn down, has no e-pawn, and White's e5 pawn takes f6 and d6 away from Black's pieces. All of Black's play consists of regaining that pawn or compensating for it with development. In the main line, ...Nc6 and ...Qe7 attack e5 twice, and White defends with Nf3 and Bf4 or returns the pawn for time. When Black regains the pawn, the structure becomes an open, symmetrical position in which White has an extra tempo and the d-pawn already developed — a reversed king's pawn opening with a clear edge. When Black does not, as in the Hartlaub-Charlick with ...d6 or the Soller with ...f6, Black trades the pawn for open files and diagonals for the bishops. In no version does Black control the centre, which is why the number stays above half a pawn even in the best line.
Typical Plans for White
- Accept the pawn with 2.dxe5 and defend with Nf3 and Bf4, without hurrying to return it
- Against ...Qb4+, interpose with Bd2 and, after ...Qxb2, play Nc3: +2.29
- Never play Bc3 to attack the queen on b2: the line ends in mate
- Develop quickly against the Hartlaub-Charlick and use the space advantage
- Do not trade the edge for material with an early Qd5: the position drops to +0.72
Typical Plans for Black
- Regain the e5 pawn with ...Nc6 and ...Qe7 before White consolidates it
- Play for the trap only against opponents who do not know it: against 6.Nc3 it measures +2.29
- Prefer the Hartlaub-Charlick, with 2...d6, which trades the pawn for development and measures +0.92
- Avoid 2...Qe7 and 3...Nge7, the two most expensive versions of the gambit
- Trade pieces when possible, since every exchange reduces White's development lead
Main Variations of the Englund Gambit
| Variation | Move Sequence | Evaluation | Style / Characteristic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main Line with 4.Qd5 | 1.d4 e5 2.dxe5 Nc6 3.Nf3 Qe7 4.Qd5 f6 5.exf6 Nxf6 6.Qb3 |
+0.72 | White's queen attacks and comes out early; the most natural reply and the one that yields least |
| Trap with 4.Bf4 Qb4+ | 1.d4 e5 2.dxe5 Nc6 3.Nf3 Qe7 4.Bf4 Qb4+ 5.Bd2 Qxb2 |
+2.42 | Black's queen wins the b2 pawn and ends up out of play |
| 4.Nc3 Nxe5 5.e4 | 1.d4 e5 2.dxe5 Nc6 3.Nf3 Qe7 4.Nc3 Nxe5 5.e4 |
+1.22 | Black regains the pawn and White occupies the centre with tempo |
| Hartlaub-Charlick (2...d6) | 1.d4 e5 2.dxe5 d6 3.exd6 Bxd6 4.Nf3 |
+0.92 | Pawn for development; the cheapest version of the gambit |
| Soller Gambit (2...f6) | 1.d4 e5 2.dxe5 f6 3.exf6 Nxf6 |
+1.26 | The f-file opens for Black, but Black's king is more exposed |
| 3...d6 4.exd6 Bxd6 | 1.d4 e5 2.dxe5 Nc6 3.Nf3 d6 4.exd6 Bxd6 |
+1.23 | The pawn returned for development, with the knight already on c6 |
| Zilbermints (3...Nge7) | 1.d4 e5 2.dxe5 Nc6 3.Nf3 Nge7 |
+1.82 | The knight heads for g6 to attack e5; too slow |
| 2...Qe7 | 1.d4 e5 2.dxe5 Qe7 |
+2.06 | The queen attacks e5 before development; the most expensive version in the entry |
Evaluations measured by us with Stockfish 19, depth 22, on 15/09/2026.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Englund Gambit playable?
Not in a serious game. It measures +1.53 after 1...e5, and no measured line drops below +0.72. It is a trap opening: it pays against those who do not know it and, against those who do, leaves Black more than two pawns down in the trap line itself.
How does the Englund trap work?
After 2.dxe5 Nc6 3.Nf3 Qe7 4.Bf4 Qb4+ 5.Bd2 Qxb2, the natural 6.Bc3? attacks the queen, but 6...Bb4 7.Qd2 Bxc3 8.Qxc3 Qc1 is mate. The correct defence is 6.Nc3, which keeps the d2 bishop guarding c1 and leaves Black's queen out of play: +2.29.
What is the least bad version of the Englund?
The Hartlaub-Charlick, with 2...d6 3.exd6 Bxd6, which measures +0.92 after 4.Nf3. Black does not try to regain the pawn: it is traded for two developing tempi and open diagonals. It is the only measured version under a pawn's disadvantage, apart from the line in which White plays 4.Qd5.
Common Mistakes & Where Most Amateurs Go Wrong
- 01 Falling for the trap with 6.Bc3?, attacking the queen on b2. After 6...Bb4 7.Qd2 Bxc3 8.Qxc3, 8...Qc1 is mate. The position after 6.Bc3 already measures −7.17. The line:
1.d4 e5 2.dxe5 Nc6 3.Nf3 Qe7 4.Bf4 Qb4+ 5.Bd2 Qxb2 6.Bc3−7.17 - 02 Setting the trap against someone who knows it. After 4.Bf4 Qb4+ 5.Bd2 Qxb2 6.Nc3, Black's queen is far from the rest of the army, Rb1 chases it with tempo, and the position measures +2.29. The line:
1.d4 e5 2.dxe5 Nc6 3.Nf3 Qe7 4.Bf4 Qb4+ 5.Bd2 Qxb2 6.Nc3+2.29
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