Chessy
The English Opening: Anglo-Dutch Variation, Chabanon Gambit
You play 1.c4, Black answers with the Dutch Defence setup ...f5, and after 2.Nf3 d6 you decide to strike back immediately with 3.e4. Welcome to the Chabanon Gambit. You've sacrificed a pawn on move three, but in exchange White gets active piece play and a chance to seize the centre. The statistics confirm this is a razor-sharp fight: across 124 games White scores 46.8%, with 50.8% going to Black. The engine calls it dead level at -0.15, meaning neither side has a real advantage yet — but only if you know how to follow up. The drill below will train you to handle Black's best reply and punish the common inaccuracies.
Play the English Opening: Anglo-Dutch Variation, Chabanon Gambit against the engine
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Create a free account →What the Chabanon Gambit Fights For
By playing 3.e4 you immediately challenge Black's stonewall-style setup. Black's last move, 2...d6, prepares e5 but also leaves the f5-pawn loose. You exploit that by opening the centre before Black can consolidate. Even though you will often lose the e4-pawn (Black's best move is to capture with fxe4), you gain rapid development: the knight jumps to g5, threatening Nxe4 and eyeing f7, while your d- and f-pawns can join the fight. The position stays double-edged — your lead in development compensates for the pawn, but you cannot afford to play passively. Every tempo counts.
The Critical Line: Black Captures (fxe4)
Black's most popular reply is 3...fxe4, played in 77 of the 124 games in the database. After 4.Ng5, Black usually continues 4...e5 (the engine's top line runs fxe4 Ng5 e5 Nxe4). You recapture the pawn, and the board opens up. White scores 44.2% from this position — slightly below average, but the engine still evaluates it close to equal. The key is that after Nxe4 you have a strong knight in the centre and Black's d6- and e5-pawns can become targets. Don't worry about your score being a tick lower here: this is Black's best try, and you are fighting for full compensation.
Punishing Black's Inaccuracies
Three common Black responses are outright worse than fxe4, and the drill will teach you to exploit each one: - 3...Nf6 (21 games, White scores 52.4%): The engine calls this an inaccuracy costing roughly 0.9 pawns. Black develops normally but fails to challenge your pawn centre. You can keep your extra pawn and maintain a comfortable edge. - 3...e5 (9 games, White scores 55.6%): Also an inaccuracy (loses ~0.8 pawns). Black tries to block the centre, but after your reply the d6-pawn becomes weak and your pieces gain activity. - 3...g6 (5 games, only 20.0% for White): This is a full mistake, losing ~1.2 pawns. Black fianchettoes lazily while you keep your extra pawn and a massive space advantage. Each of these replies gives you a clear path to a better position — the drill will show you how.
What the Statistics Reveal
From 124 games at this exact position, the results are remarkably balanced: - White wins: 46.8% - Draws: 2.4% - Black wins: 50.8% The very low draw rate (2.4%) tells you this is a fighting opening. The Chabanon Gambit does not steer toward quiet, equal endgames — it leads to sharp tactical struggles where one side typically cracks. Black's winning percentage is slightly higher overall, but that is heavily weighted by their best move fxe4. Against any other reply, White's results improve significantly (52.4% against Nf6, 55.6% against e5, 66.7% against e6). The key takeaway: know your refutations to Black's inaccuracies, and you will outperform the database average.
Results across 124 Lichess games
| Most-played continuation | Games | White wins |
|---|---|---|
| fxe4 | 77 | 44.2% |
| Nf6 | 21 | 52.4% |
| e5 | 9 | 55.6% |
| g6 | 5 | 20.0% |
| Nc6 | 4 | 25.0% |
| e6 | 3 | 66.7% |
Frequently asked questions
Is the Chabanon Gambit sound for White?
At the engine level it is dead equal (-0.15), so it's perfectly playable. White gives up a pawn but gets rapid development and central control. In practice it leads to sharp, imbalanced positions where the better-prepared player often wins.
What should I do if Black plays 3...Nf6?
3...Nf6 is an inaccuracy that loses roughly 0.9 pawns. You simply keep your extra pawn on e4, develop naturally, and enjoy a comfortable advantage. The engine prefers this to be much worse for Black than the main line with fxe4.
Why is 3...g6 a mistake?
3...g6 loses about 1.2 pawns because Black neglects the centre entirely. You keep your e4-pawn, build a big space advantage, and develop with tempo. Black's kingside fianchetto comes too late to challenge your central control.
Does White always get the pawn back after 3.e4 fxe4?
In the main line, yes. After 4.Ng5 e5 5.Nxe4, you recapture the pawn and reach an equal position. Your knight is well-placed in the centre, and you can follow up with d3 or Bc4 to maintain pressure on Black's d6- and e5-pawns.