Chessy
Fajarowicz Gambit (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e5 3.dxe5 Ne4)
A Budapest Gambit sideline where Black skips recapturing the pawn and plants a knight on e4 instead, hunting piece activity and traps over material recovery. Stockfish gives White +1.17 — over a pawn's advantage — yet across 193,330 Lichess games Black scores 48.6%, nearly level, because the traps are real. Play against the engine on Chessy to see if White can sidestep them.
Play the Fajarowicz Gambit against the engine
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Create a free account →The engine verdict: White is better — if White is careful
After 3...Ne4 Stockfish evaluates +1.17 at depth 16, clearly favouring White. The engine-best reply is 4.a3, initiating a calm prophylactic sequence (a3 d6 Qc2 Nc5) that keeps the extra pawn and denies Black active piece play. The position isn't won for White — it requires precision — but the material plus is real and the engine doesn't see compensation.
Why Black scores close to 50% anyway
The Fajarowicz thrives on White walking into traps. The most natural-looking reply, f3 (20,536 games), scores only 22.4% for White — a catastrophic blunder (378 centipawns) that the engine flags immediately. Even common "reasonable" moves miss: Nc3 (20,248 games) is an inaccuracy at −95 centipawns vs the best, Qd4 (15,164 games) a mistake at −107. Most White players don't know the precise path, and Black's piece pressure makes it easy to go wrong.
The traps to know as Black
Avoid f3 — it looks like it kicks the knight but it's a losing concession at club level (White scores 22.4%). The gambit's real threat is tactical: the Ne4 eyes d2, threatens forks after ...d5, and creates pin motifs on the c-file. If White plays Nf3 (most common at 51.3% for White) or Nc3 (51.7%), the game is roughly level in practice but Black must play actively. The trap-based bonus disappears if White finds the calm engine line.
If you play it as White against Chessy's engine
Remember that a3 is the engine recommendation, not the most popular choice in practice. Resisting the impulse to play f3 or charge with Nc3 immediately is the whole defensive test. With +1.17 available on the board, the question is whether you can convert that advantage against Black's piece activity — a useful training exercise in avoiding tactical land mines when already ahead.
Results across 193,330 Lichess games
| Most-played continuation | Games | White wins |
|---|---|---|
| Nf3 | 69,648 | 51.3% |
| f3 | 20,536 | 22.4% |
| Nc3 | 20,248 | 51.7% |
| Qd4 | 15,164 | 48.6% |
| Qc2 | 12,986 | 52.4% |
| e3 | 11,363 | 49.2% |
Frequently asked questions
Is the Fajarowicz Gambit sound for Black?
Not objectively. Stockfish evaluates 3...Ne4 at +1.17 in White's favour at depth 16. Black is down a pawn with no direct compensation — the bet is entirely on White going wrong. Black scores 48.6% in practice across 193,330 Lichess games, which shows the traps work, but the engine says White should be clearly better.
What is the best reply to the Fajarowicz Gambit?
4.a3, according to Stockfish (depth 16). It prophylactically prevents Black's piece activity and targets the knight: after a3 d6 Qc2 Nc5, White keeps the pawn and denies counterplay. Nf3 and Nc3 are both playable in practice but give White a smaller edge.
Why is f3 such a bad reply to the Fajarowicz?
It looks natural but it's a 378-centipawn blunder. f3 kicks the Ne4 but weakens White's king and allows Black's pieces to activate with tempo. White scores only 22.4% after f3 in 20,536 Lichess games — far worse than any other common reply.
Is the Fajarowicz Gambit good for beginners?
As a surprise weapon in blitz, yes — many opponents play f3 immediately and lose a big structural advantage. As a learning tool, it teaches piece activity, prophylaxis, and trap-setting. Don't expect it to hold up if your opponent knows a3.
How many games feature the Fajarowicz Gambit?
Over 193K Lichess games have reached the Fajarowicz Gambit position. White wins 47.8%, Black wins 48.6%, with 3.6% draws — based on real rated games.