During the Soviet Union, most of the boys and girls were very familiar with the meaning of the word “gambit” (as well as the terms “castling”, “combination”, “time pressure”). After all, one of the most popular games in the family circle and in the summer camp, in the yard and in the park was chess, which gave the world this term. Unfortunately, with the advent of computers, modern gadgets and the Internet, the fashion for an intellectual game has passed. The concept was also forgotten. Recently, however, the word "gambit" seems to have found a rebirth. In dictionaries, so far its figurative meaning is not indicated, but in live speech it is used regularly and everywhere. But first things first.
A bit of chess theory
Specialists divide any chess game into 3 parts. The initial stage bears the familiar name of “debut”. The middle one is “middlegame” (the German word that translates in this way is “mid game”). The finale of the game is called the "endgame" ("end of the game", as you might guess). In each of the periods, the players have their own tasks. Inattention to them can be fatal at any stage of the party.
Basic debut rules
Any chess coach teaches his wards that in the opening it is necessary to withdraw your pieces from their initial positions, taking the most advantageous position, reliably protect the king and take control of the central fields of the board. You need to develop quickly, without losing pace, if possible avoiding unnecessary moves with the same piece. In this case, it is necessary to prevent the enemy from carrying out the same actions. The game is already at the debut stage should be built according to a specific plan, a clear scheme. Therefore, only novice chess players go "as God puts on the soul." Experienced players use ready-made options, of which thousands are known. There are collections of debuts in which the proven schemes are placed. Gambit is also a debut, but special, about which a little lower.
Types of Debuts
Each debut has its own name, creation history and possible continuation options. The initial stages of the game are usually classified into three groups depending on the first move of White and the opponent’s response.
- An open debut begins with the moves: 1. e2-e4 - e7-e5.
- A half-open opening will occur if Black answers 1. e2-e4 in any move except 1. ... e7-e5.
- A closed debut starts with any move of White, except for the one mentioned above 1. e2-e4.
Now we can talk about what the word "gambit" means.
Terminology
A gambit is the beginning of a game in which one of the opponents sacrifices a pawn or piece. Why is he doing this? To win the pace, speedy development, occupy an advantageous position with your own figures or impose an acute struggle. Such sharp openings are divided into 3 groups depending on the actions of the opponent. The accepted gambit is the beginning of the game in which the opponent accepted the victim. Refused - if he did not take the “framed” pawn or piece. Finally, the player can donate in response - then they talk about the countergambit.
What does the word "gambit" mean?
The first serious chess game textbook appeared in the 16th century. It was a book published by the Spanish priest Rui Lopez de Segura, “The Book of Chess Inventiveness” (1561). It is in her that the word "gambit" first appears. The origin of the term, most researchers associate with the French gambit, inherited from the Italian gambetta - “footboard”, dare il gambetto - “put the footboard”.
The most famous gambits
Royal . One of the oldest debuts is the royal gambit described by Lopez. He got his name thanks to the sacrificial royal pawn:
- e2-e4 - e7-e5. 2.f2-f4 ...
Until the twentieth century, it was very popular, even special thematic tournaments were held at which all participants played only this debut. He was adored by Boris Spassky and Judit Polgar, Robert Fisher and Paul Keres, and David Bronstein believed that it was worth playing chess just for him. Experts are convinced that the royal gambit is an ideal choice for a beginner chess player. In this debut, the struggle arises from the first moves. Thus, the beginner will learn to attack first, and only then defend himself. The gambit has many variations, it can be either accepted or rejected. Sometimes Black in response sacrifices a pawn themselves. This option is called the Falkbeer counterhambit:
- e2-e4 - e7-e5. 2.f2-f4 - d7-d5.
Queen's . This debut begins with the movement, and then with the sacrifice of the queenside pawns.
- d2-d4 - d7-d5. 2.c2-c4 ...
Gambit has been used for a long time, but it became especially popular in the 19th century. Often found in tournaments today. Grand Master Saveliy Tartakover, famous for his aphorisms, called the royal gambit “a jump into the abyss”, and the queen’s - “a jump into the ditch”. In this debut, Black can also accept White’s sacrifice, reject it or offer Albin’s counterhambit (the latter was named after the chess player who first applied the scheme in the game against Emanuel Lasker in New York in 1883):
- d2-d4 - d7-d5. 2.c2-c4 - e7-e5.
To summarize
Thus, a gambit in chess is a beautiful sharp start to a game in which a player makes a sacrifice in order to get a different benefit: positional advantage, pace, capture of strategic fields. As a rule, a chess player gives up a pawn, but sometimes he can also sacrifice a piece. This happens in Cohren’s gambit:
- e2-e4 - e7-e5. 2. Kg1-f3 - Kg8-f6. 3. Kf3: e5 - d7-d6. 4. Ke5: f7 ...
Chessy Gambit
What does it mean? The fact is that the term in question has long gone beyond the scope of a chess game. Academic explanatory dictionaries do not record the figurative meaning of a word, but it exists in living speech! So, in 1966, the American film-robbery "Gambit" was released, and in 2012 - its eponymous remake. English gambit has several meanings, including “sacrifice, concession, maneuver, first step”. The name was automatically translated into Russian as “gambit”, but this did not bother anyone! Chess gambit is perfectly rethought by native speakers of the Russian language.
Today, it is understood (we make a reservation, in a lively, unofficial speech) as a victim or a concession committed with certain goals. Most often, the term sounds in the political arena and in journalistic materials. Such terminology does not always seem successful, however, like mushrooms after rain, gambits not listed in any of the chess directories grow: Russian, Ukrainian, Crimean, Syrian, gambits of Putin and Yanukovych. The whole world turns into a grandiose party, in which no country, no leader wants to be a pawn.
How it all began
Many people are convinced that the word "gambit" was introduced into our everyday life by none other than the famous contemporary writer Boris Akunin. In 1998, the second book in the series dedicated to Erast Fandorin, The Turkish Gambit, was released from his pen.
There is no such debut in chess. There is Belgrade, Budapest, Sicilian and Volga, but there is no Turkish. And the book is not about the ancient game. However, the name subtly reinterpreted the
chess term. And so that no one would have any doubts, the author put in the mouth of the main "negative" hero, Anwar-effendi, a detailed explanation. He claims that for the triumph of progress and democracy (which connects with the United States and Western Europe) Russia was donated tidy, but weak Turkey. Emperor Alexander accepted the sacrifice, however, the general outcome of the party was not in his favor. A gambit is a victim that rarely leads to the win of an adversary who thoughtlessly accepts it. To win, it is necessary to predict all conceivable options for the development of the situation, to count for many moves forward - whether it be chess or geopolitics.