Chessiro

ECO A51 · Best studied as White

Budapest: 3.dxe5

  • Solid
  • Tactical
  • Central

What is the Budapest: 3.dxe5?

The Budapest Gambit is a provocative counter-attack where Black offers an early pawn to disrupt White's center. White must decide whether to accept the challenge or play it safe, while Black aims for rapid piece coordination to win the pawn back.

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e5 3. dxe5

bR
bN
bB
bQ
bK
bB
bR
bP
bP
bP
bP
bP
bP
bP
bN
wP
wP
wP
wP
wP
wP
wP
wP
wR
wN
wB
wQ
wK
wB
wN
wR
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
Position after 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e5 3. dxe5

The lesson

Play through the Budapest: 3.dxe5, move by move

Scroll the moves and watch the board follow along. Every move comes with the idea behind it.

bR
bN
bB
bQ
bK
bB
bN
bR
bP
bP
bP
bP
bP
bP
bP
bP
wP
wP
wP
wP
wP
wP
wP
wP
wR
wN
wB
wQ
wK
wB
wN
wR
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e5 3. dxe5

  1. Before the first move

    The Budapest Gambit is a provocative counter-attack where Black offers an early pawn to disrupt White's center. White must decide whether to accept the challenge or play it safe, while Black aims for rapid piece coordination to win the pawn back.

  2. 1. d4White · your move

    Push your pawn to d4. This move claims the center and opens paths for your queen and dark-squared bishop, setting the stage for a solid positional game.

  3. 1... Nf6Black

    Black replies with Nf6, the most popular response to the Queen's Pawn Game. While alternatives like the Englund Gambit with e5 or the solid Horwitz Defense with e6 exist, this knight move is the gold standard for flexibility.

    Other paths here: Na6 (Australian Defense) · g5 (Borg Defense: Borg Gambit) · b6 (English Defense) · e5 (Englund Gambit)

  4. 2. c4White · your move

    Move your pawn to c4. You are building a powerful pawn duo in the center that restricts Black's options and prepares to develop your knight behind the pawn to c3.

    Other paths here: f4 (Canard Opening) · g4 (Indian Defense: Gibbins-Weidenhagen Gambit) · e4 (Indian Defense: Omega Gambit) · d5 (Indian Defense: Pawn Push Variation)

  5. 2... e5Black

    Black lashes out with e5, the Budapest Gambit. While Black could play the more standard King's Indian with g6 or the Mexican Defense with Nc6, this move forces the game into tactical territory immediately.

    Other paths here: g5 (Indian Defense: Medusa Gambit) · b5 (Indian Defense: Pyrenees Gambit) · a6 (Indian: 2.c4 a6) · Nc6 (Mexican Defense)

  6. 3. dxe5White · your move

    Capture the pawn on e5. Accepting the gambit is the most principled way to play, gaining material and forcing Black's knight on f6 to move again to avoid being captured.

    Other paths here: d5 (Budapest: 3.d5) · e3 (Budapest: 3.e3)

  7. Where you stand

    White stands a pawn up but must prepare for Black's knight to hop to g4 or e4 to pressure the e5 pawn. Black will focus on quick development and tactical tricks, while White should focus on defending the extra pawn and completing kingside development safely.

    • f6-g4 Knight jumps to g4 to attack the e5 pawn
    • c1-f4 Develop the bishop to defend the extra pawn
    • g1-f3 Knight develops to control the center and f3
    • f8-c5 Bishop develops to target the f2 square

Your games

Related Budapest lines

Free game review

Do you leak rating in the Budapest?

Chessiro reviews your real games move by move, shows your win rate in every opening you play, and turns the exact positions you misplayed into training puzzles with plain-English coaching.

Analyze your games freePlay chess online

← Browse all chess openings