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The Evans Gambit chess opening has 40 variations, and it is ECO codes C51-C52 in the Encyclopedia of Chess Openings. The Evans Gambit is recognized by the following moves: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4. It may be accepted (4... Bxb4) -- the Evans Gambit may be declined (see below).


Evans Gambit: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4
Accepted (4... Bxb4) -- Declined (usually 4... Bb6 or d5)

Evans Gambit Main Variations

ECO code C51 starts with the Evans Gambit moves. ECO code C52 starts with the Evans moves plus 4... Bxb4 5. c3 Ba5. The first 9 variations of C51 are the Evans Gambit Declined (4... Bb6 or ...d5), and the rest 14 are Accepted. All 16 variations of C52 are the Evans Gambit Accepted.

C51: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 (in the picture)
C52: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 Bxb4 5.c3 Ba5
Below is a list of the most common variations of the Evans Gambit.


C51 Evans gambit
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4
Note: The next 5 declined variations of C51 in the ECO list run via 4... Bb6 5. b5 Na5 6. Nxe5 (declined Lange; declined Pavlov; declined Hirschbach; Vasquez; Hicken).


C51 Evans gambit declined, 5.a4
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 (in the picture), then:
4... Bb6 5. a4
Note: The next declined Showalter variation run via 5... a6 6. Nc3.


C51 Evans gambit declined, Cordel variation
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 (in the picture), then:
4... Bb6 5. Bb2


C51 Evans counter-gambit 4... d5
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 (in the picture), then:
4... d5

Note: The next 14 accepted variations of C51 - not all shown - run via 4... Bxb4 (Accepted 4... Bxb4, Normal variation, Ulvestad, Paulsen, Morphy attack, Goering attack, Steinitz, Evans Gambit 9... Bg4, Fraser attack, Fraser-Mortimer attack, Stone-Ware, Mayet defence, 5...Be7, Accepted Cordel variation).


C51 Evans gambit accepted 4... Bxb4
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 (in the picture), then:
4... Bxb4
• The Answering Statistics to Evans Gambit


C51 Evans gambit accepted, Normal variation
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 (in the picture), then:
4... Bxb4 5. c3 Bc5 6. d4 exd4 7. O-O d6 8. cxd4 Bb6
Note: The Evans normal variation was rare in 2019 at the chess master level.
• How to Play the Normal Variation of Evans Gambit


C51 Evans gambit accepted, Stone-Ware variation
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 (in the picture), then:
4... Bxb4 5. c3 Bd6
Note: The accepted Stone-Ware was quite popular in 2019 at the chess master level.
• How to Play the Stone-Ware Variation of Evans Gambit


C51 Evans gambit, 5...Be7
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 (in the picture), then:
4... Bxb4 5. c3 Be7
Note: The Evans gambit 5...Be7 was playable in 2019 at the chess master level.
• How to Play the 5... Be7 Variation of Evans Gambit


C51 Evans gambit accepted, Cordel variation
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 (in the picture), then:
4... Bxb4 5. c3 Be7 6. d4 Na5
Note: The accepted Cordel variation was very popular in 2019 at the chess master level.


C52 Evans gambit accepted, 5... Ba5 variation
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 (in the picture), then:
4... Bxb4 5. c3 Ba5
Note: The Evans Gambit ECO code C52 starts from the above variation, and all C52 variations of the Evans Gambit run via 4... Bxb4 5. c3 Ba5.


C52 Evans gambit accepted, Tartakower attack variation
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 (in the picture), then:
4... Bxb4 5. c3 Ba5 6. d4 d6 7. Qb3
Note: The Evans gambit accepted Tartakower attack was very popular in 2019 at the chess master level.


C52 Evans gambit, Lasker defence variation
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 (in the picture), then:
4... Bxb4 5. c3 Ba5 6. O-O d6 7. d4 Bb6
Note: The Evans gambit Lasker defence was rare in 2019 at the chess master level.