Alekhine Gambit

The Alekhine Gambit arises in the 4...Nf6 line of the Caro-Kann Defense when White, instead of the standard 5. Nxf6+, guards the e4-knight with 5. Bd3. The bishop move leaves d4 without protection, so Black can grab a pawn with 5...Qxd4. White's idea is 6. Nf3, gaining a tempo on the queen and bringing pieces out while Black's queen stands exposed and the rest of Black's army is still at home. White plays for initiative and development rather than structural compensation.

Accepting is only the second most popular reply. The most frequent choice is 5...Nxe4, trading off the knight that 4...Nf6 challenged and avoiding the material question. 5...Nbd7 keeps the knights on the board and is the line in which Black scores best in the Lichess database. Overall, White scores somewhat better in online games. Engines nonetheless rate the position as roughly balanced with a slight lean toward Black, and they list 5...Qxd4 among the strongest answers. The gambit is a minor sideline rather than a central theoretical battleground.