Dinic Gambit

The Dinic Gambit arises when White answers the Caro-Kann with 2. Nf3 and 3. d3, and it can also come from 2. d3 d5 3. Nf3 dxe4. In that position the routine 4. dxe4 Qxd1+ 5. Kxd1 leads to an early endgame, which is why the line is known as the Endgame offer. White avoids it with 4. Ng5. The knight eyes the e4-pawn and the f7-square, and White leaves the d3-pawn en prise to gain open lines and development. The idea resembles the Tennison Gambit against the Scandinavian Defense, and the line is known for its traps.

Black's most common reply is to take a second pawn with 4...exd3. In practice White scores very heavily after it, although engines prefer this capture. 4...Nf6 keeps the extra pawn on e4 and gives roughly balanced results. The rarer 4...Bf5 also protects e4 and is the most successful choice for Black in the database. Engines judge the gambit slightly favorable to Black, while White's score in online play is high. This gap suggests the line works mainly as a practical weapon in fast games.