Center Game Accepted

After 2...exd4 Black holds an extra pawn on d4, and the character of the game is set by White's third move rather than Black's. Taking the pawn is Black's usual answer to 2. d4, and the engine rates the position as level. White's options fall into two groups: recovering the pawn with 3. Qxd4 or 3. Nf3, or leaving it on d4 and playing for development with 3. c3, 3. Bc4, 3. f4 or 3. Bd3. Across all of these, White scores slightly better than Black on Lichess.

The immediate 3. Qxd4 is the most frequent choice and leads to the Center Game proper, where 3...Nc6 gains time on the queen; on Lichess its results are almost exactly even. The Kieseritzky Variation, 3. Nf3, is the engine's preferred move and intends to recapture with the knight, so that ...Nc6 no longer comes with tempo. It allows Black to choose a transposition: 3...Nc6 gives a Scotch Game, 3...d6 a Philidor Defense and 3...Nf6 a line of Petrov's Defense. Black can also keep the game independent with 3...Bb4+ or with Alekhine's 3...Bc5 4. Nxd4 Nf6, when 5. e5 is answered by 5...Qe7.

The Danish Gambit, 3. c3, is the second most common reply and gives White better results than the recapture. After 3...dxc3 White can offer a second pawn with 4. Bc4 cxb2 5. Bxb2, obtaining a large lead in development and open diagonals toward the black king, or keep the investment to one pawn with 4. Nxc3. Black is not obliged to accept either pawn.

The von der Lasa Gambit, 3. Bc4, known in older literature as the Center Gambit, usually transposes: 3...Nc6 4. Nf3 reaches the Scotch Gambit, 3...Nc6 4. c3 dxc3 5. Nf3 the Göring Gambit, and 3...Nf6 4. Nf3 the Urusov Gambit. Its independent line is 3...Bb4+ 4. c3 dxc3 5. bxc3, after which Black either retreats the bishop or plays 5...Qf6, where White can give the exchange with 6. cxb4 Qxa1. The Halasz-McDonnell Gambit, 3. f4, uses the fact that Black's pawn no longer covers f4 to gain space on the kingside, but 3...Nc6 4. Nf3 d5 strikes at e4, and White is not thought to have full compensation; the move is known from at least 1840 and was taken up by the Hungarian correspondence player György Halasz. The Ross Gambit, 3. Bd3, places the bishop more modestly, and after 3...Nc6 holds the pawn White has only partial compensation.