La Bourdonnais Variation, Reuter Gambit

The Reuter Gambit arises when White, after 1. e4 e6 2. f4 d5, develops with 3. Nf3 instead of defending or advancing the e-pawn, and Black accepts with 3...dxe4. Black is a pawn up, and the pawn on e4 attacks the f3-knight, so White must move it again at once. Black's e-pawns are doubled, and the d- and e-files are half-open. White hopes to use the lead in development and the f-pawn's support of central squares to regain the pawn or build an initiative.

The two main retreats see roughly equal use. 4. Ne5 puts the knight on a central outpost, while 4. Ng5 attacks the e4-pawn directly and aims to win it back. The passive 4. Ng1 is rarely seen and scores worst for White. The engine gives Black a clear advantage, and on Lichess Black wins slightly more often than White. Draws are very rare, which points to sharp, unbalanced games. The line is an offbeat choice that occurs mostly in faster online play.