Scotch Gambit, Walbrodt-Baird Gambit

In the Center Attack of the Giuoco Piano, after 5...exd4 White usually plays 6. e5, 6. cxd4 or 6. b4. The Walbrodt-Baird Gambit chooses 6. O-O instead, leaving the d4-pawn and the e4-pawn both en prise. The resulting position is filed under the Scotch Gambit because, as in that line, White castles and relies on a lead in development and open central files rather than restoring material at once. Here Black's bishop is already on c5 and White's c-pawn on c3, so the gambit can widen to a second pawn.

The most frequent reply is 6...dxc3, which takes the extra material. 6...O-O is the main quieter option, and it also appears among the engine's preferred moves, along with 6...d6. The sharpest reply is 6...Nxe4, which grabs the central pawn. It is less common than the other two, but it is the only one of the main replies after which Black scores better than White. The engine judges the position roughly balanced, with a faint preference for Black. Across all games from this position White scores well in practice, which is typical of gambits where the defender must handle a development deficit accurately.