Falkbeer Countergambit, Staunton Line

The Staunton Line is the traditional continuation of the Falkbeer Countergambit. Instead of regaining the pawn, Black advances 3...e4, accepting a pawn deficit in order to plant a wedge on e4. The pawn takes away the natural f3-square from White's king's knight and makes it harder to open the f-file, which was the point of 2. f4. White's extra pawn stands on d5, doubled with the d2-pawn, so the material advantage is less comfortable than it looks. White's main task is to remove the e4-pawn as soon as possible.

The most popular answer is 4. d3, the Charousek Gambit, which strikes at the wedge immediately and gives White the best practical results among the main replies. Almost as common is 4. Nc3, which develops and adds pressure to e4. 4. c4 supports the d5-pawn at some cost in development. The check 4. Bb5+, the Anderssen Attack, is a less frequent alternative. The engine gives White a slight edge, but in online play Black has scored marginally better from this position. This suggests that White's cramped setup is awkward to handle in practice.