Sämisch Variation, Sämisch Gambit

The Sämisch Gambit, 6...c5, hits d4 at once. It uses the moment when the g1-knight is still at home and the bishop on e3 stands on the diagonal the c-pawn opens. If White takes the pawn, the queens usually come off with 7. dxc5 dxc5 8. Qxd8 Rxd8 9. Bxc5 Nc6. Black's lead in development and pressure down the d-file count as adequate compensation. The rarer 8. e5 Nfd7 9. f4 f6 10. exf6 keeps queens on. The gambit was long regarded as suspect, but deeper analysis has improved its standing. Its practical drawback is that a well-prepared White can head for lines that end in a forced draw.

Most players decline the pawn. On Lichess, 7. d5 is the most common reply and gives a Benoni-type structure. 7. Nge2 aims for the same advance after completing development. Black can avoid that with 7...cxd4 8. Nxd4 Nc6, which transposes to an Accelerated Dragon Sicilian. Results are almost exactly even, and engines rate the starting position as roughly balanced.