Boehnke Gambit

The Boehnke Gambit departs from the usual Scandinavian recaptures on d5. Instead of 2...Qxd5 or 2...Nf6, Black plays 2...e5, and after 3. dxe6 Bxe6 the material is not regained. White is a pawn up. In return, Black has spent no tempo on the queen, has the light-squared bishop developed on e6, and has an open e-file plus a half-open d-file for the pieces. Black's aim is to complete development quickly and use the time to make the extra pawn difficult for White to exploit.

The engine assessment gives White a clear advantage, so the gambit is not considered sound. White's main replies are developing moves rather than attempts to grab more: 4. Nf3 is the most common, followed by 4. Nc3 and 4. d4. The gambit appears often in online play, and there the results are almost evenly split between White and Black. That record shows its practical value against opponents who are unfamiliar with it.