Göring Gambit, Bardeleben Variation

The Bardeleben Variation arises after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. c3 dxc3 5. Bc4 Nf6 6. Nxc3 Bb4. It can also come from the single-pawn order 5. Nxc3 Bb4 6. Bc4 Nf6. Black is a pawn up and pins the c3-knight, but develops the king's knight instead of playing ...d6 as in the Main Line. With the d-pawn still at home, Black keeps the option of striking at the center with ...d5 in a single move. The drawback is that the knight on f6 is exposed to an immediate e4-e5.

Without ...d6 in the position, White most often plays 7. e5, the most popular reply by a wide margin and the one with White's best results in online games. The usual continuation exchanges queens early, after which White's e-pawn advances and captures on g7, leading to a simplified but unbalanced position. The quieter 7. O-O and 7. Qb3, which aims at f7, are the main alternatives. The engine considers the starting position roughly balanced, though White scores well in practice.