Göring Gambit, Double Pawn Sacrifice

Instead of recapturing with 5. Nxc3, White develops the bishop and leaves the pawn on c3 en prise. The extra offer serves two aims. If Black takes, White gets a Danish-style pair of bishops trained on the kingside. If Black declines, White can recapture on c3 later while avoiding 5...Bb4 6. Bc4 d6, regarded as Black's most testing answer to 5. Nxc3. The engine rates the position as roughly balanced, and White scores well in online games.

Accepting with 5...cxb2 6. Bxb2 is the most frequent choice. Because the knight already stands on c6, Black cannot safely free the game with 6...d5 as in the Danish. Play usually goes 6...d6 7. O-O Be6 8. Bxe6 fxe6 9. Qb3 Qd7, or 6...d6 7. Qb3 Qd7 8. Bc3 Nh6. The main alternative is the check 6...Bb4+, and after 7. Nc3 Nf6 8. Qc2 d6 9. O-O-O, castling long is considered dangerous for Black. Among the ways to decline, 5...d6 normally transposes to 5. Nxc3 d6 lines, and 5...Nf6 6. Nxc3 Bb4 reaches the Bardeleben Variation. The reply 5...Bb4 enters the London Defense of the Scotch Gambit, where 6. O-O or 6. bxc3 are good answers.