Kings Pawn Opening, King's Knight & Gunderam Gambit
King’s Pawn Opening
Definition
The King’s Pawn Opening is the move 1.e4 played by White on the first turn. It immediately places a pawn in the center, opens lines for the queen and king’s bishop, and serves as the gateway to an enormous family of openings collectively called “Open Games” (after 1...e5) and “Semi-Open Games” (after any other Black reply).
Typical Usage
- Open Games – 1.e4 e5 leads to classical systems such as the Ruy López, Italian Game, Scotch Game, and King’s Gambit.
- Semi-Open Games – 1.e4 followed by asymmetrical replies like 1...c5 (the Sicilian), 1...e6 (the French), or 1...c6 (the Caro-Kann).
- Tournament Play – It is the most common first move among club players and top grandmasters alike because it allows quick piece development and direct contact with the center.
Strategic Significance
Because 1.e4 controls d5 and f5 while freeing the queen and bishop, it encourages:
- Rapid Development – Knights often reach f3 and c3 quickly; bishops can go to c4 or b5.
- Open Lines – Many resulting positions feature open or semi-open files, favoring tactical play.
- Early King Safety – Castling short (O-O) is usually easy once the king’s knight and bishop are deployed.
Illustrative Mini-Game
One of the most famous demonstrations of the power of 1.e4 is Paul Morphy’s “Opera Game” (Morphy vs. Duke Karl & Count Isoard, Paris 1858):
Interesting Facts
- In descriptive notation (used until the 1980s) 1.e4 was written as “P-K4”, literally “Pawn to King Four.”
- Garry Kasparov employed 1.e4 in his first game against IBM’s Deep Blue (1997), winning a brilliant attacking game.
- The oldest recorded 1.e4 game dates back to late 15th-century manuscripts, underscoring its historical pedigree.
King’s Knight
Definition
The king’s knight is the knight that begins the game next to the king—on g1 for White and g8 for Black. In descriptive notation it is abbreviated N-K (B) (“Knight to King’s Bishop file”). Modern algebraic notation simply calls it Ng1/Ng8.
How It Is Used
- Primary Development Square – The king’s knight almost always heads to f3 (for White) or f6 (for Black) on its first move, attacking the vital central pawn on e5/e4 and preparing kingside castling.
- Defensive Duties – Once on f3/f6 it patrols h4/h5 and d4/d5, helping shield its own king.
- Tactical Themes – Sacrifices such as Nxf7 (the “Fried Liver” idea) rely on the king’s knight to open lines against the opposing king.
Strategic & Historical Notes
Rapidly deploying the king’s knight embodies the classic principle “Knights before bishops.” In the 19th century, masters like Wilhelm Steinitz emphasized Nf3 as an early move to exert central pressure. Today, nearly 80 % of grandmaster games that start 1.e4 feature 2.Nf3.
Example Position
After 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5, the knight on f3 both eyes the e5-pawn and supports an upcoming 0-0, forming the backbone of the classic Ruy López strategy.
Trivia
- Bobby Fischer famously wrote that the move 1.e4—immediately allowing Nf3—was “best by test.”
- In many chess puzzles, the phrase “Remove the defender” refers to tactics that eliminate the king’s knight so the opponent’s king becomes vulnerable.
Gunderam Gambit
Definition
The Gunderam Gambit is an off-beat, provocative line for Black that begins:
1.d4 g5 2.Bxg5 Bg7 3.e4 c5!?
Black voluntarily weakens the kingside with 1…g5, invites White to capture the pawn, and then counters in the center with …c5 (or sometimes …d5). The idea is to lure White’s bishop to g5, gain time attacking it, and generate dynamic play for the sacrificed pawn.
Origins & Name
The line is named after the German correspondence master Egon Gunderam (1908–1984), who explored a number of unorthodox openings featuring early flank-pawn thrusts. Although sometimes called the “Borg” or “Basman” Gambit in modern bullet/blitz circles, the earliest theoretical notes trace back to Gunderam’s 1950s correspondence games.
Strategic Themes
- Psychological Surprise – 1…g5 virtually guarantees the opponent is on his or her own resources by move two.
- Central Counterstrike – Black rarely clings to material; instead, moves like …c5, …Qb6, and …Nc6 try to tear at d4 and e4.
- King Safety Dilemma – Black’s king often ends up on e8 or the queenside, while the half-open g-file can be used for counter-attacks.
Sample Line
Here Black regains the pawn and achieves active piece play, though engines still give White a slight edge because of the loosened kingside.
Practical Considerations
- Soundness – Objectively dubious; even so, it scores reasonably in blitz where surprise value is highest.
- ECO Code – Classified under A00 (“Irregular Openings”).
- Player Base – Occasionally tried by creative masters such as Michael Basman and in online play by specialists with blitz ratings above 2500.
Curiosities
- Because 1…g5 mirrors White’s Grob (1.g4) but from the Black side, some jokingly call it the “Borg” Defense—“Grob” spelled backwards.
- In a 1962 correspondence event, Gunderam himself defeated higher-rated opposition three times with his gambit, sparking a brief theoretical fad in German club circles.
- Engine analysis at depth 40 now shows that precise play by White can yield an advantage of roughly +0.8, yet practical results hover near 45 % for Black in blitz databases.