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The FIDE Laws Of Chess. The official rules of Chess from the World Chess Federation.[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]
Mark Thompson wrote on Sun, Jan 4, 2004 01:03 AM UTC:
As I understand the term, a gambit is a tactic in which a player offers a
material sacrifice in exchange for what he hopes is a positional
advantage. Familiar openings like the 'Queen's Gambit' involve playing
a pawn to a square where the opponent can take it. (Queen's Gambit means
the pawn offered is on the Queen's side.) But taking the pawn,
presumably, gives the gambit-player a better position. They speak of
openings such as 'Queen's Gambit Accepted,' in which the other player
takes the pawn, and 'Queen's Gambit Declined,' in which he doesn't. I
don't think I've heard of any openings in which a unit of greater value
than a pawn is offered.

'Gambit' has entered the language as a word used in general conflict
situations, for risky maneuvers like this.