King’s Gambit Accepted: the Abbazia Defense — Chess Library

Black takes the gambit pawn and then gives it straight back with d5, opening lines for development instead of clinging to material.

Lesson

White to move. Main line: 1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Nf3 d5 4. exd5 Nf6 5. Bb5+ c6 6. dxc6 bxc6 7. Bc4 Nd5

King's Gambit Accepted: Abbazia Defense, Main Line (C36). The line runs 1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Nf3 d5 4. exd5 Nf6 5. Bb5+ c6 6. dxc6 bxc6 7. Bc4 Nd5 — the move order matters, and this is the one the theory follows.

The immediate ...d5 returns material to challenge White’s center and release the c8-bishop. Black prefers development and king safety to defending the extra f4-pawn.

After the exchanges, both sides must watch the isolated pawns and open files rather than continue a direct king hunt. The gambit has transformed into an active, roughly balanced middlegame.