Chess Opening Theory/1. e4/1...e5/2. Nf3/2...Nc6/3. b4

An eccentric and rare reply where White offers up their b pawn to Black. The Pachman wing gambit is unsound and White does not get satisfactory compensation.

One plan is to win the e4 pawn: if Black declines (e.g. 3...Nf6?), White can kick the knight from defence of the e5 with 4. b5 then play 5. Nxe5. Alternatively, if Black accepts with 3...Nxb4?, White can take 4. Nxe5. The game is at best even.

However, most commonly and most critically Black accepts with 3...Bxb4, developing their bishop.

From there White may intend:

• Fianchettoing with 4. Bb2, making use of the vacant b2 square to put their bishop on the long diagonal, threatening to take e5.
• Kicking the bishop with 4. c3 (most common). If 4...Bc4 then 5. d4 gets two pawns in the centre with tempo. If 4...Ba5 5. Qa4:
  • 5...Nf6 and the c6 knight is overloaded. 6. Nxe4 Nxe4 7. Qxa4. Material is equal, White has a bishop for a knight.
  • 5...Bb6 and White gets two pawns in the centre. 6. d4 exd4 7. cxd4.

The Pachman wing gambit is a wing gambit (i.e. an early b4) presumably named for Luděk Pachman (1924-2003), German-Czechoslovak chess player and author of La stratégie moderne aux échecs (1986).

No relation to Pac-Man, Japanese pill-munching yellow circle, is attested (though Black does show similar enthusiasm for gobbling up b4).

For explanation of theory tables, see theory table and for notation, see algebraic notation.

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. b4

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