Rice Gambit

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This article uses algebraic notation to describe chess moves.

The Rice Gambit is a chess opening that arises from the King's Gambit Accepted.

Historically, the Rice Gambit was heavily promoted by wealthy German-born, American businessman Isaac Rice towards the end of the 19th century, as he believed that it conferred white a decisive advantage and wished to further its development and notoriety. He achieved his aim by sponsoring themed tournaments, where the opening became the start point of every game played. Emanuel Lasker and Mikhail Chigorin were just two of many players who contested these tournaments, with bonus prizes for white wins. So obsessed was Rice with his pet line, he formed The Rice Gambit Association in 1904, at his home in New York. With Dr. Lasker as Secretary, the Association even published a book of all the games played in the themed tournaments.

Characterized by the moves 1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Nf3 g5 4. h4 g4 5. Ne5 Nf6 6. Bc4 d5 7. exd5 Bd6 8. O-O, white offers the sacrifice of the knight on e5, in order to get his king to safety and prepare a rook to join the attack against the under-developed black position.

However, concrete analysis has long since shown the gambit to be over-ambitious and totally unnecessary. Consequently, it has been abandoned in serious play and stands only as a somewhat grotesque monument to Rice's chess patronage.

[edit] References

• Hooper, David and Kenneth Whyld (1996). The Oxford Companion To Chess. Oxford University. ISBN 0192800493. 
• Sunnucks, Anne (1970). The Encyclopaedia of Chess. Hale. ISBN 0709110308.