The Fajarowicz Gambit is a sharp and aggressive opening for Black in response to the Queen’s pawn opening, 1. d4. It begins with the moves 1. d4 ♞f6 2. c4 e5, known as the Budapest Gambit, where Black offers a pawn in exchange for rapid development and active play. However, in the Fajarowicz Gambit, Black goes one step further by sacrificing another pawn with 3. dxe5 ♞e4, seeking to further disrupt White’s pawn structure and gain control of the center.
The idea behind the Fajarowicz Gambit is to rapidly develop Black’s pieces and create imbalances on the board that favor Black’s active pieces. By sacrificing pawns, Black seeks to open lines of attack against White’s king and create tactical complications that can be difficult for White to navigate. Black’s knight on e4 is a key piece in this opening, as it puts pressure on White’s central pawn structure.
Watch the following game to see how easily can a careless player fall into a trap:
The Fajarowicz Gambit is named after the Polish chess player and theoretician, Dawid Fajarowicz, who was a proponent of this opening in the early 20th century. Despite its aggressive nature, the Fajarowicz Gambit has not gained widespread popularity in modern chess due to the high risk involved. However, it can still be a formidable weapon in the hands of a well-prepared and tactically astute player.