Réti Opening: Tennison Gambit
The Tennison Gambit is an aggressive gambit opening for White. The Tennison can happen after Black goes for the Scandinavian Defense or if White plays the Reti Opening and Black plays 1...d5. Not common in master-level games, the Tennison is still a playable gambit line, especially at the club level.
Starting Position
White can enter the Tennison Gambit after Black plays the Scandinavian Defense with 1.e4 d5 2.Nf3. White can also play the Tennison starting with the Reti Opening after 1.Nf3 d5 2.e4.
White's idea is to offer a pawn for quick development and good piece activity. There are also a few traps that Black can fall into, especially if they don't know how to respond to White's threats.
The downside of the Tennison is that Black gets a superior position with correct play. However, not many players are familiar with its theory, which gives the Tennison surprise value, particularly at faster time controls.
Pros
- Can give White active play
- White can get considerable compensation for the sacrificed pawn
- It contains traps that can catch unaware opponents
Cons
- Black gets a better game with accurate play
- It's not hard for Black to avoid the opening traps
- Black can avoid giving White active play
Main Variations Of The Tennison Gambit
After White enters the Tennison Gambit, Black can decline it by transposing to the French Defense (2...e6) or the Slav Defense (2...c6). Black can also accept the gambit with 2...dxe4. Below you can see the main variations of the accepted Tennison Gambit. Note that the variations below are listed using the Scandinavian Defense move order, but the same positions can arise from the Reti.
Tennison Gambit With 3...e5
The main line of the Tennison Gambit starts after 1.e4 d5 2.Nf3 dxe4 3.Ng5 e5. White's third move attacks the black e4-pawn. Instead of holding on to the extra pawn, Black lets White waste a tempo to recapture and prioritizes development. The main line is 4.Nxe4 f5, when Black is the one with the initiative and more control over the center.
After 4...f5, Black's position is already slightly better than White's. However, the unaware Black player can err by overextending after 5.Ng3 f4, which White can meet with 6.Qh5+ and force Black to give up castling rights.
Tennison Gambit With 3...Nf6
After accepting White's gambit, Black can develop a piece and try to hold on to the extra pawn with the moves 1.e4 d5 2.Nf3 dxe4 3.Ng5 Nf6. White can continue with the most popular 4.Nc3, or the close second 4.Bc4—which, objectively, is White's best choice.
Tennison Gambit With 3...Bf5
Black can meet the Tennison with the engine-approved approach: 1.e4 d5 2.Nf3 dxe4 3.Ng5 Bf5. Black develops the bishop and protects their extra pawn. White has no way of winning the pawn back, and Black's can play a solid structure that renders White's lead in development ineffective.
Tennison Gambit With 3...f5
A common variation of the Tennison starts after 1.e4 d5 2.Nf3 dxe4 3.Ng5 f5, when Black defends their extra pawn with another pawn. Although common, this move is not the best choice for Black because it weakens the h5-e8 diagonal that leads to the black king. It also fails to help the development of the black army.
White usually tries to explore the weak f7-square and kingside of their opponent with 4.Bc4. If Black is not careful, White's activity can be crushing.
Tennison Gambit Traps
One of the appeals of the Tennison Gambit is that it contains a few traps that can catch the unprepared Black player off guard. Below you can see two of the most common pitfalls for Black on this opening.
History Of The Tennison Gambit
According to chess author NM Bill Wall, the Tennison Gambit receives its name from Otto Tennison, who analyzed the opening in 1891. Wall mentions that the Tennison is the precursor of the Budapest Gambit, a similar-looking opening played with Black.
The Tennison never became a popular opening among strong players. However, a recent viral meme video published by the Bosnian Ape Society channel on YouTube put the opening under the spotlight. The Tennison picked up further steam when chess YouTuber IM Levy Rozman published a video analyzing it.