A gambit named after Belgrade: after 4.d4 exd4, White plays 5.Nd5, delaying the pawn recapture in favour of active play.
The Belgrade Gambit arises from the Four Knights Game: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.d4 exd4 5.Nd5. White could regain the pawn with 5.Nxd4, but instead moves the c3-knight to attack f6 and c7.
Black has an extra pawn; White seeks active development and tactical opportunities. Both players already need to check the concrete threats on move five.
The gambit takes its name from Belgrade, and its development is associated with Nikola Karaklajic. David Hooper and Kenneth Whyld’s The Oxford Companion to Chess records his use of it in 1945 and describes him as its probable originator. That qualification matters: contributions to an opening are easier to trace than sole authorship.
The games below show Karaklajic on both sides of the gambit: seeking the initiative with White, then simplifying with Black.
With 5...Nxe4, Black takes a second pawn. 6.Qe2 pins the e4-knight to the king, and 6...f5 7.Ng5 leads to sharp play. White needs to exploit the exposed king before Black completes development.
Another option is 5...Nxd5 6.exd5. This exchanges knights: Black remains a pawn ahead, while White gains a pawn on d5 and access to the e-file.
With 5...Be7, Black develops and prepares to castle. After 6.Bf4 d6 7.Nxd4, White regains the pawn. The gambit can therefore become a struggle for piece activity without a lasting material imbalance.
In Vukovic–Milic, 1948, White regains the opening pawn and castles queenside. After 18...Qxg2, he gradually directs his pieces and pawns towards Black’s king.
Pause at 33.Rg8+ Rxg8 34.hxg8=Q+. The promoted queen does not survive: Black immediately captures it with the king. The combination leads to a bishop endgame, which White wins some twenty moves later.
Against Stojan Puc in 1949, Karaklajic reaches the Belgrade Gambit via 1.e4 Nf6 2.Nc3 e5. This time Black’s attack arrives first. The queen takes pawns on h2 and g3, and a rook later enters e1.
The final move 26...Be8 blocks the check along the eighth rank. Karaklajic resigns with Black’s queen and rook already deep inside his position.
Against Cuderman in 1961, Karaklajic chooses 5...Be7. White regains the pawn, followed by exchanges of queens and several minor pieces.
Black loses castling rights, but with the queens gone the king can settle in the centre. The game ends in a draw after 24.Rc1, illustrating how exchanges can resolve the opening tension.
The Belgrade Gambit rewards an understanding of development, pins and the right moment to return material. These three examples include a White win, a Black win and a draw.
When trying 5.Nd5, pay attention to Black’s reply. It determines whether you attack a king while a pawn down or regain the pawn and continue a positional struggle.