Countergambit

/ˌkaʊntərˈɡæmbɪt/ noun

Definition

A chess opening where the player responds to an opponent's gambit with a different gambit of their own.

Etymology

From counter- + gambit (Italian gambetto, meaning 'leg trip'). This chess term became formalized in chess theory literature of the 18th-19th centuries.

Kelly Says

In chess, when someone tries to trick you by sacrificing a piece in a gambit, a countergambit means you sacrifice back—turning their trap into a mutual dare, which is sometimes brilliant and sometimes just both players losing.

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