FENrnbqkbnr/pppp2pp/8/4p3/8/5N2/PPP1PPPP/RNBQKB1R w KQkq -
Englund Gambit: Soller Gambit: what should White play?
Best move
Nxe5+1.42
By playing Nxe5, you win a central pawn for free and place your e5 on a dominant outpost. This move forces Black to react to your material gain, preventing them from comfortably…
- Games played
- 423K
- To move
- White
- Evaluation
- +1.42
- Depth
- 22
Game counts: Lichess opening book. Move ranking and evaluation: Stockfish. How this page is built
Why Nxe5 is the best move
Nxe5! — The Only Good Move!
⚠️ Critical position — Black has left the central pawn on
e5completely undefended. You must punish this immediately to seize a significant advantage!
Why this is the only good move:
By playing Nxe5, you win a central pawn for free and place your e5 on a dominant outpost. This move forces Black to react to your material gain, preventing them from comfortably completing their development.
Why Other Moves Fail
| Move | Eval | Why It Fails |
|---|---|---|
| e4 | +1.17 | Passive. It allows Black to stabilize with c6 without losing material. |
| Nc3 | +0.80 | Too slow. It ignores the hanging pawn and lets Black develop Nc6. |
| e3 | +0.39 | Extremely timid. It blocks your dark-squared bishop and surrenders the initiative. |
The traps: Many players feel the urge to "finish development" with Nc3 or e3, but in chess, free material comes first. If you don't take the pawn now, Black will play d6 or Nc6, protecting the weakness and reaching an equal game.
How To Find The Only Good Move
Step 1 — Recognize the critical moment:
Always scan for "unprotected pieces." The pawn on e5 is a "loose" piece. In the opening, loose pieces are targets!
Step 2 — Eliminate the traps: Ask yourself: "If I develop normally, does my opponent get to fix their mistake?" If you play Nc3, Black simply defends the pawn, and your golden opportunity vanishes.
Step 3 — Verify the solution:
After the capture, White follows up with a solid kingside fianchetto:
Nxe5 Nf6 g3 d5 Bg2
📚 Pattern: Punishing the "Hanging" Center. When an opponent pushes a central pawn without support, the most forcing response is usually to capture it immediately.
What else gets played here
Move choices from 423K games in the opening book, with the engine's evaluation of each.
| Move | Evaluation | Played | Games | White score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nxe5Engine pick | +1.42 | 381K | 54% | |
| e4 | +1.17 | 25K | 56% | |
| Nc3 | +0.80 | 12K | 54% | |
| e3 | +0.39 | 5.0K | 48% | |
| c4 | +0.30 | 662 | 52% |
The line
More positions in the Englund Gambit
- Best moveNc6Knight b8 → c6Englund Gambit39M games
- Best moveexd4Pawn e5 → d4Englund Gambit13M games
- Best moveNf3Knight g1 → f3Englund Gambit4.27M games
- Best movedxe5Pawn d4 → e5Englund Gambit3.78M games
- Best moveQxe5+Queen h5 → e5Englund Gambit: Soller Gambit307K games
- Best moveBf4Bishop c1 → f4Englund Gambit279K games
Frequently asked questions
What is the best move for White in the Englund Gambit: Soller Gambit?
Nxe5 (+1.42). By playing Nxe5, you win a central pawn for free and place your e5 on a dominant outpost. This move forces Black to react to your material gain, preventing them from comfortably…
Why is Nxe5 the best move here?
By playing Nxe5, you win a central pawn for free and place your e5 on a dominant outpost. This move forces Black to react to your material gain, preventing them from comfortably completing their development.
How often does this position occur?
This position has been reached 423K times in the opening book.