Nimzowitsch Defense: Kennedy Variation, de Smet Gambit
The de Smet Gambit of the Kennedy Variation is 3.dxe5 d6, where Black offers a pawn instead of recapturing on e5. White can take again with exd6 or trade queens, while Black wants open lines and fast development in return for the material.
- Moves
- 1.e4 Nc6 2.d4 e5 3.dxe5 d6
- ECO
- B00
- Engine
- +0.77 · a clear edge for White (Stockfish 17.1, depth 20)
- Played
- 1,516 games in our lichess sample
- White scores
- 48.2%
Key ideas for both sides
White
- Take with 4.exd6, the engine's first choice, and develop with Bd3 and Nc3 to keep the extra pawn.
- Use Qe2, as in the main engine line, to block the e-file once Black's queen lines up on e7.
- Choose Nf3 or f4 to force a queen trade on d8, where Black loses the right to castle.
- Castle quickly after exd6 so Black's lead in development cannot turn into an attack on your king.
Black
- After 4.exd6, recapture with ...Bxd6 and develop with ...Qe7 and ...Nf6, aiming down the e-file.
- Use the open e-file for your queen and rooks; White's king is still on e1 for a while.
- Look for ...Bb4 to pin the c3 knight, as in the engine line, adding pressure on the e4 square.
- After a queen trade on d8, develop with ...Bd7 and walk the king back with ...Ke8 to connect rooks.
Plans and pawn structure
Black gives a pawn for time, and the gambit is objectively dubious. After exd6 Bxd6, Black has easy development and pressure down the e-file with ...Qe7, ...Nf6 and ...Bb4. White wants to finish with Bd3, Nc3, Qe2 and castling and then use the extra pawn. If White chooses Nf3 or f4, queens come off, Black's king stays near the center, and White's Bc4 aims at f7 in a calmer endgame.
What the engine plays from here
Stockfish 17.1 at depth 20 rates the position +0.77: a clear edge for White. Its three top choices for White:
- +0.77 4.exd6 Bxd6 5.Bd3 Qe7 6.Nc3 Nf6
- +0.43 4.Nf3 dxe5 5.Qxd8+ Kxd8 6.Nc3 Bd7
- +0.34 4.f4 dxe5 5.Qxd8+ Kxd8 6.fxe5 Nxe5
Pawns, from White's side.
How it scores on lichess
1,516 rated lichess games reached this position; White scored 48.2%.
Light: White wins. Grey: draws. Dark: Black wins. About the sample.
How to play against it
White, take with 4.exd6 and develop. Do not hunt for more material while your king is in the center; get Bd3 and castling in first. Black, if you play this gambit, use the e-file and quick development, because a slow game favors the side with the extra pawn.
Questions
What are the moves of the Nimzowitsch Defense: Kennedy Variation, de Smet Gambit?
The Nimzowitsch Defense: Kennedy Variation, de Smet Gambit starts 1.e4 Nc6 2.d4 e5 3.dxe5 d6. Its ECO code is B00.
Is the Nimzowitsch Defense: Kennedy Variation, de Smet Gambit good for Black?
Stockfish 17.1 rates the position +0.77 at depth 20, which is a clear edge for White. In 1,516 lichess games from our sample, White scored 48.2%. A risky surprise weapon for Black, and White should simply take, develop and castle to keep a lasting edge.
What is the main idea of the Nimzowitsch Defense: Kennedy Variation, de Smet Gambit?
Black offers a pawn with ...d6 for quick development and an open e-file. White keeps the extra pawn with exd6 and fast development, or trades queens into a calmer ending.
What should White play next?
The engine's first choice is exd6, with Nf3 and f4 close behind. 4.exd6 takes the pawn and leaves White a clean pawn up with easy development.
Related lines
Updated October 2026. Sources and method.