Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun An opening in chess in which the player risks one or more minor pieces, usually a pawn, in order to gain a favorable position.
- noun A maneuver, stratagem, or opening remark, especially one intended to bring about a desired result.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun In chess-playing, an opening in which a pawn or a piece is sacrificed, or at least offered, for the sake of, or with the object of obtaining, an advantageous attack.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun (Chess Playing) A mode of opening the game, in which a pawn is sacrificed to gain an attacking position.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun An
opening inchess , in which aminor piece (often apawn ) issacrificed togain anadvantage . - noun Any
ploy orstratagem . - noun A
remark intended to open aconversation .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun a maneuver in a game or conversation
- noun a chess move early in the game in which the player sacrifices minor pieces in order to obtain an advantageous position
- noun an opening remark intended to secure an advantage for the speaker
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
Support
Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word gambit.
Examples
-
This gambit is a winner in Washington, even if the former president is a tad self-satisfied with his good works relative to, say, other former presidents.
Washington's "social season": Too many parties, but not enough "fun" in all those fundraisers The Reliable Source 2010
-
And the all-or-nothing thinking gambit is just one of ten common weapons he uses.
-
The Lasker variation of the Queen's gambit is a solid defense that Yusupov mastered and is recommending to his students.
Lubomir Kavalek: Chess Champion's Class Act Lubomir Kavalek 2010
-
That sort of gambit is frowned upon by counselors and best captured by the paradoxical statement, 'I know I want to apply early decision, I just don't know where.'
10 colleges where you'd best apply early Daniel de Vise 2010
-
The Lasker variation of the Queen's gambit is a solid defense that Yusupov mastered and is recommending to his students.
Lubomir Kavalek: Chess Champion's Class Act Lubomir Kavalek 2010
-
Usually the only people who try that desperate gambit is wingnuts and people wearing tinfoil hats.
-
The problem with the madman gambit is that you pretty much have to be a madman to do it.
-
And the all-or-nothing thinking gambit is just one of ten common weapons he uses.
-
The madman gambit is the bumbling nation-state version of “I meant to do that!”
-
And the all-or-nothing thinking gambit is just one of ten common weapons he uses.
John Brown – the author’s official site » 2010 » April » 17 2010
seanahan commented on the word gambit
A chess opening where you sacrifice material, typically a pawn, for speed and position.
February 21, 2007