The King’s Gambit was the fashionable opening of the 19th century. On move two, such great combinatory players as Paul Morphy (1837–1884) and Adolf Anderssen (1818–1879) were willing to sacrifice the f-pawn.
Of course, there is no force in the world which can force Black to capture the gambit pawn on f4 with his own proud e-pawn, and a favourite method of declining the King’s Gambit then starts with 2...Bc5. Or else Black himself can turn the tables and take the risk of going into the Falkbeer Counter-Gambit with 2...d5 3.exd5 e4.
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