I've compiled of list of gambits ranked in order of the rating at the time of the highest rated grandmaster to have played them. The historical ratings come from Chessmetrics.
1.Queen's Gambit 1.d4 d5 2.c4 - Kasparov 2886
=2.Evans Gambit 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 - Kasparov 2877
=2.Benko Gambit 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5 - Kasparov 2877
=2.Queen's Gambit Declined Semi-Slav Anti-Meran 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nf3 c6 5.Bg5 - Kasparov 2877
5.King's Gambit 1.e4 e5 2.f4 - Emanuel Lasker 2869
6.French Winawer Maroczy 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Nge2 - Alekhine 2860
7.Ruy Lopez Open Karpov 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Nxe4 6.d4 b5 7.Bb3 d5 8.de Be6 9.Nbd2 Nc5 10.c3 d4 11.Ng5 - Kasparov 2849
8.Danish Gambit 1.e4 e5 2.d4 ed 3.c3 - Emanuel Lasker 2848
9.Queen's Gambit Declined Semi-Slav Shabalov 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nf3 c6 5.e3 Nbd7 6.Qc2 Bd6 7.g4 - Kasparov 2847
10.Caro-Kann Modern Exchange 1.e4 c6 2.c4 d5 3.cd cd 4.ed Nf6 - Karpov 2831
thanks Riga.
Thanks for the list. If these gambits were good enough for these top GMs, then they are good enough for us, provided we can understand them!
I've compiled of list of gambits ranked in order of the rating at the time of the highest rated grandmaster to have played them. The historical ratings come from Chessmetrics.
1.Queen's Gambit 1.d4 d5 2.c4 - Kasparov 2886
=2.Evans Gambit 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 - Kasparov 2877
=2.Benko Gambit 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5 - Kasparov 2877
=2.Queen's Gambit Declined Semi-Slav Anti-Meran 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nf3 c6 5.Bg5 - Kasparov 2877
5.King's Gambit 1.e4 e5 2.f4 - Emanuel Lasker 2869
6.French Winawer Maroczy 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Nge2 - Alekhine 2860
7.Ruy Lopez Open Karpov 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Nxe4 6.d4 b5 7.Bb3 d5 8.de Be6 9.Nbd2 Nc5 10.c3 d4 11.Ng5 - Kasparov 2849
8.Danish Gambit 1.e4 e5 2.d4 ed 3.c3 - Emanuel Lasker 2848
9.Queen's Gambit Declined Semi-Slav Shabalov 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nf3 c6 5.e3 Nbd7 6.Qc2 Bd6 7.g4 - Kasparov 2847
10.Caro-Kann Modern Exchange 1.e4 c6 2.c4 d5 3.cd cd 4.ed Nf6 - Karpov 2831