Giuoco Piano Game - Was this a gambit?

Hello,

In a Giuoco Piano game I played as black yesterday the opponent made this out of the blue move. It seemed to be some sort of gambit. Anyone knows which gambit is this and how I should have responded?

Btw - is there any place I can get to know the various tricks and gambits for Giuoco Piano game?

Thanks

White is trying to play the Evans Gambit, but is a move late, and wasn't supposed to have castled.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evans_Gambit  As is often the case, every single move is critical when gambitting a pawn, and here it is just a free pawn for black.  Your homework assignment is to figure out why.

There are books and video lectures on the Giuoco Piano of course, and they would include something on the Evans Gambit.  You can probably find books and lectures on the Evans itself; its quite popular, if not at the highest levels.  I'm not sure if there is anything like that for free floating around on the internet.  Wouldn't surprise me. 

https://www.365chess.com/game.php?gid=3852615

I don't see white gain any overall advantage to justify the gambit. I ran the game in Chessbase and also checked engine analysis on this site (365chess).

Maybe if black takes the pawn b4 pawn by knight then white gets an advantage?

Black can get an equal position in the Evans Gambit, but Black can equalize in almost every opening--with good play. But White also gets the kind of game he likes, open position, good development, attacking chances. One the other hand, he's down a pawn. Many people enjoy playing these types of positions as white. You will learn a lot about tactics and defense playing both sides of the Evans Gambit

https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1018648

Go Simon Williams has made a video series on the Evans gambit.there are also lessons on chess.com based on the gingergm's series.

*gm 

Your opponent wanted to play the Evans Gambit but was scared of this line:

You know, Bobby Fischer won a famous game against Ruben Fine(I think that was his name), with the Evans Gambit.  This opening his very energetic(I play it too!). And the computer isn't useful in this line because white can have a long term attack.

 Wow this is nice way to play against this gambit - instead of retreating the dark squared bishop play Ba5.

You have mentioned "This is better for white because after 8. Ba3. black cannot castle and has development lateness"  - well given white's state I would hate to be in white's shoes - his pawn structure is all messed up and is down in material also. 

Sorry - I now get your point.

7...dxc3 can indeed be good for white. Another option for white is 8. Qb3.

On first look Evans looks like a horrible idea for white but its not bad!