As our Dictionary says the word comes from the Italian gambetto and sgambetto, stilt, (fare lo sgambetto , put the stilt, dare il gambetto, set a trap), diminutive of prawn, leg. The term was introduced in the sixteenth century by the Spanish humanist priest and chess player Rodrigo López de Segura in his Book of Invention and Art of the Game of Chess as an opening of this game in which some piece is exhibited to gain advantages. In today's world of chess there are many types of gambit. The most common is that of a lady.
