Stemming from the Latin “gamba,” meaning “horse’s leg,” “gambit” has plenty of cousins in Romance languages, including the French “gambit” and the Italian “gambetto,” which is a literal tripping of the leg. But the chess term, meaning an opening move that risks a pawn in order to gain an advantage, originated with the Spanish “gambito,” thanks to 16th-century priest and chess expert Ruy López. The Ruy López opening is still used today in high-level chess competitions. By the mid-19th century, “gambit” had evolved to refer to any move that sacrifices something in order to gain an advantage.