The word for today is…
gambit (noun) – 1. An opening in chess in which the player risks one or more minor pieces, usually a pawn, in order to gain a favorable position.
2. A maneouvre, stratagem, or opening remark, especially one intended to bring about a desired result.
Source : The Free Dictionary
Etymology : In 1656, a chess handbook was published that was said to have almost a hundred illustrated gambetts. That early spelling of gambit is close to the Italian word gambetto, from which it is derived. Gambetto, which is from gamba, meaning “leg,” was used for an act of tripping—especially one that gave an advantage, as in wrestling. The original chess gambit is an opening in which a bishop’s pawn is sacrificed to gain some advantage, but the name is now applied to many other chess openings. After being pinned down to chess for years, gambit finally broke free of the hold and showed itself to be a legitimate contender in the English language by weighing in with other meanings.
