gambit

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The Word of the Day for April 28 is:

gambit   \GAM-bit\   noun
     1 : a chess opening in which a player risks one or more pawns or a minor 
piece to gain an advantage in position
     2 a (1) : a remark intended to start a conversation or make a telling 
point  (2) : topic  *b : a calculated move : stratagem

Example sentence:
     Amy wasn't very impressed with Ryan's opening gambit: spilling his drink 
to get her attention.

Did you know?
     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" 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 about two centuries, "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.

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.