OFFICIAL EXPLANATION


Atypical, anomalous.

In chess, a "gambit" is an opening move that sacrifices something (such as a pawn) in exchange for some other competitive advantage; such a move typically involves some risk. "Gambit" is also used outside of chess to mean a tactic or calculated move. (This is not the only chess term that can also be used figuratively: "pawn" is another.) Polgar has a "reputation for conservative," or non-risky play, but lately she has been using a lot of "gambits." The blank requires an adjective to describe these "gambits," and might be filled with something like "risky." "Treacherous" can mean deceitful or it can mean hazardous or risky, either of which could apply to "gambits" intended to take some advantage from an opponent. However, no other choice matches either definition. "Abstruse," meaning difficult to understand, is not the same as risky. Polgar might be "studious" about determining which gambits to use, but "studious" is both out of context in the blank and unpaired. "Atypical" and "anomalous" both mean unusual or different from what is expected. This pair works because Polgar has a reputation for one type of play, but has been exhibiting another type. "Impractical" on its own is quite tempting, because "impractical" play seems almost opposite "conservative play," but it does not have a match among the other choices and so cannot be correct.