The workers’ opening gambit [ˈɡæmbət] in the negotiations was to demand a wage hike.gambit
noun [ˈɡæmbət]
A gambit is something done or said in order to gain an advantage or to produce a desired effect.
Gambit first appeared in English in a 1656 chess handbook that was said to feature almost a hundred illustrated gambetts. Gambett traces back first to the Spanish word gambito, and before that to the Italian gambetto, from gamba meaning “leg.” Gambetto referred to the act of tripping someone, as in wrestling, in order to gain an advantage. English Feb 12, 2023, 9:20 AM cowpoke