TonyRo wrote on 05/22/18 at 13:55:31:


A recent game of mine went 1. e4 c5 2. b4 cxb4 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. a3 e5 which is a similar idea. The continuation was 5. axb4 Bxb4 6. Na3 Nf6 7.  Bd3 0-0 8. 0-0 d5 9. exd5 Qxd5 after which I think Black is better. The game didn't last much longer. White hit the Queen with 10. Bc4 Qc5 11. d3 but after 11. .. Bg4 went wrong with 12. h3 Bh5 13. g4 Nxg4 14. hxg4 Bxg4 15. Nb5 e4 16. Be3 Qh5 0-1

An interesting idea is 5. Bc4 which leaves a dilemma for Black. Natural is 5. .. Nf6, but then 6. Ng5. So which Two Knights defence should work? An engine would allow the "Fried Liver" so 6. .. Nxd5 7. Nxf7 Kxf7 8. Qf3+ Ke6. Backing out with 5. .. Be7 allows White a tempo gain on the actual game.

In my book I covered 3...e5!?, and I still think that it's a promising and fairly easy move to play.

@trw, if you have problems with the mainline 1. e4 c5 2. b4 cxb4 3. a3 d5 4. exd5 Qxd5 5. Nf3 e5 then you simply have to get the Kaissiber article! Extensive discussion of 6.Bb2 and 6.c4 and a lot of fun.

I've been playing the winggambit for about 3 years now with a record of +25 -2 =10 all against higher rated opponents. I've found almost all the literature out there on the wing gambit (I haven't seen the Kaissber article  ) have very minimal coverage because they think it is so dubious as to be unnecessary to cover it.

I will say as the white player, I have never happier than when I see 2... b6 because it is extremely easy for white to get an advantage. Suffice it to say, the most testing line imo has already been mentioned by others: 1. e4 c5 2. b4 cxb4 3. a3 d5 4. exd5 Qxd5 5. Nf3 e5 where white now has a choice of 6. Bb2 6. c4 and what Davies considers his mainline in the Gambiteer 6. axb4?! (I consider this move highly dubious!). I might also add this line above is the line where I have all my losses and draws from... so when I said no other line posses me problems... I wasn't joking I'm sure this is most the critical line. It is easy for black to get his pieces out and catch up on development (not to mention harder to fall for tricks). 

In any case, outside of 2... b6 I think white can't prove an advantage but can equality. The trade is black will be in uncomfortable territory where white has been many times before.

In Madrid a few players are playing 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 (e6/d6) 3.b4

I believe it was supposed to be playable even after 2...Nc6.

Palliser does not mention this possibility. So I am not impressed.

After playing some of his suggestions, even less. I am starting to think one should work out its own lines against this anti-whatever. Playing 'as recommended in such and such book' is going to add points to the semi-professional players that play such cheapos!

FightingDragon wrote on 01/15/08 at 05:07:08:


The point of my article is to warn black players that there are new ideas in the Sicilian wing Gambit and that they need to be ready for them. I shall try and incorporate all the good ideas other people come up with. Even if I have to say "unexplored but interesting are"

To add to my previous posting. I shall order Richard Pallisers book on the anti-sicilians today. I have seen so many reviews saying how good it is.

I am writing an article for Australian Correspondence Chess Quarterly on the Sicilian wing Gambit. However I have at least a month to complete the article. So far I have not been able to obtain a copy of "The Gambiteer" yet so I will not finish my article until it comes to hand.

The weather here has been up to 42 degrees celsius. It has been difficult to do anything energetic. So in between watching the cricket on television I have been checking out the analysis given in Kaissiber number 29.   

When it is completed I shall post it to this forum.

Not really. As long as White has problems after 5...e6, I think it a waste of time to delve into 3...bxa3. Schwarz in his 1983 booklet on the Wing Gambit recommended 4.Nxa3. He gives 4.Bxa3 d6! 5.d4 Nf6 6.Bd3 Nc6 7.Nf3 Bg4 =+Mestrovic-Matulovic, Zagreb 1968 and 5...Nc6 6.Nf3 g6 Capablanca-Black, New York 1911. After 4.d4 he recommends e6 5.Bd3 d5, which looks like the Delayed Wing Gambit 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.b4.
Schwarz' main line runs 4.Nxa3 d6 5.d4 Nf6 6.Bd3 e5 (g6!?) 7.Ne2 Be7 8.0-0 with f2-f4 to follow.