That's hardly the sort of fate that worries black when he starts playing around with moves like 1 .. Na6

Indeed, after 1.b4 Na6 2.a3 c5 3.e4 cxb4 4.axb4 Nxb4, play has transposed to the Sicilian wing gambit line 1.e4 c5 2.b4 cxb4 3.a3 Nc6 4.axb4 Nxb4, which I think is not supposed to be Black's best reaction to the wing gambit? Or do you have another idea in mind for Black, Stefan?

I would play a3 and i still like White position

Gerard's game is very nice. I had written a small article for MOB in the 1980s, recommending 1.b4 Na6 and 1.g4 Nh6 2.g5 (2.h3 f5) 2...Nf5 3.e4 Nd6. Of course, 1.Nf3 b5 2.Na3 should be good, too.

Hi,

strolling through Stephen Giddins Blog ( http://stevegiddinschessblog.wordpress.com/) I came accross the following game (commentary Gerard Welling as posted in the blog):

White: Christophe Ramme
Black: Gerard Welling
Bad Wiessee 2011
“The young German player Ramme, whose IM friend helped him to prepare for each game, intended to surprise me. So the game started
1. b4
“and after about 5 minutes of pondering, trying to think of some independent reply, I remembered Stefan Bücker’s recommendation of 30 years ago, and played
1…Na6!
The game proceeded
2. b5
(2. a3 c5!)
2… Nc5 3. d4 Ne4!?

Stefan’s line went 3..Ne6 but I was reminded of Dick van Geet’s suggestion at the time to play 3..Ne4.

4. e3

4. f3 Nd6 5. e4 f5 (or 5… g6) was Dick’s line, which he may even have played in the 1960s against J J Lindner, a 1.b4 specialist.

4… b6 5. Bd3 Bb7 6. f3 Nd6 7. e4 e6

Bringing 8.e5 Qh4+xd4 into the position, and also preparing an eventual hypermodern pincer move..f5.

8. Ne2 f5 9. e5 Nf7 10. Be3 g5!?
Kingside space and preparing an eventual softening up by means of ..h5-..g4.

11. Nd2 Ne7 12. h4?
Choking.

12…gxh4 13. Rxh4?? Nd5 14. Bf2 Ne3!

and White is dead. He resisted for quite a few moves after 15. Bxe3 Qxh4+ but in the end it was futile.. Stefan Bücker was delighted to see this practical try of his provocative idea 1..Na6!”
It is 24 hours since I first saw this, but I still can’t stop laughing. As the old saying has it, “He who would sup with the Devil needs a long spoon!”.

Interesting stuff: 1.b4 Na6!? 

Any experience, anyone ?