Eric Schiller - Sicilian Wing Gambit

1

B20

Sicilian Wing Gambit

[Eric Schiller, 15.07.2004]

 1.e4  c5  2.b4 Diagram

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The Sicilian Wing Gambit is a futile attempt by

White to grab the initiative. Such a weakening of

the queenside just gives Black extra targets, and

White gets nothing in return but temporary

custody of d4. cxb4  3.a3  [ 3.d4  d5  4.e5  Nc6

 5.a3

is another way to play the gambit. Qb6

n o w   p u t s   a   l o t   o f   p r e s s u r e   o n   W h i t e ' s

weaknesses. 6.Be3  ( 6.Ne2  Bf5  7.axb4  Nxb4

 8.Na3

 Rc8

was evalated as clearlyb better for

Black in the Big Book of Busts. Buecker gives

further  9.Nf4  Bxc2  10.Qg4  e6  11.Bb5+  Nc6

 12.Nxd5

is cited in the Encyclopedia of Chess

openings as unclear, based on Mariotti vs.

Kuzmin, 1977. But ECO has never been a useful

source of information on unorthodox openings,

and had Buecker bothered to actually look at the

position he would quickly conclude that White's

p o s i t i o n   i s   a   m e s s   a f t e r   t h e   s i m p l e Qd8

, threatening to capture at d5 with the queen.)]

 3...bxa3

This is an offer that Black can accept.

But there is an alternative:

 [ Declining the offer at a3 is often recommended.

Indeed, Black has good chances there, too.

 3...d5  4.exd5  Qxd5  5.Nf3  ( 5.Bb2  e5  6.axb4

 Bxb4  7.Na3  Bxa3  8.Rxa3  Ne7 doesn't provide

enough compensation for the pawn, though there

i s   a   l e a d   i n   d e v e l o p m e n t   w h i c h   c a n   b e

dangerous, Day vs. Livshits, 1994. Buecker gives

only 8...Nc6, after which he notes that 9.f4 is

possible ;  5.axb4 ??  Qe5+ and White resigned

immediately in Shirazi vs. Peters, United States

Championship, 1986!)  5...e5  6.axb4  Bxb4  A) 

 7.c3  A1)  7...Bd6 is a worthy alternative. 8.Na3

 Nc6  ( 8...Bg4  9.Be2  Nc6 is recommended in

"The Big Book of Busts")  9.Bc4  Qe4+  10.Be2

 Nge7  11.Nc4  Bc7  12.Ba3  0-0  13.0-0  Be6

 14.Ng5  Qg6  15.Nxe6  Qxe6 seems a bit better

for Black, Haub vs. Lukov, 1994.;  A2)  7...Bc5

 8.Qe2

has been suggested by Paul Keiser in the

discussion on the Unorthodox Openings group at

Yahoo.

 e4

 ( 8...Bd6

is a computer

recommendation. This of course suggests that

7... Bd6 might be a good option! 9.d4

 Bg4

!

 10.Nbd2  Nd7 )  9.d4  Be7  10.Qb5+  Qxb5

 11.Bxb5+  Bd7  12.Bxd7+  Nxd7  13.Nfd2  f5

White has nothing to show for the pawn. This line

was given by Keiser.;  B)  7.Na3  B1)  7...Nf6

 8.Nb5  0-0  9.Nc7  Qc5  10.Nxa8  e4  11.Ng1

Here ECO gives 11...Re8, but Buecker offers two

a l t e r n a t i v e s . B1a)  11...e3

 12.fxe3

 Qxe3+

 13.Qe2

 Qd4

 14.c3

 Bxc3

 15.Ra3

 Re8

and White can't afford to sacrifice the queen by

capturing on c3 or e8, for example 16.Rxc3

 ( 16.dxc3  Rxe2+  17.Bxe2  Qe4  18.Nf3  Qc2

 19.Bd2  Qb1+  20.Bd1  Qe4+ ;  16.Qxe8+  Nxe8

 17.Rxc3  Nc6  18.Nf3  Qd8 and the knight at a8

will never escape.)  16...Bg4  17.Nc7  Rxe2+

 18.Nxe2  Qe5  19.h3  Bxe2  20.Bxe2  Ne4

. These are just a few sample lines, but I believe

that the 7...Nf6 line touted by Buecker gives

Black just a small example, and still prefer our 7...

Bxa3 ;  B1b)  11...Ng4

is Buecker's other plan.

After  12.Nh3  e3  13.Be2 !  Nxf2  14.Nxf2  exf2+

 15.Kf1

Black has two pawns for the rook, and

may pick up the knight at a8, but White will be

able to untangle with c3 or d3, depending on

B l a c k ' s   m o v e s;

 B1c)  11...Re8

 12.c3

is better for White.;  B2)  7...Bxa3  8.Bxa3  Nc6

 9.c4

 Qd8

 10.Qb1

 Nge7

 11.Bd3

 f5

 ( We recommended 11...g6

but here Buecker

claims that White has good compensation after

 12.Be4  f5 Why not just castle? 13.Bxe7  Qxe7

 14.Bxc6+

 bxc6

 15.Ra5

and here he claims

equality for White. I rather doubt that. 0-0

 16.Rxe5  Qf7

and Black has an outside passed

pawn and bishop against knight. The pawn at c4

i s   w e a k .   B l a c k   m a y   n o t   h a v e   a   d e c i s i v e

advantage, but any claim of equality for White is

u n j u s t i f i e d .)]

So, let's go back to the position

where Black accepts the pawn offer on the 3rd

move:  4.Nxa3  d6  5.Bc4  [ 5.d4  Nf6  6.Bd3  g6

gives Blac k a good Modern Defense, and the

sacrifice of White's queenside pawns has not

brought White anything in return.]  5...Nf6  6.Bb2

 Nc6  7.Qe2  e6  8.Nf3  Be7  9.0-0  0-0  10.Nb5

Spielmann vs. Gebhardt, 1926. As Joel Benjamin

and I pointed out in our 1987 book, Black can

now play 10...d5 and becomes a better position

with an extra pawn. After all, the basic plan for

Black in the Sicilian is the ...d5 break. Later

Black can expand with ...a6 and ...b5.