Sicilian, Wing Gambit

    It was exactly 2two years ago that I took a look at the Wing Gambit against the Sicilian Defense and in that post it was concluded that it was worth a try. See the post HERE

    The Remote Chess Academy has a great video by GM Igor Smirnov on it HERE that’s worth checking out. He describes it as being tricky and having a lot of deadly traps for white, adding that in almost all the lines white has quick development and an early, powerful attack against the black’s King. Even somebody of mediocre talent and no book knowledge of the opening can play it like I did in the following game. 

 

ChessBase

Tartajubow–Anonymous1–0B20Chess Hotel blitz game2024Stockfish 16

B20: Sicilian Defense, Wing Gambit 1.e4 c5 2.b4 cxb4 3.c4 The standard book line is 3.a3 although 3.Nf3 has been tried. Engines evaluate them as leading to fairly equal positions. The text looks reasonable, but the engines frown on it giving black slightly over a one Pawn advantage. 3.d4 has also been played, but it, like the text is not is not quite satisfactory. d6 Of course this is not bad, but it's too routine. 3...f6 This already presents a problem for white...what to do about the e-Pawn? White would like to play d2-d4, but that's out if he defends the P with 3.d3 and 3.e5 is not entirely satisfactory. 4.e5 d5 5.b5+ d7 6.e2 Bach,M (2303)-Ochsner,B (2165) Copenhagen DEN 2010. Now after 6...Ne4 black stands slightly better. 4.c3 bxc3 5.xc3 a6 6.b3 This looked like a reasonable try to me. Black has to defend f7 and it hinders the development of his B on c8, or so I thought. 6.d4 is a better move though. e6 7.f3 c6 This highlights the flaw in my 6th move...the threat of ...Na5 is unpleasant. 8.e2 Black is better. f6 9.d4 d7 Routine development, but it's too passive. Best is 8... d5 when white has a choice of several moves, but black keeps a slight advantage in any case. Still, the text baits a noce trap! 10.g5 10.xb7 b8 11.xa6 b4 followed by the fork ...Nc2+ 10.d5 This equalizes. a5 10...exd5 11.exd5 a5 12.b4 is also equal. 11.b4 e7 12.0-0 c8 10...e7 11.0-0 h6 12.f4 b5 Somewhat better would have been 12...Na5 and 13...Rc8 13.a3 Missing the chance to equalize. 13.e5 dxe5 14.dxe5 d5 15.xd5 exd5 16.xd5 b4 17.d2 with equal chances. 13...0-0 14.fc1 13.e5 was still a good option. c8 15.d1 I was thinking about doubling Rs on the c-file and did not want the Q cut off after 15.Rc2. Pretty vague reasoning! a5 16.h3 The was no real reason for this, but I had to make a move...it actually is OK according to the engine! c6 17.d2 17.d5 turns out to be no better than the passive text. exd5 18.exd5 b7 19.d2 This miserable retreta is the best white has. 19.c2 doesn't wotk now. After xc3 20.xc3 xd5 black's advantage is decisive. 19...c4 Black is clearly better. 17...b6 Pointless, but also rather harmless. 17...d5 was a good alternative. 18.e3 d8 White has gained a move, but the position still favors black by about a P. 19.d3 h7 This is too passive. 19...Qd7 would have stymied by Q-side counterplay. 20.a4 All early dreams of a K-side attack are gone and any advance in the center is not feasible so white has only this option, but it's good enough because now black's has no more than a slight advantage. b4 21.a2 b3 This and my next move have no logical explanation! Black shoulf have played 21...d5 22.c3 Of course taking the P fully equalizes. Instead I made a gross oversight. b2+- ...and wins. But as a famous baseball player (Yogi Berra) once said, it ain't over 'til it's over. That's especially true in a Blitz game. 23.xa6 a8 24.d3 g5 Not bad...the fork is not going to disappear. 25.f4 e7 26.c2 bxc1+ 27.xc1 c8 28.d5 Of course he cannot play 28... exd5 because of the hidden attack on the N after 29.exd5 a8 29.e5 [With time getting short this was simply an attempt to complicate. In reality black has a decisive advantage. g6 30.dxe6 e8 Black used precious seconds here trying to figure out all the cao\ptures. Actually, he could have played 30... fxe6 or 30...dxe5 (actually the best) and he would still have stood better. 31.exf7+ xf7 32.xg6 g7 33.e4 xc3 An hallucination?! Now it's white who is winning. Not only does white get the exchange the N on a5 is left hanging. 33...xe4 34.dxe4 dxe5 and being a R up he has an easy win. 34.xc3 xe4 35.xe4 d5 Marginally better would have been 35...dxe5 35...b7 36.b3+ Picks up the N 36.xa5 dxe4 37.d5+ f7 38.xe4 Materially white has 4Ps vs a N, and he also has a significant time advantage. In any case, the game is a technical win for white. In practice, assuming time was not a factor, things might not be easy! b3 39.a5 a3 40.c7 xa5 40...f7 41.b6 f8 42.c4 with an easy win. 41.g6+ h8 42.xe7 Black resigned. 1–0

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