It’s idea is simple: white wants to divert black's c-Pawn so he can play d4 and build up a strong center. After 2...cxb4 white does not have to play 3.d4 immediately though; he can play 3.3.a3, the Marshall Variation or 3.Bb2, the Abrahams Variation, or 3.c4, the Santasiere Variation.
Today’s game features the Santasiere Variation which is the worst of the three possibilities, but it’s intriguing! It’s sharp and tactical and requires both players to be well-prepared and alert because it can leads to dynamic and complicated positions. This game is an example!
The 2002 Nassau Championship was won by IM Jay Bonin (7-2) ahead of GM Igor Novikov (6-3). Chipkin scored 3.5-5.5 (tied for 12th) and Kreitner scored 3-6 (tied for 15th). There were 21 players.
[Event "Nassau Champ, Mineola"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2002.10.01"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Leonard Chipkin"]
[Black "Ilan Kreitner"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B20"]
[WhiteElo "2023"]
[BlackElo "2200"]
[Annotator "Stockfish `7.1"]
[PlyCount "81"]
[SourceVersionDate "2025.10.01"]
{B20: Sicilian Wing Gambit, Santasiere Variation} 1. e4 c5 2. b4 cxb4 3. c4 e5
{This is the correct way to meet the Sanatsiere Variation. Capturring the P
only facilitates white's development and give him compensation for the P.} (
3... bxc3 4. Nxc3 e5 {This gives white too many good options.} 5. Nf3 Nc6 6.
Bc4 Be7 7. O-O Nf6 8. d4 {with equal chances.}) (3... bxc3 4. Nxc3 e5 5. Bc4
Nc6 6. Nf3 Be7 7. O-O {equals.}) (3... bxc3 4. Nxc3 e5 5. f4 exf4 6. Bc4 (6. d4
Bb4 {Black is much better.}) 6... Nf6 (6... Bb4 7. Nd5 {favors white.}) 7. Nf3
Nc6 8. O-O Bb4 9. e5 d5 {with equal chances.}) 4. Nf3 Nc6 5. Bb2 (5. a3 {
is not worth considering.} Nf6 6. d3 bxa3 7. Bxa3 Bxa3 8. Nxa3 d6 {Black is a
solid P up.}) 5... Qc7 {Engines prefer 5...Bc5, but after 6.Nxe5 the
complications are head whirling.} 6. d4 d6 {It is a mistake to close the
position as white is now equal. For black to have any advantage he must accept
the complications that result from keeping the position open. Therefore 6,,,
exd4 is correct.} (6... exd4 7. Be2 (7. Nxd4 Qe5 {and white is in a difficult
situation.}) 7... Nf6 8. O-O Bc5 9. a3 O-O {Best.} 10. e5 Ne4 {Black is better.
}) 7. d5 {It is a mistake to close the position as white is now equal. For
white to have any advantage he must accept the complications that result from
keeping the position open.} Nce7 8. Qa4+ Bd7 9. Qxb4 {White has regained his P
and black's pieces are all tangled up maling his development difficult.
However, white's weak c-Pawn is a target.} Ng6 10. Nc3 Nf6 11. g3 Be7 12. Ba3
O-O 13. Rb1 b6 14. Bd3 Ne8 {Now white should castle.} 15. Qb3 Bh3 16. Bf1 {
Eliminating hos hab B.} Bxf1 17. Kxf1 Rc8 18. Nd2 Qd7 (18... Bg5 {Attacking
the N picks up the c-Pawn. Even so, the complications are enormous.} 19. Nf3
Bh6 20. Kg2 {Connecting his Rs.} Qxc4 21. Qxc4 Rxc4 22. Nb5 Rxe4 23. Nxa7 Re2 {
and black has an active position.} 24. Rhe1 (24. Rxb6 {This should lose, but
the refutation is hard to calculate! The best line for both sides is} {
Stockfish 17.1:} Be3 25. Rb2 Rxb2 26. Bxb2 Bxa7 {Black has won a picei, but
the game is far from over.}) 24... Rxa2 25. Nb5 {Theoretically at least black
gas a small adcantage, but for practical purposes the position can be
considered equal despite black's two P plus!}) 19. Kg2 {Better was 19.h4
preventing black's next move.} Bg5 {With this move black acquires a small
advantage, but it's not clear that he can get more than a draw.} 20. Nf3 Bh6 (
20... Nf4+ {gives black a strong attack as the N cannot be taken.} 21. Kg1 (21.
gxf4 Qg4+ 22. Kf1 Qxf3 23. Rg1 Bxf4 {with clearly the better position.}) 21...
Qh3 (21... Nh3+ {yields a draw.} 22. Kg2 Nf4+ 23. Kg1 Nh3+ 24. Kg2 Nf4+ {draw})
22. Ne1 Ng6 23. Nd1 Bd2 24. Nf3 Bh6 25. Ne1 {White has successfully defended
his K. Here, again, black can draw by repesting moves or he can try to squeeze
something out of his position with 25...Qd7 followed by ...f5}) 21. Bc1 {
Black's best line is to take on c1 then play ,,,f5} Nf4+ 22. Bxf4 {Now neither
a B or a P in f4 is near as troublesome to white as a N would have been.} exf4
23. e5 Qf5 {More energetic would have been 23...g5} 24. Nd4 {[%mdl 2048]
White's strong center and space advantage now begin to make themselves felt.}
f3+ 25. Nxf3 dxe5 26. Rbe1 {Black should niw defend his e-Pawn with 26...f6.
Instead he tries an attack that looks dangerous, but is doomed to failure.} Bf4
27. Ne4 {Black's best chance is to retreat the B to h6 and then play ...g6.} g5
28. Nexg5 Nd6 29. gxf4 e4 30. Nh4 Qxf4 31. Qg3 {Black likely overlooked this
move which saves his Ns and now black is just a piece down.} Qxg3+ 32. hxg3
Rxc4 33. Nxh7 Rfc8 (33... Kxh7 34. Nf5+ {regains the piece.}) 34. Ng5 f5 {
Now instead of the prosaic 35.Ng6 white gets fancy. Either way he is winning.}
35. Nxf5 Nxf5 36. Nxe4 Rc2 37. d6 Rd8 38. d7 Kg7 39. Rh5 Nh6 40. Rg5+ Kh8 41.
Nf6 {Black resigned.} (41. Nf6 Rf8 42. Re8 {mates}) 1-0
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