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.