Monday, June 21, 2010

A trap in the Wing Gambit

Lest you think from my earlier post on the 5-move Shirazi-Peters game that the Wing Gambit against the Sicilian is a complete joke, here is a cautionary tale. I fell into the same trap myself on the Internet a few months ago. After 3.Bb2, the immediate 3...d5 is most accurate, rather than 3...Nc6, which encourages White to kick the knight with d4-d5. On move 7, Black should have retreated with 7...Qd8 8.Nf3 e6. After 7...Qxd4?? 8.Nd5! Black was busted, since 8...Qxb2 9.Nc7 is mate. Even after the game continuation 8...Qxd1+ 9.Rxd1, White again threatened mate, which Black could not stop without losing the rook on a8.

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