It’s a tired cliché: “The only way to refute a gambit is to accept it.” Tired but, more often than not, true.
David Bronstein White
Dragoslav Tomic Black
Vinkovci 1970
Sicilian Defense, Rossolimo Variation B31
1 e4 c5 2 ♘f3 ♘c6 3 ♗b5 g6 4 c3 ♕b6
Black stops 5 d4. The drawback is that the queen may be vulnerable to ♘a3-c4.
5 ♗a4 ♗g7 6 0-0 e5
White enjoys a superior center after 6...♘f6 7 e5!. For example, 7...♘d5 8 ♗b3 e6 9 d4. Or 7...♘g4 8 d4 cxd4 9 cxd4 and 10 h3.
7 ♘a3 ♘ge7
Now 8 ♘c4 ♕c7 isn’t much so White tries a gambit.
8 b4!?
Refusing, 8...d6?, invites 9 ♘c4 ♕c7 10 b5 ♘b8? 11 b6+.
8...cxb4! 9 ♘c4! ♕c5??
Not 9...♕a6?? 10 ♗b5! ♕xb5 11 ♘d6+.
Black should try to keep the extra pawn in a different way, 9...♕c7 10 cxb4 ♘xb4.
Question 159: What about 11 ♕b3 ?
10 d3!
Black’s queen ruins his position (10...0-0 11 ♗e3).
10...bxc3 11 ♖b1!
His last hope was 11 ♗e3?? ♘d4!.
11...c2 12 ♕xc2 ♘d4 and Black resigned in view of 13 ♘xd4 ♕xd4 14 ♗e3 or 13...exd4 14 ♗a3 ♕h5 15 ♘d6+ ♔f8 16 ♘xc8.
Peter Biyiasas White
Herman Suradiradja Black
Skopje 1972
1 e4 c5 2 ♘f3 ♘c6 3 ♗b5 g6 4 0-0 ♗g7 5 c3 e6 6 d4 cxd4 7 cxd4 ♕b6 8 ♘a3 d5 9 exd5 exd5 10 ♖e1+ ♘e7 11 ♗f4 ♗e6 12 ♗d6 0-0 13 ♗xc6 ♘xc6 14 ♗c5 ♕xb2 15 ♖e3 ♘a5 16 ♖b1 ♕xa2 17 ♖e2! resigns.