DAY 286 Gambit Think

In a gambit, a new way of thinking takes over. The top priority is development.

Anatoly Lutikov White
Evgenij Ermenkov Black
Albena 1976
Sicilian Defense, Rossolimo Variation B31

1 e4 c5 2 f3 c6 3 b5 g6 4 0-0 g7 5 c3 f6 6 d4 cxd4?!

This violates gambit-think: The pawn grabber generally wants lines closed (6 ...xe4! 7 d5 d6, rather than 6...cxd4).

7 cxd4 xe4 8 d5!

White will exert pressure on the e-file, e.g. 8...b8 9 e1 d6 10 d3 and g5.

8...d6 9 a3!

Development! This is better than 9 a4 (9...b5 10 c2 b4) or 9 d3 b4.

9...e5 10 xe5 xe5 11 e1!

Now 11...f6 12 h6! or 11...g7 12 g5! is what White had in mind.

11...xb5? 12 xe5!

Far superior to 12 xb5? d6! when Black survives the opening.

12...f6

White would hold the high cards after 12...d6 13 e1 xa3 14 g5!.

illustration

13 xb5! fxe5 14 d6! 0-0 15 g5 b6 16 dxe7

Question 318: What about 16...xf2+ 17 h1 e8 ?

16...xb5 17 exf8 ()+ xf8 18 d6+ g8 19 h6 resigns.

Alexey Kim White
Jorge Baules Black
Dresden 2008

1 e4 c5 2 f3 c6 3 b5 g6 4 0-0 g7 5 c3 f6 6 d4 cxd4 7 cxd4 xe4 8 d5! d6 9 a3 e5 10 xe5 xe5 11 e1 f6 12 h6 xb2 13 c4! xc4 14 xc4 d6 (14...xa1 15 xa1 g8 16 f6!, e.g. 16...e6 17 dxe6! xf6 18 exf7+) 15 b1 c3 16 xb7! d7 17 e3 a5? 18 e2 e5 19 g7 g8 20 xe5 dxe5 21 xe5 a3 22 h3 d8 23 d6 xd6 24 d5 c6 25 dxd7! xd7 26 xd7 resigns.