Winckelmann-Reimer Gambit

The following is an excerpt from Serial 67 (March-April 1995) of BDG World, written by Niels Jørgen Jensen and Rasmus Pape, added with my hypertext links, and comments up to the 11th move. There are also a few WRG games transposed to the DDG. David Flude maintains wonderful WRG pages.

You know the situation: 1. d4 d5 2. e4 e6... Now what? If the French Defense has been a problem for you, here is the solution: 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. a3 Bxc3 5. bxc3 dxe4 6. f3! This gambit variation has been examined over the past few years by the German player Thomas Winckelmann, who has recently published a highly recommendable book on it. Let us have an example right away:

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. a3

The Winawer, Alekhine (Marsczy) Gambit, which has similar ideas, arises after 4. Ne2.

4... Bxc3+ 5. bxc3 dxe4 6. f3

6... exf3

6... Nf6 7. Bg5 h6 8. Bh4 exf3 9. Nxf3 Nbd7 10. Bd3 c5 11. O-O Qc7 12. Qe2 Nd5 13. Ne5 Nxc3 14. Rxf7!? Nxe2+ 15. Bxe2 cxd4 16. Re7+ Kf8 17. Rf1+ Kg8 18. Re8+ Kh7 19. Bd3+ g6 20. Rf7# 1-0, Heikkinen - Kauranen, 1991 . This is one of my wildest games.

6... b6 7. Bb5+ Bd7 8. Qe2 Bxb5 9. Qxb5+ Qd7! 10. Qxd7+ Nxd7 11. fxe4 Ngf6 is given as a refutation in The Big Book of Busts. However, 7. Nh3 may be better for White.

7. Nxf3 Nf6

Note that if the c2-pawn was on c4, and it were Black's move, this would be the main line of the DDG.

8. Bd3 O-O 9. O-O c5 10. Bg5 h6

10... cxd4 11. Qe1, 1-0 in 26, Tim - crafty, ICC 1995.
10... Nbd7 11. Ne5 Qa5 12. Bxf6 Nxf6 13. Rxf6! gxf6 14. Qg4+ Kh8 15. Qh4 f5 16. Qf6+ Kg8 17. Ng4! (17... fxg4 18. Qg5+ Kh8 19. Qh6) 1-0, Bernd Schimmelpfennig - Anonymous, 1995. This sacrifical game is a copyinspiration from Winckelmann's book.

11. Qe1!

Here Bischof wrote: It looks quite interesting, but will not work.

11... hxg5 12. Nxg5 Qc7 13. Qh4 Re8 14. Rxf6 gxf6 15. Nh7 Nd7

Now Bischof wrote: In this variation White can get no more than a draw.

16. Qg4+ Kh8 17. Qh5 Kg7 18. Rf1 1-0.

Bischof: We do not have to continue this game. (18... f5 19. Qg5+ Kh8 (19... Kxh7 20. Rf3) 20. Qh6 Kg8 21. Rf3 cxd4 22. Qg5+ Kh8 23. Rh3), Thomas Winckelmann - Bischof, corres 1991, Game 1905.

Unlike many other gambits it seems that Black gets the biggest problems when accepting the pawn. Winckelmann has made a small saying that in translation would go like this: Take the pawn, it has been tried, but comes near to suicide!

The position after 7. Nxf3 should seem familiar to BDG players. It resembles very much a position arising from the Euwe Defense and the differences seem to be in White's favor: The d4-pawn is now safely guarded and the Black bishop is no longer available for the defense on the kingside. White almost invariably plays 8. Bd3 and 9. O-O and also the frequently played maneuver Qe1-h4 is well known to us.

3 games in PGN (out of 8 published in the original article).