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Moves | 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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ECO | A00 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Parent | Queen's Pawn Game |
The Devin gambit is an offbeat chess opening that begins with the moves:[1]: 194–195 [2]: 455 [3]: 200–202
In this gambit, white offers a sacrifice of the g-pawn on g4, where it can be captured by white's knight. White plans to play for central control by placing a pawn on e4.[1]: 194
History
The opening was played in 1966 in a game at the Lansing Chess Club. Bill Devin, playing with the white pieces, opened with the gambit in a game that resulted in a twenty-one move checkmate.[5]: 16 By August 1971, the gambit had become known in Michigan as the Devin Gambit, and a reader of Chess Life & Review wrote to grandmaster and chess columnist Larry Evans asking if the gambit offered a free pawn or if white gained sufficient compensation for the g-pawn offered in the gambit. Evans evaluated the gambit as being unfavorable for white; per Evans, black accepting the gambit by taking the pawn with the f6 knight would not to open up the position to white's benefit and would not lead to sufficient attacking chances for white.[2]: 455
The line was played by Shakhriyar Mamedyarov in a game against Andrey Esipenko during the 2022 Tata Steel Masters tournament in Wijk aan Zee.[6][7] The use of the line was shocking to observers;[6] the move has rarely been seen at high-level play.[4][6]
References
- ^ a b Watson, John; Schiller, Eric (2015). Taming Wild Chess Openings: How to Deal with the Good, the Bad and the Ugly Over the Chess Board. New in Chess. ISBN 9789056915711.
- ^ a b Evans, Larry (August 1971). "Larry Evans on Chess" (PDF). Chess Life & Review. 26 (8).
- ^ Schiller, Eric (1998). Unorthodox Chess Openings (1st ed.). Cardoza Books. ISBN 9780940685734.
- ^ a b "Tata Steel Masters: Magnus Carlsen join leaders". International Chess Federation. June 16, 2022.
- ^ Root, Alexey (2021). "Bill Devin: Sacrifice Requested" (PDF). Texas Knights. 62 (3). Texas Chess Association.
- ^ a b c Bok, Benjamin (April 17, 2023). "13) 1.d4 Sidelines". Lifetime Repertoires: Nimzo-Queen's Indian − Part 1. Chessable.
- ^ "Shakhriyar Mamedyarov vs Andrey Esipenko: 84th Tata Steel Masters (2022), Wijk aan Zee NED, rd 2, Jan-16". Chessgames.com. 2022.