A letter from Reinhold Thiele

A. Delchev wrote in the introduction (page 9). "The emphasis, however, is on the extremely sharp gambit 3. b4 f6 4. e3 e5 5. c5 e5 6. Bb5+ !? c6 7. Bc4," in the Reversed Benoni.
This is a fascinating gambit, but I believe that A. Delchev missed a better continuation for Black, which throws a little cloud over the whole variation.
Delchev wrote on page 48 after: 1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 d4 3. b4 f6 4. e3 e5 5. c5 a5 6. Bb5+ c6 7. Bc4:
" c) 7...axb4 8. Nxe5 Nh6! 8... fxe5 9. Qh5+ Kd7 ... Is not inspiring for Black." (p. 48)

I agree, but what about the continuation:
7...axb4 8. Nxe5

8...fxe5 9. Qh5+ g6!?
After the more or less forced 10. Qe5+ Qe7 11. Qxh8 Nf6 White has to give the queen under unfavourable circumstances, when Black continues Be6, ...Nbd7 ...0-0-0.
I analysed for a few days and then I checked my idea with Houdini 1.5 and it agrees with me.
See the following four examples:
1. 12. d3 Be6
1.1 13. Nd2 Nbd7 14. O-O O-O-O 15. Bh6 15.exd Bh6 16.Qxd8+ Kxd8 17.Re1 Nd5 18.Bxd5 cxd 19. Nb3 Bxc1 20. Raxc1 Rybka 4 (0.00) Houdini 1.5 ( -0.94)
1.2 13. Bxe6 Qxe6 14. OO Nbd7 15. exd O-O-O 16. Bg5 Qf7
2. 12. OO Be6 13. Bxe6 Qxe6 14. exd Nbd7 15. d3 O-O-O, Rybka 4 (-0.29) Houdini 1.5 (-1.21)
3. 12. Bb2 Be6 13. Bxd4 Nbd7 14. Bxe6 Qxe6 and again O-O-O
4. 12. h4 Be6 13. Bxe6 Qxe6 -+ (-2.27)

These variations are surely not forced. But the used pattern by Black is easy to understand and always the same with different move orders.
.....

Sincerely yours
Reinhold Thiele

---