Exceptions to the Rule

Following guidelines are an important way to learn how make better decisions in complex games. Popular examples of basic strategy guidelines are available for such games Backgammon, Blackjack, Go, Texas Holden  and of course, Chess. For our Royal Game, the most famous set of basic strategy guidelines are the Thirty Rules of Chess. The ThirtyContinueContinue reading “Exceptions to the Rule”

Sicilian Wing Gambit Secret Sauce: Cooked to Perfection 

The Secret Sauce line in the Sicilian Wing Gambit (1.e4 c5 2.b4 cxb4 3.a3 bxa3 4.Rxa3) has produced more than its fair share of memorable chess games. On Day 9 of the Fremont Summer Chess Camp at MSJE, I even turned up the spice a little by playing it at Rook Odds! Despite starting theContinueContinue reading “Sicilian Wing Gambit Secret Sauce: Cooked to Perfection “

Sicilian Wing Gambit: Secret Sauce

Approximately sixteen years ago, I uncovered a hidden gem in the Sicilian Wing Gambit (1.e4 c5 2.b4). This new opening trap, now famously dubbed the “Secret Sauce” by my chess students, unleashed the clever sequence 1.e4 c5 2.b4 cxb4 3.a3 bxa3 4.Rxa3. Position after 4. Rxa3 a.k.a. the start of the Secret Sauce trap. NoteContinueContinue reading “Sicilian Wing Gambit: Secret Sauce”