Vitolinsh Gambits (4 part series)

IM Alvis Vitolinsh (1946-1997) was a multi-time Latvian champion who was a friend of Mikhail Tal and worked alongside the Magician from Riga. His style of play was similar to Tal’s, and in the early 1980s he came up with some creative gambit play with b5!? for Black in two lines of the Nimzo-Indian Defence that bore his name. The first being in the Capablanca variation with 1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 e6 3 Nc3 Bb4 4 Qc2 0-0 5 a3 Bxc3 6 Qxc3 b5!?, the other in the Reshevsky variation with 4 e3 0-0 5 Ne2 b5!? - both leading to the sort of dynamic play that can easily see White being overrun if not handled correctly. And in his next four Gambit Guide shows, GM Boris Alterman will look at this aggressive way of playing for Black in the Nimzo with the Vitolinsh Gambits’ - series 1 & 2 against the Capablanca variation with 4 Qc2 0-0 5 a3 Bxc3 6 Qxc3 b5!?, followed by 3 & 4 on the Reshevsky variation with 4 e3 0-0 5 Ne2 b5!?