Tetraethyl vinylidenebis (phosphonate)(VBP) reacts smoothly with substituted 1, 3-dienes at 90-110° C without solvent to give the corresponding cyclohex-3-ene-1, 1-bis (phosphonates) in good yields (60-85%). With nonsymmetrically substituted dienes, mixtures of regioisomers are obtained, the regioisomeric ratio being exclusively controlled by electronic effects. Danishefsky's diene allows tetraethyl 4-oxocyclohex-2-ene-1, 1-bis ( ...