I have played this a few times and have a lot of fun with it.

Does anyone else play this defence?  It usually leads to some very shape play, with excellent chanches for black.

I used to play this. I scored a win versus a 1900 USCF in OTB chess with it ... after he chuckled aloud when I played the move. I guess I had the last laugh.

Of course, it can transpose into some standard lines, so it's not quite as bad as it looks. Well, maybe. At least someone with Basman's skills can manage to make it look OK.

The Borg is an interesting defense. Obviously not the first choice for most but the surprise value is great enough to get you through to the middlegame if you just wing it.

I can't find much analysis on it. A little in Chess Explorer, but the games are usually outside of those lines rather quickly and MCO doesn't seem to mention it.  So after 3 or 4 moves all I can do is wing it, but I figure white has to do the same.

Here's the book I used when I was playing this: Killer Grob.

Thanks for the tip, DrawMaster. I checked it out, but alas, they are asking more than I want to pay. While I was at Amazon I found one named the Gorb Attact which I purchased. Hopefully, it will be helpful.

I really like your 'Profile Page'

I have played this 1. ...g5.  In my obsession to do so I have even ventured 1. ...h6 when confronted with attempts to derail my nefarious plan by the cunning 1.d4!

 

It has perhaps best effect against 1.c4 as Black can almost get a respectable and playable position here even with decent play from the player wielding the White pieces.

Problems arise, however, if White plays with some mannered aggressions such as in this line:

1. e4 g5  2. d4 h6 3.h4! and Black has some tough digging to keep the sand dune from collapsing in upon his newly dug-out grotto.

Thanks for the input and what you say is true for that sequence. However, lets play 1.e4 g5 2.d4 e6 3.h4? gxh  and here we have a different story. e6 seems to be the best #2 move for black.

Cool profile page.

1. e4 g5 2.d4 e6 3.Nc3! and White can keep a good advantage.

Play could continue: 3. ...Bb4 4.a3 Bxc3 5. bc and now White's compensation for the disrupted Queenside pawns is a massive pawn centre that will be the dominant factor long through the middlegame into the ending.

3. ...Bg7 4.Be3 and White holds the center and Black's g pawn creates serious weaknesses to defend.

hello good idea

Yes, 3. Nc3!....., is an excellent move, but, 3.......Bb4, does not work out well for Black.  Instead Black should play, 3. Be2. Then the game might continue something like this: 4. Be2,d6 5.Be4 h5 6. Nf3  g4  7. Nd2.... Now Black has secured the flank attack he can concetrate on the center, probably with a  7......e5.

Note: White usually develops the Kingside  Knight before the Queenside Bishop and the c1 Bishop is locked in and of very little use afterwards.

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That's the same plan that refuted the grob (1.g4).

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