The Toilet Variation

The Toilet Variation opening in chess is an overlooked opening that has some strong benefits for players of all levels. In general, it is characterized by an early, aggressive kingside attack, with a least two pawns actively advancing from the queenside to support the knight's advance. This opening is particularly useful for players looking to gain a quick initiative against their opponent, as it often produces an attacking game with many tactical possibilities.

The Toilet variation, also known as the Urbina–Gregorek Variation, is an unusual opening that was first played in the 1990s. This variation is named after the players who developed it, Sergio Urbina of Ecuador and Andris Gregorek of Hungary. It is a double pawn push that starts by controlling the center of the board. Specifically, Black moves the Queen's Pawn to e5, followed by White's King's Pawn to f4. The key difference between this opening and other double pawn pushes is that the Toilet Variation includes an immediate knight move on the fourth move. The knight move follows the double pawn push and strikes straight into the center of the board. This move then sets up an aggressive attack on White's kingside.

Although the Toilet Variation has a reputation for being an aggressive opening, there are strong defensive possibilities for black as well. Black's pawns remain solidly on the fifth rank, which helps to control the center. Black can also use the space won by the doubled pawns to set up a rapid counter-attack. Black pieces and pawns can launch into sudden and unexpected actions to create a continuous pressure against white’s position.

The Toilet Variation is usually seen as a gambiting opening, since it is focused on a quick kingside attack at the expense of a deep positional understanding. However, experienced players have used this opening successfully. The Toilet Variation may be a way to surprise one’s opponents by playing something new and out of the ordinary. It is also an opening that should not be underestimated, as it is very effective in creating dynamic openings and multiple tactical possibilities.

In summary, the Toilet Variation opening in chess is an overlooked opening that has some strong benefits for players of all levels. It is characterized by an early, aggressive kingside attack, with a least two pawns actively advancing from the queenside to support the knight's advance. While it is usually seen as a gambiting opening, there are also strong defensive possibilities. Finally, experienced players have successfully used this opening, as it is a way to surprise one’s opponents with something new and out of the ordinary.