Awesome, thank you!
Bird Opening with 1...f5
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Bird Opening is one I use surprisingly often.
Sep 22, 2022
0
#24
magipi wrote:
I don't see what's so terrible about 1. - f5.
1...f5 is dubious because of the Gambit by White, 1.f4 f5?! 2.e4! fxe4 3.d3 with advantage.
The extra tempo, 1.f4, is extremely useful here.
There was even an old book for Black in the 90's - Play the Dutch Against 1.c4 and 1.Nf3. It actually mentions that the Dutch, 1...f5, is playable against 16 of White's 20 legal moves.
The 4 where it is bad?
1.e4 - Obviously
1.g4 - Obviously
1.Nc3 because 1...f5 2.e4! Is very strong for White
1.f4 because 1...f5 2.e4 fxe4 3.d3 exd3 4.Bzd3 is advantage White.
I specifically play 1...f5 only against 1.c4, 1.Nf3, and 1.g3. Against 1.d4, I play 1...e6, and if 2.c4 or 2.Nf3 or 2.g3, I play 2...f5. If 2.e4, I play 2...d5.
It avoids 1.d4 f5 2.e4, 1.d4 f5 2.Bg5, and 1.d4 f5 2.Nc3. After 1.d4 e6, 2.Bg5 loses for White, 2.e4 d5 is the French, and 2.Nc3 d5 is fine for Black.
Bent Larsen didn't play it as black.
Sep 22, 2022
0
#26
1...f5 avoids an imbalanced game, which is hypothetically a main reason for playing the Bird's opening.
I'm aware of the e4 gambit. I believe the main line goes like this:
ThrillerFan wrote:
1...f5 is dubious because of the Gambit by White, 1.f4 f5?! 2.e4! fxe4 3.d3 with advantage.
The extra tempo, 1.f4, is extremely useful here.
Well yes, the exra tempo is extremely useful:
For Black.
GM Marin agrees with you- sort of.
What he considers as dubious is 2.e4 though, not 1...f5.
A random guy with the strange name Stockfish grudgingly agrees with Marin after 2.e4, and that at a considerable depth. Of course engine evaluations early in the opening are far from being a gospel, but this is a special position, where an engine can evaluate if such a gambit is sound, or not.
Just get the same position after 4.Bxd3, and without anyone noticing, put that bloody f4 pawn back at f2: now white's compensation is more than apparent.
The presence of that pawn at f4 simply limits white's options.
Kevin,
Always appreciate your posts. After f4 f5, I feel black is at least equal after any white 2nd move. As other's have pointed out, symmetrical games are inherently drawish, while gambit lines lead to a more a decisive outcome.
Please tell me how to put a chess game into a post. Thanks.
When you are writing post there is a little chessboard icon above the typing area on the left. Then you can either input the moves or input a pgn file.