but some players are not prepared to play 1...g5. They are just not that type of players.
Grob's opening:Alternatives to 1..d5
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1...f5 is the worst possible response. 1...g5 is second-worst, because of 2.h4.
Correct, that's not convincing at all. You gave the other side terrible moves, as over-zealous opening debaters tend to do.
Jan 12, 2015
0
#7
GreenCastleBlock wrote:
Correct, that's not convincing at all. You gave the other side terrible moves, as over-zealous opening debaters tend to do.
What terrible moves? The rook is under attack. If Nf3 then e4. White cannot castle, and black has a big pawn center.
What, you can't be bothered to look at your own 'analysis' critically and find better moves for the other side?
For starters, 1...gxh4 is a positional concession. Black is allowing White to exchange a RP for a NP, and Black's structure is now weakened to boot (2 islands vs. 1) There is no need to immediately recapture the pawn on h4. How about staking a claim in the center instead?
I never claimed that White's advantage is huge, or even that White has any advantage at all. Just that 1...g5 is a poor response to 1.g4.
I normaly play 1. ...e5 and 2. ... h5 against the Grob. It leads to a more positonal game where black often has pressure over the open h-file. Added advantage is that not many grob players know it.
pfren wrote:
[...] engines scream with joy about Black's position...
Thank you, that got my first grin of the day.
Robert0905 wrote:
What do you think are the best alternatives to 1..d5 in the Grob's?
Grob does Not work! 
Jan 13, 2015
0
#13
pfren wrote:
I like 1...d5, mainly because 2.Bg2 is a huge positional lemon. Giri's play was not totally convincing, but it was a rapid game, after all. For one thing, I do not know what is wrong with 1.g4 d5 2.h3 e5 3.Bg2 h5!?
Basman has lost all games he met it as White, the correspondence games score is awful for white, and engines scream with joy about Black's position...
There are some lines after 3.c4 which seem difficult to navigate, at least for 1800 players. Can you post variations about why you think this is a bluff?
Jan 13, 2015
0
#14
Chessattackman wrote:
With e5 black easily wins.
stop posting junk. White is never going to play 2.f4
Robert0905 wrote:
Chessattackman wrote:
With e5 black easily wins.
stop posting junk. White is never going to play 2.f4
Ironic that you asked him to stop posting junk on a thread about the Grob.
After 1.g4 d5 2.Bg2 Bxg4 3.c4 c6 4.cxd5 Nf6 5.Qb3 cxd5 6.Qxb7 Nbd7 White's queen is very vulnerable to attacks, while 6.Nc3 e6 Black has a solid position and can soon castle kingside to safety while White's king is vulnerable in the center. The Grob is an amateur's blitz weapon at absolute best (and other openings do a better job and are more sound), and just plain bad at worst.
Jan 13, 2015
0
#16
drybasin wrote:
Robert0905 wrote:
Chessattackman wrote:
With e5 black easily wins.
stop posting junk. White is never going to play 2.f4
Ironic that you asked him to stop posting junk on a thread about the Grob.
After 1.g4 d5 2.Bg2 Bxg4 3.c4 c6 4.cxd5 Nf6 5.Qb3 cxd5 6.Qxb7 Nbd7 White's queen is very vulnerable to attacks, while 6.Nc3 e6 Black has a solid position and can soon castle kingside to safety while White's king is vulnerable in the center. The Grob is an amateur's blitz weapon at absolute best (and other openings do a better job and are more sound), and just plain bad at worst.
thanks!
Jan 14, 2015
0
#17
pfren wrote:
Handling the position for Black after 2...Bxg4 is both very simple, and very safe. You just answer 3.c4 with 3...c6, and ignore the threat towards your b7 pawn completely- just develop with ...Nf6, ...e6, and answer an eventual Qxb7 with ...Nbd7.
However, do play whatever you like.
Everytime you speak on the 'Grob', I am reminded of the following:
"When your opponent complicates things, there is a strong temptation to look for a refutation of his idea, to pick up the gaunlet, to rise to the challenge. Of course, this is exactly what he wants and why such distractions must be resisted. If you have already decided on a good strategy, why drop it for something that suits your opponent? This requires strong self control, as pressure to switch can be both internal and external. Your ego wants to prove you can beat him at his own game as well as to quiet your critics - actual or potential."
Page 26 - How life imitates Chess- Gary Kasparov.
Jan 14, 2015
0
#18
And what relation does that have to prfen?? He did give a refutation of the idea!
Jan 14, 2015
0
#19
Robert0905 wrote:
And what relation does that have to prfen?? He did give a refutation of the idea!
Good lord....His opinion on a position is not a refutation.
and as for the quote, re-read it with the question in mind of which is best in the Grob (after 1..d5 2.Bg2), 2...c6 or 2...Bxg4?
pfren wrote:
I like 1...d5, mainly because 2.Bg2 is a huge positional lemon. Giri's play was not totally convincing, but it was a rapid game, after all. For one thing, I do not know what is wrong with 1.g4 d5 2.h3 e5 3.Bg2 h5!?
Basman has lost all games he met it as White, the correspondence games score is awful for white, and engines scream with joy about Black's position...
1. g4 d5 2. h3 e5 3. Bg2 h5 4. e4 dxe4 5. gxh5 f5 6. d3 Nc6 7. Nc3 Be6
8. Bd2 Qh4 9. dxe4 f4 10. Nf3 Qxh5 11. Qe2 Nf6 12. O-O-O O-O-O 13. Kb1 Kb8
What do you think are the best alternatives to 1..d5 in the Grob's?