Do you like gambits? There's nothing wrong with the From's gambit, 1. f4 e5. You may want to look up a few lines before you jump in so that you get idea of how the game might go.
Do people play 1. f4 against you often?
How to respond to 1. f4?
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I agree with Loomis. From's Gambit is very hard to meet. I used to love to open with 1. f4, but From's Gambit has deterred me from ever trying it anymore.
Ricardo_Morro wrote: I agree with Loomis. From's Gambit is very hard to meet. I used to love to open with 1. f4, but From's Gambit has deterred me from ever trying it anymore.
Don't allow this reply to put you off, after 1 f4 e5, if you don't fancy being the recipient of a gambit, then play one yourself. Try 2 e4 and transpose to the King's Gambit. Put the boot back on the right foot! 
Nov 29, 2007
0
#5
Loomis wrote:
Do you like gambits? There's nothing wrong with the From's gambit, 1. f4 e5. You may want to look up a few lines before you jump in so that you get idea of how the game might go.
Do people play 1. f4 against you often?
I looked up From's gambit briefly now and it seems quite interesting. I'll definitely have to have a better look at it and try a few games with it sometime soon. It might solve all my problems. Thank you both for your replies.
And yes, I've had many situations where people have played 1. f4 and I'm sort of afraid that'll become more and more of a habit if I can't defend against it.
Nov 29, 2007
0
#6
efour wrote: Loomis wrote:
Do you like gambits? There's nothing wrong with the From's gambit, 1. f4 e5. You may want to look up a few lines before you jump in so that you get idea of how the game might go.
Do people play 1. f4 against you often?
I looked up From's gambit briefly now and it seems quite interesting. I'll definitely have to have a better look at it and try a few games with it sometime soon. It might solve all my problems. Thank you both for your replies.
And yes, I've had many situations where people have played 1. f4 and I'm sort of afraid that'll become more and more of a habit if I can't defend against it
Do you like to play the sicilian? If so you can just play 1. c5 and likely transpose to some very familiar sicilian positions. I will check and see if any of my games on here were like that.
Nov 30, 2007
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#7
i believe one of the better responses for black against the bird (f4) is the dutch defence (f5).i actually ended up trying this out as a joke when i eas a less advanced player but the game i got out of it was incredible. ill try to find my old notes and post it later. but its defenently worth a try.
Nov 30, 2007
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#8
this game is a good example of a response that you should expect from f5 called the swiss gambit
Why did white resign(referring to the most recent post)?
easy: depending on your plan!
1. if you like to dominate the center by active moves.. you may try: Nf6, d5, f5..
2. if you like to reduce the mobility of the attack just blok the pown's mobility, by: g6, e6..
Probably because white is losing even more material (already down 5 pawns for a piece). The knight on g3 can't be protected. If the knight moves, there is a danger of Qh2#. If 30. Nf1, then Bc5+ wins material.
I think 30. Bxf3 is white's best resistance. I don't know if I've found the right idea for black, but it looks like black does well against the exposed king. Perhaps resigning wasn't necessary, but it's painful to play such positions (as usual, see the move list for variations):
the answer may be :
Rxf3! for wite.. still keeping presure on the g3 by capturing one pown, by loosing the Knight, Bf3(?)! didn't solve the defence of black's attack.. by offering the initiative to black Qxg3!+
yes.. black has the material advantage of very strong pown's "falaga" which assume for it the very easy final game- to win!
I rarely face 1.f4, but I've played 1...d5 against it and the lines are intuitive enough that I've "followed theory" without studying it and never gotten blown away.
" the answer may be : Rxf3! for wite"
30. Rxf3 exf3 and now your knight on g3 and your bishop on g2 are both hanging, black will win material in this position.
Loomis wrote:
" the answer may be : Rxf3! for wite"
30. Rxf3 exf3 and now your knight on g3 and your bishop on g2 are both hanging, black will win material in this position.
yes, wite may continue:
31. Qxf3! Bxg3 at wich wite can only do.. 32. Kf1 to prevent active move from black's figures... but the material insuficiency is evident!
Nov 30, 2007
0
#16
Okay thank you for the ideas people. I've actually noticed that I'm having overall trouble playing black, not just against 1. f4. So I'll just have to try to improve my game as black in general as well.
I am a 1.e4 player but I occasionally wheel out 1.f4 (the Bird's) and I would do it all the time if I expected to face the From Gambit (1..e5). The different lines vary from += to almost +-.
There are 2 much more sensible replies. 1..d5 and 1..c5. With 1..d5 you enter a reverse Dutch and the position is fairly =. 1..c5 takes the game into Sicilian territiory as White will almost always play e4 as some point. Basically if ur a 1.d4 player then play ..d5 and if ur a sicilian player play 1..c5. Anyone else should probably look at 1..d5 as it is simplest, though 1..d6, 1..Nf6 and 1..g6 are all playable alternatives!
f4 is bad move
Okay so the problem is I seem to get myself into very troublesome positions as black if white starts with 1. f4. I'd very much appreciate help on trying to come up with any plausible defenses against this play. Suggestions please?