I need an obscure opening vs 1.c4

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zxb995511

As the title says I'm looking for something obscure or unsound even against 1.c4 any suggestions would be great thanks in advance.

Humness

well there are a few:

1...Nf6

1...d5!

1...e5

of course you could alway check out games explorer

PrawnEatsPrawn

How about the Jaenisch Gambit?

1. c4 b5

I think you could expect to score plenty of wins against sub-master opposition with this off-beat opening.

rednblack

I disagree with Humness.  I see all of those as responses to 1. c4 rather often.  You can try, 1. . .b6 preparing a queen-side fianchetto which may throw white off, as he would like to fianchetto his light-squared bishop too.  Black also can get pretty solid positioning out of this opening, though I think it falls into the "dubious" category you described above.

You can also try the so-called Jaenisch Gambit against the English with 1. . .b5.  It definitely falls into the dubious category, but those who like it really like it.

http://www.chess.com/forum/view/chess-openings/jaenisch-gambit-against-1c42

Hope this helps.

Edit: 1. . .d5 (recommended by Humness) is a bit of a rarity actually and leads to some sticky positions for both players, so that may be up your alley as well. 

zxb995511
PrawnEatsPrawn wrote:

How about the Jaenisch Gambit?

1. c4 b5

I think you could expect to score plenty of wins against sub-master opposition with this off-beat opening.


Im intrigued- can you tell me at least the basic line??

Fromper

Are you preparing for a specific opponent? You might look into the Bellon Gambit (1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Nf3 e4 4.Ng5 b5), but it only works if white doesn't play g3 too early, so if you know your opponent, you might be able to find out if it's appropriate.

rednblack
zxb995511 wrote:

Im intrigued- can you tell me at least the basic line??


http://www.chess.com/forum/view/chess-openings/jaenisch-gambit-against-1c42

It also goes by the name of the Halibut Gambit, which will yield some results in a google search.

Shiraaaaazi

I play 1...nf6, the anglo-indian defense

Fromper

Or you could take up the Dutch Defense (1. d4 f5). One of the great things about it is that it works against just about anything but 1. e4, so you can play it against 1. c4, too.

Elubas
zxb995511 wrote:
PrawnEatsPrawn wrote:

How about the Jaenisch Gambit?

1. c4 b5

I think you could expect to score plenty of wins against sub-master opposition with this off-beat opening.


Im intrigued- can you tell me at least the basic line??


In my opinion this is just sacrificing for the sake of sacrificing. Being able to get the b file and one tempo for a bishop on b7 is just not compensation.

rrrttt

C6

Archaic71

I often play e6 against c4.  The e6, d5, c5 pawn set up is pretty playable against anything.

rrrttt

Caro defense, either leads to a Queens Gambit Slav Defense, or Semi Slav. Sometimese leads to obscure positions.

PrawnEatsPrawn
Elubas wrote:
zxb995511 wrote:
PrawnEatsPrawn wrote:

How about the Jaenisch Gambit?

1. c4 b5

I think you could expect to score plenty of wins against sub-master opposition with this off-beat opening.


Im intrigued- can you tell me at least the basic line??


In my opinion this is just sacrificing for the sake of sacrificing. Being able to get the b file and one tempo for a bishop on b7 is just not compensation.


 

Yup, guilty Sir!

 

 ... however, I remind you of the brief:

 

"As the title says I'm looking for something obscure or unsound even against 1.c4 any suggestions would be great thanks in advance."

 

Guess I've covered all the bases then, with the added advantage that in all three of the databases I looked in the Jaenisch Gambit scores fairly well. Some of us shun the safety-first approach that makes chess less interesting with every passing year. Most of us will never be world class or even titled but we can play a brand of chess that tickles our own fancy. Homogeneous chess? No thanks.

westcoastchess

just transpose it to whatever you play against 1.d4, and then find the obscure line a few moves deeper in that. no need to reinvent the wheel IMO,

jonnyjupiter

e6 and c6 can be annoying. I play the English as my main opening. Give me e5 or c5 and I'm in happy, familiar territory. Only play f5 if you're happy playing the Dutch as it is a straight transposition after 2. d4.

e6 is probably most flexible. c6 works well if white likes to play g3. 1.Nf6 is always a strong move too (although it's not offbeat).

Shah_Maht

I am wondering the same thing and i would like more replies please.

Expertise87

Against 1.c4 I think 1...d5 is the worst legal response as if Black recaptures with the Queen White gains a tempo without the problem of the blocked c-pawn from Scandinavian and with an extra central pawn to boot, while there is no other move that gets the pawn back (2.cxd5 Nf6 3.e4 holds the pawn as 3...Nxe4?? loses to 4.Qa4+)

gaereagdag

You could play the gambit of 1...d5 and then 2...c6 or 2...e6 after white plays 2. c4xd5

Schiller covers these gambits in one of his UCO books.

Expertise87

Schiller is a terrible author and his UCO book is probably his worst, which is saying an awful lot.

These gambits are much worse than the related ones from the Scandinavian. Imagine playing the Smith-Morra down a full tempo (1.e4). Why would Black have reasonable compensation after 1.c4 d5 2.cxd5 e6 3.dxe6 Bxe6? White can continue by putting his pawns in the center after which Black has nothing and White has no targets to attack comfortably. Black has given up both central pawns for no good reason.