Is 1.f4 a playable opening?

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LukeLol

Why is 1. f4 d5 2. Nf3 g6 good? Because it's the most flexible? 2...Nf6 instead of 2...g6 would be equally flexible no?

 

Nice trick in that game, I just saw a Lasker game with that setup and finish. Is it called Lasker sacrifice/mate? Or Pillburry attack (has also sth. to do with two bishops).

e4_guy

I have no idea how it's called, it's my own invention after hundreds of Bird games. Bd3 is bad move (or at least not good enough) but sometimes it works fine, position is unexpected.

2...g6 is good because it allows Bg7 and will delay b3 for white. I very much dont like it grin.png

In setup I mostly play (pawns at e3-f4-g2) queen is moved to kingside for attack via e1. With g6/Bg7 there is no attack on kingside and game wont be finished so fast.

Vib007
Hello friends, we know that opening as f4 is called Birds Opening, but what about f3 opening?
LukeLol

That's the Lasker game I meant. It's called the Lasker double bishop sacrifice.

 


 

 

Vib007
Thanks Optimissed for your information
Vib007
Thanks LukeLol for reminding us that historical game. I am confused with your personal profile. I found your score is 1800 in every category, in daily chess, blitz, bullet and rapid. But when we go to analyse, we find that the no of your played game is zero, how it is possible? Can you explain it please?
LukeLol

I never played a game here, 1800 seems to be the default rating. I am only here to discuss chess topics.

Drawyah

I have played the Bird Opening for decades with good results, and recently I started to play it again. I am working on a documenting a new scheme on my blog:

https://www.chess.com/blog/Drawyah

Interesting enough I have used the Bird Opening against two Bird Opening book authors. First game is against IM Tim Taylor. Oddly, he did not mention our game in his Everyman book.

Second game was against IM Cyrus Lakdawala, who later wrote a Move By Move book for Everyman. At the time of the game I had no idea Cyrus was a strong player. I was on vacation in San Diego, decided to check out the local club, and thought I was playing a house game against an average club player. The opening worked fine, but he nicely outplayed me in the middlegame. 

Good Chess! Keith

Drawyah

The new scheme I mentioned in the previous post is the Christmas Tree formation. The Christmas Tree is a Classical variation start, but upon seeing certain move orders from Black, White changes to a version of the Leningrad formation. I am not aware of anyone who has suggested this approach exactly for the Bird, but GM Simon Williams does mention the Christmas Tree option in his Killer Dutch book. He has played the Christmas Tree Dutch with Blitz (in his YouTube videos). His games/analysis is my inspiration for the Bird version.

Here is example game to show the Christmas Tree Bird has some bite (with notes from my blog):

It will take me some time to play enough games to get Christmas Tree analysis lines done. With my blog I am attempting to document an entire Bird repertoire with the Christmas Tree as the base. I have my From Gambit and Classical Response solutions done. Anyway, here is another recent Christmas Tree Bird:

Good Chess! Keith

 

SmyslovFan

Thanks for those interesting games, Keith!

penandpaper0089

I don't like the Christmas tree setup all that much but after 1.f4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.g3 c6 4.Bg2 Qb6 you pretty much have to play it. 4...g6 also leads to really weird stuff since Black is just waiting for ...Qb6+ and ...Ng4. This is the only reason I don't like playing 1.f4 tbh.

Drawyah

Note with the Christmas Tree Bird White is playing 3 e3 and not 3 g3, which I believe provides additional options for White.

Against the 1..d5, 2..Nf6, 3..c6 start, I think the following game shows the delayed Christmas Tree can be viable against a quick ..Bf5.

Good Chess! Keith

Drawyah

Instead, if Black plays a quick ..Bg4, after 1..d5 2..Nf6 3..c6, then it appears White should stay with the Classical/b3 approach.

Good Chess! Keith

LukeLol
Drawyah wrote:

Interesting enough I have used the Bird Opening against two Bird Opening book authors. First game is against IM Tim Taylor. Oddly, he did not mention our game in his Everyman book.

 

What would be your move after 3...d5 by Taylor? Seems it transponses into a classical Bird in that case.

Drawyah
LukeLol wrote:
What would be your move after 3...d5 by Taylor? Seems it transposes into a classical Bird in that case.

After 1 f4 c5 2 Nf3 g6 3 d3 d5, in the old days, I would play 4 e3 and seek to transposes to my old pet Classical line: 4..Bg7 5 Be2 Nf6 6 0-0 0-0 7 Qe1 Nc6 8 Nc3!?. I have played 8 Nc3 hundreds of times. I put many of my old games against 8..d4, in analysis form, on my blog.

https://www.chess.com/blog/Drawyah/hayward-bird

I caution that these games were played before chess engines, mostly correspondence games, so decent quality, but one should do their own detailed study. I should add these old lines have a positional flavor if Black plays properly.

In the new scheme I am trying to develop, after 1 f4 c5 2 Nf3 g6 3 d3 d5 4 e3 Bg7, I would play 5 g3 Nf6 6 Bg2 0-0 7 0-0 Nc6 8 Qe2 which is the Christmas Tree formation. I have gotten this base position a half dozen times so I am uncertain on true quality, and no doubt I have to improve my middlegame understanding, but regardless, preliminary results indicate the Christmas Tree formation has nice aggressive potential. I am blogging on my efforts, both good and bad. Good Chess! Keith

SmyslovFan

Ivanchuk once said he really admires Jobaava's style. He said that to play openings that aren't mainstream well requires far more work than playing mainlines. 

 

The comments here, especially the ones giving names to the various systems of development, really drives home Chuky's point.

 

1.f4 is playable, but don't take it up because you're looking for an easy way out. Black can choose from several different responses while White has to come up with some creative plans of development to try to trip Black up.

 

Dont play offbeat lines if you're lazy!

Cali_boy613
Drawyah wrote:

Note with the Christmas Tree Bird White is playing 3 e3 and not 3 g3, which I believe provides additional options for White.

Against the 1..d5, 2..Nf6, 3..c6 start, I think the following game shows the delayed Christmas Tree can be viable against a quick ..Bf5.

Good Chess! Keith

What do you think of the sturm gambit variation? 1.f4,c5. 2.c4

alexsherbin

Kasparov played Topalev with Bird's opening - so must be playable happy.png

 

poucin
melvinbluestone a écrit :
Cali_boy613 wrote:
Drawyah wrote:

Note with the Christmas Tree Bird White is playing 3 e3 and not 3 g3, which I believe provides additional options for White.

Against the 1..d5, 2..Nf6, 3..c6 start, I think the following game shows the delayed Christmas Tree can be viable against a quick ..Bf5.

Good Chess! Keith

What do you think of the sturm gambit variation? 1.f4,c5. 2.c4

  The Sturm Gambit (1.f4 d5 2.c4) is not seen very often in master level play (of course, Bird's Opening itself isn't played very much). But on intermediate levels it's okay, especially in fast time controls. A lot of players are not familiar with it, and will just push the pawn, 2...d4. White can then get a good game after 3.e3 dxe3 4.d4. It gets pretty tricky and it's a lot of fun in blitz.

I don't get where is white's fun after 1.f4 d5 2.c4 d4 3.e3 Nc6.

lukegk

It is playable, if only for suprise value, but playable. However, it is not as good as 1.d4 or e4.