Well, if you want to dodge opening theory then f4 is a good opening to do so. It gives a slight advantage to black, but isn't the worst.
Is 1.f4 a playable opening?
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no
Dec 8, 2020
0
#105
i dont play 1.f4 but i do play one sideline that may just as well be.
it even solves the issue of the problem queen knight in the bird!
but yes , of course 1.f4 is playable, but much like other secondary moves aside from the big four (1.e4 1.d4 1.nf3 1.c4), it equalizes quicker if black plays correctly. i personally find it a little too inflexible for my tastes but then again , 1.b4 is my favorite opening lol. You are gonna have to do your homework on how to play agaisnt all the anti-bird systems out there, but like with many sound unorthodox openings, you will get some great knockouts with it.
Dec 8, 2020
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#106
SmyslovFan wrote:
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!
thats the true gist of it. to play offbeat lines well, you pretty much become your own encylopedia of them! if what you are playing is not terrible, then worse case scenario, white equalizes quicker and black takes longer to equalize.
Dec 23, 2020
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#107
Chess is about pleasure and interesting games and for that reason f2-f4 is very worthwhile to play. You often surprise your opponents and that gives you an edge. A one day tehematic tournament Froms gambit is about to start. You are welcome. Click the link. See you later.
https://www.chess.com/tournament/f2-f4-fromms-gambi-e-t/join
low class player don't know what is good, we just play for fun ,but in gm level class game,f4 is bad for sure,computer show disadvatage very clear,but in online game it's ok
hanweihehai wrote:
low class player don't know what is good, we just play for fun ,but in gm level class game,f4 is bad for sure,computer show disadvatage very clear,but in online game it's ok
If you are devoted to the opening, then you can get results at the master level:
f4 is 100000% playable. I don’t see it as any worse than any of the mainline choices until your play incredibly good.
chaotikitat wrote:
froms gambit is a formidable choice against the birds opening
You should check out my pet declined line. My blog has my older analysis, but I have been working on a new approach with a quick Bc4. Here are a few examples:
Nov 23, 2022
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#113
Those are some nice games, the declined variation I haven’t seen anywhere before now, I’ll check out those blogs !
Nov 23, 2022
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#114
One reason i dont play the bird is because.... i often fail to see how white fully improves his position in some lines
take this thought experiment, you play a classical bird formation with f4 b3 bb2 e2 nf3-be2- 0-0, and your opponent plays a QID formation with d5 thrown in early. Give white a few tempi, and he will prob build something like d3 nd2 and e4. but then ...what? trading exd5 is rarely favorable, this leaves e4-e5 gaining space, but here is the problem, after e4-e5 you have allowed black to play d5-d4 himself, and unlike your pawn push blacks push blocks your fianchetto and opens his. White can try to to do some clumsy counterattack, with qe1 and maybe try a kingside attack but it is not convincing.
i dont trust openings where you can get like 2 free tempi, and im not fully sure if you are really that much better
Nov 23, 2022
0
#115
darkunorthodox88 wrote:
take this thought experiment, you play a classical bird formation with f4 b3 bb2 e2 nf3-be2- 0-0, and your opponent plays a QID formation with d5 thrown in early. Give white a few tempi, and he will prob build something like d3 nd2 and e4. but then ...what? trading exd5 is rarely favorable, this leaves e4-e5 gaining space, but here is the problem, after e4-e5 you have allowed black to play d5-d4 himself, and unlike your pawn push blacks push blocks your fianchetto and opens his. White can try to to do some clumsy counterattack, with qe1 and maybe try a kingside attack but it is not convincing.
If black plays a QID formation (with the bishop on b7) it will be difficult for white to get in e4 without a lot of preparation, since the square is guarded 3 times.
I would probably keep the pawn on e3 (to meet ...d4 with e4) and go straight ahead with the kingside attack after like Qe1, Ne5, Qg3 etc. I'm not sure I would call this clumsy, honestly I think black needs to be quite careful not to be mated in the next 10 moves.
That being said, I do think the classical bird might be the weakest out of the three. The reversed Leningrad is probably the only version where white is fully equal against best play in all lines.
Nov 24, 2022
0
#116
Steven-ODonoghue wrote:
darkunorthodox88 wrote:
take this thought experiment, you play a classical bird formation with f4 b3 bb2 e2 nf3-be2- 0-0, and your opponent plays a QID formation with d5 thrown in early. Give white a few tempi, and he will prob build something like d3 nd2 and e4. but then ...what? trading exd5 is rarely favorable, this leaves e4-e5 gaining space, but here is the problem, after e4-e5 you have allowed black to play d5-d4 himself, and unlike your pawn push blacks push blocks your fianchetto and opens his. White can try to to do some clumsy counterattack, with qe1 and maybe try a kingside attack but it is not convincing.
If black plays a QID formation (with the bishop on b7) it will be difficult for white to get in e4 without a lot of preparation, since the square is guarded 3 times.
I would probably keep the pawn on e3 (to meet ...d4 with e4) and go straight ahead with the kingside attack after like Qe1, Ne5, Qg3 etc. I'm not sure I would call this clumsy, honestly I think black needs to be quite careful not to be mated in the next 10 moves.
That being said, I do think the classical bird might be the weakest out of the three. The reversed Leningrad is probably the only version where white is fully equal against best play in all lines.
ok take the same thought experiment but give black g6 bg7 instead of e6 be7. where is white's attack?
actually even in the original position one problemm with this classic idea is, if black has nxe4, white's attack dies out considerably.
They are some attacking lines in the bird, like the early bd3 line where white may get the double bishop sac if black is careless but if black avoids the traps, his superior pawn structure and white's clumsy pieces gives black him the edge.
darkunorthodox88 wrote:
ok take the same thought experiment but give black g6 bg7 instead of e6 be7. where is white's attack?
actually even in the original position one problemm with this classic idea is, if black has nxe4, white's attack dies out considerably.
They are some attacking lines in the bird, like the early bd3 line where white may get the double bishop sac if black is careless but if black avoids the traps, his superior pawn structure and white's clumsy pieces gives black him the edge.
The Bird is no silver bullet, but if you are familiar with the ideas and plans, White gets a decent game. Here are a couple games against the Grunfeld formation.
I am not the fastest/best blitz player, but here is a sample of play against ..e6/..Be7. The Opening was fine for White:
An example of how dangerous the Bird can be:
To present an even picture of the Bird Opening, I have had tough games too. Here Yudasin crushed me:
Many will recognize my opponent here. He ground me down in nice style!
But the Bird opening is aggressive, and I have gotten some nice upsets:
I will close with one more game. I am 66 and long retired from over-the-board chess, but I still work hard on my chess .... and the Bird opening can be fun with blitz chess!
Honestly, I do not see any good reason to decline the From gambit.
The sharp (1.f4 e5 2.fxe5 d6 3.exd6 Bxd6 4.Nf3) g5 line gives Black decent counterplay after 5.g3, but returning the pawn with 5.d4! g4 6.Ne5 Bxe5 7.dxe5 Qxd1+ 8.Kxd1 is quite unpleasant to defend as Black. That leaves the positional 4.Nf3 Nf6, but after the best move 5.g3! Black has to sacrifice a second pawn to get good counterplay, and the resulting positions are a wee bit easier to handle as white.
pfren wrote:
Honestly, I do not see any good reason to decline the From gambit.
The sharp (1.f4 e5 2.fxe5 d6 3.exd6 Bxd6 4.Nf3) g5 line gives Black decent counterplay after 5.g3, but returning the pawn with 5.d4! g4 6.Ne5 Bxe5 7.dxe5 Qxd1+ 8.Kxd1 is quite unpleasant to defend as Black. That leaves the positional 4.Nf3 Nf6, but after the best move 5.g3! Black has to sacrifice a second pawn to get good counterplay, and the resulting positions are a wee bit easier to handle as white.
Objectively, what you mention are good lines, best, but they can require precise play, to ensure Black does not get compensation. I have found the declined line is easy to play and has good bite. Especially with online blitz. I have been playing my pet 3 Nf3 dxe4 4 e4 line for 42 years.
Historically, St. Amant answered 1.c4 c5 2.e3 with f5 and got interesting games. 1.c4 and 2.f4 (or reversing the move order) is strategically iffy at best, but it was played occasionally in the 19th Century.