It looks like Black is being very greedy in that line indeed going for the rook in the corner like that. Are you sure this is not winning for White? (I just threw it into Stockfish with you Nc3 line and it says White is winning but engines can be wrong about these material imbalances.) It looks very good for White anyway. I would certainly take White in Blitz; it's not surprising that an FM would go into it. I don't understand how sacrificing the exchange in this way would be considered greedy play.
My surprise weapon with black taking down skilled opponents
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Most players play d3, they like to solid their pawns, since their pawn up , bishop out just feels natural.
But after ...f5 they start to calculate exf5 with queen check and imidiately see its very good for white only to fell into trap. Black is ofcourse busted, but that requiares very computer like moves and solid deep calculations, they cant find best moves in all that mess in 5 min blitz. I played yhis line against national master in a simul with tons of time for him and he spend many minututes figuring out what to do.
Here is a game vs 2200 plus blitz player https://lichess.org/leMbyUWo
I have to say well done. (It's been a few years since I've played on Lichess I never got much better than 1900 back then. I remember having White in a Blitz game sometime this year in a similar position where Black pushed f5 with the fianchetto and took my rook but it was not the same line you're talking about. I think there may be a Greco game with this same motif. Such things may lead strong players into this line if it's really want you want to play.)
Shroplad57 wrote:
AIM-AceMove wrote:
This maybe all well and good on Blitz play but no GM or IM would ever risk this on long play controls this line was known 30 years ago by the English IM Michael Basman and published in his book called the St. George Defence one of the major problems for black is the Manouver Nge2-f4 white is better and will secure the advantage, However Its viable and worth playing at quick play suppose
Yes, I know this stuff well, too well having wasted half a life on unsound openings. The original version is from the English defence where you rightly point out that Ne2 as played by Brown I think was in practicality a win for white. Computers have now found other strong plans for white so black normally does not now play f5 in the english defence prefering Nc6
However the st george version is slightly different and occurs in the st george gambit line, 1.e4 a6 2.d4 e6 3.c4 b5 4.cxb axb 5.Bxb5 Bb7 6. Nc3 Bb4 7.Bd3 f5 black has slightly more resourses because he can play moves like Ra5 guarding the g5 square should white take the f pawn. I have had some great wins with black in all those st george gambit lines. They are viable and a lot of fun
Back to this present position, it looks like a much better one for white. Black lacks the counterplay and white ca either take or decline with a good position
f5 is only guaranteed sound in the english if black plays bb4+ before f5. if not like in some lines, after exf5, bb4+ is met by kf1! and bxg2 borders on suicidal if not outright refuted. they are sounder ways to play the english defense (a defense complicated enough as it is!, its a jungle of bizarre complications)
1.e4 b5 is the second worst move after 1.e4 f5. there is no justification for it (Although basman has used it before like a gambit to beat expert level players, that says more of basman's virtouso ability to make chop suey of even refuted positions than 1.e4 b5).
1.d4 b5 is on the otherhand on the borderline playable territory. it usually transposes to the st. george defense or a polish opening mainline a move down which is not great but such burden is at least psychologically easier as black , whereas with white, its just equal thanks to having enough time to play an early c4.
It's the Reverse Sokolsky (Polish). If you really want to play it against 1. e4, then you could try 1. ... a6 followed by 2. ... b5. GM Basman used to play this variation. If you really want to play 1. ... b5 it works better against 1. d4. Don't forget to consider pushing the pawn to b4 if it gets challenged, which prevents the queen knight from arriving at c3.
Took down players way above 2000 Fide rating in blitz, even an FM. It works against them, because they have too big ego and are greedy. Vs lower rated does not work.
1.e4 b5 2.Bxb5 bb7 3. d3 or nc3 or Bd3 you play 3...f5! And they took the pawn
4.exf5 Bxg2 Qh5+ g6 fxg6 Bg7 gxh7 kf8 , hxg8 kxg8 and then you take rook on h1. Its equal but they dont know this position and they play weak and blunder later.