Sokolsky Opening. Has anyone had success persisting with the lines

Why you not take the center when ur opponent gives it

Playing 1...e5 or 1...d5 is surely the most logical thing to do. But this scheme that I play has the advantage that it is positionally correct and very easy to play. It leads to less analyzed positions than 1... e5 or 1... d5. With this scheme I avoid theoretical debates and equalize the game with black without problems.

Here's an example of another bullet I played a few weeks ago: https://www.chess.com/analysis/game/live/70684422201?tab=review

you mean you just give all the space on the queenside for free?

the queenside fianchetto lines are even but its really only white that has any practical winning chances as the pawn on b5 always threatens a well timed sac to become a passer and has an annoying clamp on the c6 square.

1. b4 b6 is a decent choice if Black just wants equality out of the opening. It's actually part of the reason why I stopped playing the Sokolsky as I find the positions to be very dry and boring.

The Gnome Variation is quite interesting, but I wouldn't mind facing it even if engines might give a slight edge to Black as White can go for a fun gambit with 3. b5.

For example

Alternatively

In both cases, the position is very interesting and filled with unexplored territory for both sides.

Pawn on B4 you mean?

the pawn will end up on b5

in reply to gnome, after 1.b4 c6 2.bb2 a5!? the gambit line b5 is perfect if black is unprepared. it can lead to some quick knockouts. i normally hate gambits but happily play this one. Now if your opponent really researches this stuff, the gambit line is prob slightly in blacks favor by like 0.5.
fortunately 1.b4 c6 2.e3 a5 3.b5 is quite satisfactory. in fact after 3....cxb5, 4.Bxb5 is already +0.7! and and any other move will soon face a4 and we back to normal polish lines. for example. 3...d5 4.nf3 nf6 (cxb5 is just as bad as before) 5.a4

I will make some annotations on a piece of paper on this Gnome variation, and add them to Hansen's book ;-) I think that where perhaps an engine like Stockfish after these moves that have been presented by advocates here may give a slight edge to Black, I want to warn them. This may look so after these couple of moves, but no further continuation is given. Like with my Hiarcs engine, that always gives me at least 12 moves as being at a (slight) disadvantage against Balck, as I play The Orangutan with White. But after that it alwyays, with the right moves by me, starts to give an equal position. And from there you can continue as White sometimes to develop an advantage towards and in the middlegame. And as Black is not always prepared for the typical continuations in this game, here White can start to score.

Since post #302 my results have been improved, with currently one ICCF game still ongoing playing the Orangutan / Sokolsky.

5 games won (+2)

5 games draw

6 games lost

That is now 7,5 points won vs 6 points lost. On the way myself to get more positive results.

I just started with another corresponce tournament and opened in all three games with 1. b4. One opponent chose the Exchange variatioon and after my move 4. c3 opted to play his Bishop to a5. So that is soemthing different. And both other players played 1. ..d5. And one of them then again closed in Black light squared Bishop with e6 on move 2. So this is going to be interesting!

And yes, I should really post some games here again!

Exchange variation, Black plays 4. .. Ba5. Some important news, I think!

In a current running game I was for the first time confronted with this move. Quite interesting is that after consulting my chess database here, including all possible games from the database played in the ICCF over the past years, I could only find 19 games in which Black played this move. And to some suprising fact, was able to win.

Five replies were given for White on move 5: either playing the pawn to g3 (not recommended by Hansen, and indeed I tried in my analyses... it doesn't work out well. Even Nakamura lost with this move in a speed game in 2021! ), Nf3 (not recommended as well), pawn to c4 (makes no sense), and pawn to d4 (I think this makes no sense either, and weakens the White pawn on c3 and ties the Knight on b1).

Then there is the fifth move by White: Qa4 (also mentioned in Hansen's book on page 49, last played in 1974! ) I believe this is not the strongest move after analysing, and we should follow the other suggestion made by Hansen on the next page, i.e. 5. pawn to e3. If indeed next Black plays 5. .. Nc6, exchange on f6. (My Hiarcs engine thinks indeed moving the Black queen to g6 is the best.)

I cannot say at the moment what will happen next, as the game is ongoing, but once when more important news is to follow... I will get back for those interested in the Orangutan!!!!

(BTW, my Hiarcs engine believes 4. .. Ba5 is an axcellent move.... which shows engines overrate the value of Bishops. Be aware of engines! )

What makes this opening so nice and interesting (to me), is that it isn't rock solid cast in theory, as Hansen of course himself explains as well in his book on the Orangutan. New opportunities to discover!!!

Here is a correspondence game meanwhile with the Exchange Variation that I played with White, and as said earlier here tried with move 5. g3, instead of 5. e3. Funny thing is that my Hiarcs engine still thought afterwards either 5. d4, or 5. Nf3 were better White won.

The game as mentioned in yesterday's post #337 has continued, but I will come back to this later.

Once again and meanwhile, here is another game, in which Black replied with 1. .. e6. Quite an interesting thing, in which I also made an inaccuracy, which fortunately my opponent did not exploit. White won. Another argument to persist with the various lines in the Orangutan!

Although I did not elaborate in my comments down here in the game, see how beatifully White's dark Bishop keeps supporting all along just by remaining on a1!

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfshdgL__glUTKr_uto_gAXCml5m2SakJseYeoo_9Xh1sDPOQ/viewform?usp=sf_link

pls fill out this survey, its for a class project, im desperate.

I have no idea what this kind of SPAM relates too. Please do not do this!

Okay let's get back to post #337 of mine, two days ago, regarding the Exchange Variation, in which Black plays his Bishop on move 4 to a5, when White has just played c3. So 4. c3. Ba5.

I think there are some important notes here to remember, as I disagree with Hansen's option to continue, what happens in the diagram below.

As this is part of an ongoing ICCF game, I will only publish the relevant moves with comments.