looking forward to it, Thrillerfan. So far in daily games I am 1-2 with the Sokolsky. the win was against a 1650 ish player and the two losses were against a 1969 and a 2210. they all played the e5 line.
Hopefully Tuesday Night where I am due White. Saturday I had 2 Blacks and a loss with White.
I cannot say that I have had the proper time to fully analyze it, but at first glance, I do not like 12.d4. There is no threat yet of ...e5. In fact, I would have to analyze further to determine if it is right, but one of my first "candidates" would be 12.Ne5 with intentions of playing 13.f4 (of course, if 12...Nxe5, then 13.Bxe5, and then if 13...Nd7, do not take on g7 as 14.Bxg7 Rg8 15.Bb2 Bh3 is annoying. But 14.Bb2 and if 14...e5, Black is not ready to open up. You throw out 15.f4 anyway.
Again, if I was at the board in this position, I would think long and hard. Another candidate would be 12.Bxf6 and 13.d4, but that appears to make Black's situation easier, having fewer pieces to maneuver through his space disadvantage.
12.d4 would be a candidate, but more of a last resort in my case.
I had thought of Ne5 as well, good you again come up with it.
I also looked at 10. Bxf6, ....
I just found a brilliant scheme in another variotian of our opening! Can't say anything however, uintil my opponent answers my last move of today!!!! Just as to unlock some mystery.... it's a true uncalled trap with a move, that makes anything else an instant stupide move for Black, other than a draw. But it is beautiful.
I am also playing another correspondence game currently, which follows the lines of a variation on page 46 of Hansen's book. It has already developed into its own idea. Main idea by Black was to advance his e-pawn on move 2 to e4 (see the start of this line from page 43).
So far the game has gone as follows underneath here. Comments are welcome; suggestions on how to proceed of course not, as the game is still running. However, it is interesting my opponent chose the 2. .. e4 line, and we need to look at this and be aware of it. Also important to notice is that Black played his c-pawn to c6. And I chose to check with the move Bb5+.
I am also playing another correspondence game currently, which follows the lines of a variation on page 46 of Hansen's book. It has already developed into its own idea. Main idea by Black was to advance his e-pawn on move 2 to e4 (see the start of this line from page 43).
So far the game has gone as follows underneath here. Comments are welcome; suggestions on how to proceed of course not, as the game is still running. However, it is interesting my opponent chose the 2. .. e4 line, and we need to look at this and be aware of it. Also important to notice is that Black played his c-pawn to c6. And I chose to check with the move Bb5+.
you almost never see 2...e4 . you need to watch out for 3.c4 e3!? which is quite annoying and play 3.e3 first.
Won the following game tonight with it.
Nice game, I remember when I played this I favoured 8.c4 instead of 8.d4. With d4 you get a weaker c-pawn but a stronger initiative.
Won the following game tonight with it.
Nice game, I remember when I played this I favoured 8.c4 instead of 8.d4. With d4 you get a weaker c-pawn but a stronger initiative.
Other advantages to d4 are:
1) Continues to fight for the prevention of Black's freeing move, ...e5.
2) Impedes the Knight that was just developed to d7 in the same manner that the d5-pawn impedes the Queen's Knight in the French Tarrasch. A pawn 3 squares from a Knight is often a good thing, like the ...g6 ideas against Ng3, or ...d5 against Nd2. Well, here it is d4 for White against either Knight to d7, removing c5 and e5 as outposts.
To me the Sokolsky is primarily an example of how White can mess around and play a sub-optimal first move yet still be fine.
I say this not as a hater, because I used to play the Sokolsky frequently in blitz and bullet myself, and in those regimes taking people out of their familiar territory and putting them into yours is often worth a slight trade off in objective quality, but 1. b4 is just not a good move. It gains q-side space and opens up a square on b2 for the QB, but white should really be occupying, or directly controlling, the center (and by directly controlling I mean with a move like 1. Nf3, not one appended to a capricious flank pawn push).
1. b4 and black will equalize soon with any kind of principled and correct play.
There are many fine players of the b4 opening with white who are students of all the combinations. The surprise element is not to be understated and it is a sound opening in the hands of experienced players of the Sokolsky.
But what attracted me most was that as a 1700 odd player I can find a way to a draw with white against players at 2100 elo or higher on occasions.
Open with c4, d4 and e4 and you can forget it most times as you are facing players who know the combinations inside out and are simply better there😊😊
In the game in post #386 of 5 days ago, my opponent did not continue with the move 13. .. 0-0. Instead he proceeded with 13. .. Bxh2+. I took back with 14. Kxh2, assuming he will now continue with 14. .. Ng4+.
Here a tantalising choice is upon me... either play 15. Kg1 
and I can still defend my position with no problem, when he places his Queen in the next move to h4. (I think the attack lacks a tempo to be succesful, by the way.) I could also play a very weird move like 15. Kg3 
, thus preventing Black's queen to move to h4. I checked this through various scenarios so far in Hiarcs, and Black is now forced to play some very exact moves, or otherwise his position can instantly deteriorate.
An interesting choice, that I have not made yet. 
Anyhow, Black's decision not to short castle on move 13 leads to an adventurous game (perhaps).
To me the Sokolsky is primarily an example of how White can mess around and play a sub-optimal first move yet still be fine.
I say this not as a hater, because I used to play the Sokolsky frequently in blitz and bullet myself, and in those regimes taking people out of their familiar territory and putting them into yours is often worth a slight trade off in objective quality, but 1. b4 is just not a good move. It gains q-side space and opens up a square on b2 for the QB, but white should really be occupying, or directly controlling, the center (and by directly controlling I mean with a move like 1. Nf3, not one appended to a capricious flank pawn push).
1. b4 and black will equalize soon with any kind of principled and correct play.
get braver, i have played this vs IM's and GM's in OTB games and have gotten excellent positions. Agaisnt one of the GM's i was even a clean knight up in an otherwise wild game.
I forgot who said it, but " Equal is not worse.". I have played the Polish against Master, expert, and class A players. And had great positions that I later blundered being a 1600 level player.
Yes Woodpusher. That’s my point. It’s fine to blunder but the polish offers you an opportunity for equal positions against much stronger players deeper into games because they either don’t see it as often or dislike the non standard characteristics of it which they have studied less of its theory.
If you push b4 to b5 if the situation allows for it as an example. Is there any other opening that has this configuration so early in the opening. Any odd openings can be made but some theory at least should be behind them. Rated at around the 9th most popular opening it is not common.
In another currently running correspondence game, I have been able to set up this pawn wall, as suggested in Hansen's book in the Grünfeld variation chapter. See pages 87-88.
My current official ICCF rating is 1776 ELO points, my opponent has 1722 ELO points.
In another currently running correspondence game, I have been able to set up this pawn wall, as suggested in Hansen's book in the Grünfeld variation chapter. See pages 87-88.
My current official ICCF rating is 1776 ELO points, my opponent has 1722 ELO points.
very pleasant for white. I have no idea what blacks plan could even be lol.
this is actually one of the pleasant advantages that 1.b4 has over say 1.b3 or 1.g3. if in doubt on how to proceed as white in the nebulous period after development and entering middle game, grab all the (safe!) queenside and center space you can get is usually the answer.
Here's another win with the Sokolsky. Played last night at time control G/85, Inc/5. This one even features the rare Windmill Tactic!
looking forward to it, Thrillerfan. So far in daily games I am 1-2 with the Sokolsky. the win was against a 1650 ish player and the two losses were against a 1969 and a 2210. they all played the e5 line.