The Grob's Attack, and Why We Don't Play it More???

Hello Chess Fans,

I am about to get the book "Play 1.b4" by Yury Shulman and Nick Conticello. But until then, I have started to play the exact opposite, the Grob's Attack. I don't understand why we don't play it more, because it gives White some great attacking opportunities. Here are two of my recent games. Any comments???

Here is the other one...

Thanks for reading. I would appreciate any notes or analysis you have.

Any responses???

It's fun, but tends to be a bit of a 'trappy' opening. Most people consider it one of the weaker options as an opening move because it weakens the kingside, doesn't claim any centre squares and weakens the pawn structure.

Sure, you can make it work if someone is not prepared, but there are much stronger options if you want to investigate flank openings. b4 is better because weakening the queenside pawn structure is often more forgiving than the kingside.

Thanks for all of the comments.

Do we have any more out there???

I think you should work more on playing sound blunder free chess and not trouble too much about flank openings at this point. In both those games you posted, the quality of your opposition was too low for analysis to be meaningful IMO (All openings are strong against an opponent who hangs his queen. )

There are no top players who play it.  Maybe, for a joke, amongst weaker masters.  Except for Michael Basman, who is a wizard.  Check out Claude Frizzel Bloodgood's games on chessgames.com, if you want to pursue some traps and attacking lines.  He played it exclusively.

Off topic: I've met Basman soooo many times. I have pictures with him when I won trophies.

On topic: It looks risky, not my style.

 Hey, he fell for some traps and was down two pawns before he lost his queen.

Any more comments??

Wait...Yury Shulman is helping to produce a book called "Play 1.b4"?

Lol, when I played him in the club I was a part of, he practically laughed and offered to start the game over after that first move.

I can't wait to read this lol

 Yes. I spoke too quickly, although the first game is not really worth looking at the second game is much more interesting.

I'm under no illusion that I'm a good chess player, I'm not trying to disrespect you or aggrandize myself -- I'm just trying to tell you my honest opinion, there's not much point in "analyzing" chess at the level of the first game...  He's got a lost game by move 5. The traps aren't deep, and he doesn't "lose" his queen to any sort of combination or tactical complexity, he plain and simple throws it away.   If you want an opening that will baffle a beginning player, I.g4 works, so does anything else -- at that point in chess he's still struggling to see the board clearly.

The second game is of considerably higher quality, on both sides IMO. g4, followed by h3 makes a lot more sense to me than the gambit "trap" in the first game -- I think black plays fairly reasonable opening moves and yet finds himself with a bad game very quickly. That whole game is worth a closer look (that I don't have time for right now)... although personally my main interest would be finding improvements for Black. You seem to win his d-pawn early (he blunders and loses his rook instead) quite cleanly.  I think exchanging Queens rather than immediately gobbling back your pawn -- 8.Qxd8! merits an exclam... normally exchanging queens early like that is drawish, but I think it's right in that position.

You fell into the N fork, not hard to do in live chess -- and he had a draw I think, until he came up with 51...a5? -- That was a critical tempo to have in his back pocket when he needed to throw away a move and he used it up. 

Yes the second game was alot more interesting.

We both missed some moves, but it was a good game.

Any more notes.

Well, when I am not playing my usual openings, I have been known to play some Grob games.  I created my own variation based on my games which I analysed to some degree.

1.g4 e5 2.e3

I found that this variation is the most successful one for me.  It becomes very interesting quickly if black plays aggressively.  Here is one of my lines.

1.g4 e5 2.e3 d5! 3.d4! Nd7 4.Bg2 c6 5.Nc3

If black plays Nf6 I will immediately go berserk and chase it with g5.  There is a knight chase line I have that can chase the knight for nearly seven moves.  In addition, there is a pawn's variation where no pieces are developed for white for over 10 moves.

I like the Grob

When have we ever played it?

Edit: Sorry, misread your title, I thought it said Why we don't play it Any More.

1.g4 e5 2.h3 h5!

1.g4 e5 2.Bg2 Ne7!

1.g4 e5 2.h3 Ne7!

These are the problem lines in the Grob.  I set to work and I came up with my novelty of sorts.  There is my story of the Grob.

1.g4 e5 2.e3! and I would like to claim this as my own line.  What should it be called?

Well, you are just around 1300, when you reach the 1400 or 1500, see if that will still works..

Well, there is this player I know who is 1650 playing exclusively the grob and borg.  I am only 1550 so it means very little what I say, except I have had experience with the opening.

Agree with the comment of jonnyjupiter. Maybe this grob opening is a good surprise for some other players because of it's tactical idea.

Here is the essential Grob

Against 1.g4 d5, always play 2.Bg2

Against 1.g4 e5, always play 2.e3

You might see some other responses, but these generally give white equality.

1.g4 c6 2.Bg2 d5 3.h3 e5 4.d3 Bd6 5.Nf3 Ne7 6.e3 and white has no problems.

1.g4 c5 2.e3=

1.g4 d6 2.e3 e5 3.d3=

1.g4 e6 2.Bg2=

 I am sorry. The book is not by Yury Shulman, but by Yury Lapshun.

I get them confused.

Thanks for all of the comments. Do we have any more notes?

Is nobody going to comment on my grob posts?  Surely someone wants to refute my setup.