This article is 100% correct; nail on the head material; best article I have seen in a long time. Who needs GM opinions, when the amateurs know better!! Serious work, here; you know your stuff. Surprise value is underestimated and can win it for you on this alone! I dabble in 1. f4 with excellent success. Then after much work I found 1. g4 is even stronger!!
Here is the Bird Song by the Grateful Dead written for the death of Janis Joplin, the girlfriend of Pigpen Ron McKearnen Keyboardist.
Thank you for your introduction to the Bird. Very instructive - this unusual opening makes a lot more sense to me now.
I often play the other flank opening - the English (C4), which has a few things in common, as well as obviously many differences. I don't think I'm likely to make the Bird part of my main repertoire but I you've inspired me to try a few Bird games just to see how they turn out.
F4 can be a lot of fun to play, you may like 1.b3 as well.
Yes, you can do 100 claims.
But I will consult will Stockfish for 10 seconds and find the best reply for black from 3600 rated player's perspective view.
This is what Stockfish will play against black.
Stockfish feels that white lost initiative and black is slightly better.
Yes, you can do 100 claims.
But I will consult will Stockfish for 10 seconds and find the best reply for black from 3600 rated player's perspective view.
This is what Stockfish will play against black.
Stockfish feels that white lost initiative and black is slightly better.
"Top 10 Reasons Why I Love Bird's Opening: A Beginner's Perspective"
Is definitely playable, as any other opening.
But, even if there is an intrinsical advantage in playing unsounds openings, and sometimes I play the Dutch as black...
I consider it rubbish.
Moving the Fpawn early on, you are asking for troubles.
It is not easy to play (you can't premove).
With correct play you can achieve an equal position, but you never had an edge, as you can achieve with other white openings.
And for last, if you are a beginner, why spend time learning something that you know is not as accurate as other moves?
Is definitely playable, as any other opening.
But, even if there is an intrinsical advantage in playing unsounds openings, and sometimes I play the Dutch as black...
I consider it rubbish.
Moving the Fpawn early on, you are asking for troubles.
It is not easy to play (you can't premove).
With correct play you can achieve an equal position, but you never had an edge, as you can achieve with other white openings.
And for last, if you are a beginner, why spend time learning something that you know is not as accurate as other moves?
Alphazero won as black against stockfish when he played the Dutch
Leningrad is going really well. Thank you.
Is definitely playable, as any other opening.
But, even if there is an intrinsical advantage in playing unsounds openings, and sometimes I play the Dutch as black...
I consider it rubbish.
Moving the Fpawn early on, you are asking for troubles.
It is not easy to play (you can't premove).
With correct play you can achieve an equal position, but you never had an edge, as you can achieve with other white openings.
And for last, if you are a beginner, why spend time learning something that you know is not as accurate as other moves?
Sometimes, when you play equal positions against opponents who are less familiar, you actually have a practical advantage that’s worth much more than a plus over equals in a theoretical opening.
@ambrogino - well written! Some parts are slightly inaccurate but hardly noticeable. As a former bird player (played it from 1700-2000) the birds opening gives a lot of possibilities. A fun one is the antoshin bird, where whites moves are f4 d3 c3 Qc2 and tries to prepare e4 ASAP. A fun sideline. Myself, I’ve never played the classical as it’s basically harmless, instead I opt for the Leningrad.
Excellent write-up! I used to play the Bird in blitz and rapid with fair results. The Bird is quite sound with correct play. I think I'll start playing it again sometimes, inspired by your article.
I'd like to add reason # 11, which you touched on in reason # 10. It can set you up to play brilliancies from time to time!
Magnus flipped the Bird at Kramnik and won.
Vlad was not happy.
Thank you all for your wonderful comments. I am happy to report that I just won my first ever rated classical game using none other than the beloved Bird's Opening! I added the game to the end of the post. Cheers!
Thank you all for your wonderful comments. I am happy to report that I just won my first ever rated classical game using none other than the beloved Bird's Opening! I added the game to the end of the post. Cheers!
Im sure the Bird gets the credit and you cant win without it.
What a joke...surprise value...what is not a surprise value to a begineer? You know up to 5 moves to an opening...whoppee.
Congrats. Ignore the post above btw, apparently they think you don't know any theory and also somehow won because you know a lot of theory.
As a chess beginner (or, dare I say, low-level intermediate player) who just wants to have fun playing online blitz and bullet, I have fallen in love with the Bird. Here are my top 10 reasons for playing such a rare and oft-ridiculed setup. (These reasons are personal to me; I am not claiming universal truth for anyone else).
#1 - It has Surprise Value
Bird's Opening begins with 1.f4, which according to Chess.com's database is the seventh most popular first move. While by no means the rarest of White's 20 first moves, it is far enough outside the realm of the standard 1.e4 and 1.d4 to give many players pause. I like this. Since I play the Bird exclusively, and my opponents play against it rarely, I get to steer the game into positions I am potentially more comfortable with than my opponent.
#2 - It is a Flank Opening
Traditional chess principles dictate controlling the central squares by occupying them with pawns (hence 1.e4 and 1.d4 being the two most popular first moves). Naturally there is a lot of theory about pawn pushes into the center. I have neither the time nor the intellect to master such theory. So, for me, a flank opening like the Bird is perfect. I avoid getting into an early theoretical struggle for the center without completely ceding central control (as one arguably does with a hypermodern opening like 1.b3 or 1.g3). Black gets to occupy the d5 square, I get indirect control over the e5 square, and we both proceed to have a good game.
#3 - It is a Flexible System
It may be referred to as Bird's "Opening", but it really should be called "The Bird", like "The London" or "The Colle" (or as I personally like to call it, the Dutch Attack!). That's because, at least at my level, the Bird isn't a strictly defined set of moves that must be played in a specific order. Like other system openings, the first moves can be played in different orders almost regardless of what the opponent plays. There is a general setup I aim for, and I generally get it. Since I am terrible at memorization, this suits me better than trying to master the first 20 moves (and all sidelines) of [insert popular theoretical opening here].
#4 - It can be played as Black
Indeed, the Bird is a reverse Dutch Defense! It can be played against any of White's opening moves with the exceptions of 1.e4 and 1.g4 (the dreaded Grob). So, by playing the Bird as White, I automatically build up a significant chunk of my repertoire as Black. Of course, there are some differences between the Bird and the Dutch, namely the gambits and counterattacks White has against the Dutch being a tempo up (Staunton Gambit, Krejcik Gambit, Hopton Attack, Korchnoi Attack, etc.). But, at my level, these are rare enough for most games to unfold like a typical Bird with White.
#5 - It invites Fool's Mate
Fool's Mate is the quickest checkmate in chess, just two moves! Push the f pawn to f4, then the g pawn to g4, and BANG, the Black Queen checkmates you on h4. Wait...why would I want to invite this? Well, the thing is, I actually don't want to get checkmated this way, I just want my opponent to think I will. Every so often my opponent will try to cleverly sacrifice their Queen to deliver a form of Fool's Mate. I always politely decline, then do my best to take advantage of their wasted tempos.
#6 - It invites From's Gambit
Ah yes, From's Gambit (1.f4 e5). When my opponent plays this, one of two things is true: either 1) they were not paying attention to my first move, or 2) they have studied the Bird and I am in for a serious fight. From's Gambit draws White's f pawn all the way to d6, where it is promptly captured by the dark-square bishop. Suddenly I have two bishops and a Queen staring down at my f-pawn-less kingside. Is it scary? Yes. Do I lose a lot of these games? Yes. But does it make for fun chess? Absolutely! It is non-stop heart-pounding excitement as I desperately try to avoid checkmate, knowing that if I can get my King to safety (and with best play, I should be able to) then I will be a pawn up in the middle game.
#7 - There is an Aggressive Variation (The Leningrad)
When playing the Bird, you have an important decision to make as early as move two. Do you play the Classical Variation with e3 or do you play the more aggressive Leningrad Variation with g3 (allowing for a fianchettoed light-square bishop)? Personally, I prefer the Classical, as I like to keep the g pawn where it is to provide my castled King with shelter (yes, even a Bird player can show some concern for King safety!). But I appreciate having the option for a more aggressive game should I so desire. Indeed, the Leningrad Variation is the one most played by professional players on those ultra-rare occasions when they deign to play the Bird (or Dutch).
#8 - There is a Solid Variation (The Stonewall)
Just as there is an aggressive version of the Bird, so too is there a solid version for those days when you want to play slow, positional, grinding games. Combing e3 with d4, you get a Stonewall pawn formation that is not so easy for Black to break down. Again, I prefer the Classical Variation without d4 (especially when combined with b3 and Bb2 for the almighty Bird-Larsen Attack), but I appreciate having the option. Indeed, when my opponent plays a Kingside fianchetto, which is usually the computer's top choice against the Bird, I have found myself playing the Stonewall as a way of blunting the range of Black's fianchettoed bishop).
#9 - It can nullify the power of Enemy Knights
This one is very personal. My biggest weakness in chess is visualizing opponent knight moves, leaving me susceptible to endless knight forks. I am happy to give my opponent the bishop pair if it means they give up their knights (yes, I know, that puts me at a theoretical disadvantage, but trust me, knights have wrecked me far more than bishops ever have). Fortunately, the Classical Bird offers good chances for dealing with knights. First, I often have the opportunity to trade my light-square bishop for Black's knight on c6 (pinning it to their King forces the issue). Second, my f-pawn creates an outpost for my own knights on e5 from which I can usually trade off their kingside knight. Conversely, anytime Black plants a knight on e4, I immediately eject it with d3 (which conveniently is a move I want to play anyway to make room for my queenside knight to transfer over to the kingside).
#10 - It opens the way for a Kingside Attack
By advancing the f-pawn, the Bird kicks things off with an advancement on the very place where Black will usually try to hide their King. If all goes smooth in the opening, the crux of my middlegame strategy is to flood my heavy pieces into the g and h files to barrel down on the enemy King, usually supported from afar by my bishop on b2 and/or a knight on e5. I cannot tell you how many times I have checkmated with the move Qg7 defended by my fianchettoed bishop (a checkmate I have affectionately dubbed the Scorpion's Sting!) But even if Black does not fall for mate in one, there are usually good opportunities for a piece sacrifice to shatter Black's pawn barrier in front of their King, exposing it to my Queen and rooks. All-in-all the Bird provides for good fun attacking chess, perfect for bullet and blitz.
Thank you for reading my love letter to the Bird. I hope it was as fun to read as it was to write!
UPDATE (7/14/21): The Bird is still the word, but not just in Bullet and Blitz. I played my first ever rated over-the-board classical-time-control (2h+5s) tournament game yesterday and got the white pieces. The Bird soared to victory!