Why You Shoudn't Play Bird Opening

I’ve gotten fairly comfortable with this opening, even if my rating is relatively low. I often play a Reverse Dutch variation (i.e., a Dutch up a tempo). I can say that, as long as a player knows the From’s Gambit lines well and is prepared to parry all the tricks, the opening is solid against the majority of players. Though at my rating it’s been a chance encounter so far.

Otherwise, the weakened kingside has done me in a few times and made me put down the game in contemplation, but statistically that’s bound to happen with almost any opening honestly.

I play it because it’s fun and there are no on-the-spot losses from the opening and the positions are mostly comfortable. Anyway, just my two cents.

White can just not take the queen and be in a winning position. It was +2.3 before white took the queen.

!.f4 openings are much harder for beginners to play than the classical 1, e4 openings. They don't follow, strictly speaking, classical opening principles, that's because those playing them are skilled enough to know when principles can be " bent" and when they can't. Bird's Opening has many lines so I assume its not just sound, but legitimately dangerous. It should probably be left to advanced players and not novices; beginners being likely to go vroom! vroom! speed through the guard-rails and off a cliff.

@BirdMaster3000 laugh in the background !
Just because you beat someone who plays the bird doesn't mean you beat the bird, Play against Stockfish's Bird and post your result.
For people enjoying chess and want to try new things, I think the bird can be really good; it's hard to punish if you don't know how.

Thanks

Good post.
Since the Dutch is a half decent reply to 1. d4, then 1. f4 is bound to be a decent opening because .... d5 is a reasonable reply to it and there are no traps available that a 1000 FIDE would fall into.

Ex-bird opener here... (Sounds funny yeah? ) Bird opening is fun. And there are many good attacking opportunities if you are white. However, it weakens the king and black is much better if they know what they are doing.. You can get away with bird opening but its better to play e4 or d4.. Why "give up" advantage(potentially) as white? There are other openings where white (or black) can push the pawn upto f4 and obliterate the opponent. I sometimes play the Larson's opening (1.b3) and the Nimzo-Indian (1.d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4..) They have ideas of locking the center early on and quickly playing f4 or f5 to attack the opponent's king (via a rook lift..) and improving central control..

I like this bird variation

Both these approaches seem fine. I like the Staunton against the Dutch and usually play it. Back in the 80s when I was learning, I read that the gambit you show, for black, (forgottten its name) is stronger than the Staunton. I never trusted that and never played it, and I think the assessment depends on practical chances against dubious continuations. I liked both the set-ups you show. So often, people give example games and they're rubbish. I would happily play the white side of either.

Yes, I play that all the time and have a 100% win rate with it as white.

I literally just posted this random thing for the achievement, I wasn't expecting it to get this much backlash

Probably because people don’t like hearing their opening is bad

You hit on an interesting subject, maybe by chance.

There's nothing wrong with the Bird Opening. However, I prefer more flexibility so I play 1. d4.. There's no reason to not play it but you have to know what you're doing, so it isn't for beginners and weak players, that's all.

B'se u fly like bird when u play this

What if I go nf3 instead of taking Queen?+2.0 advantage for white

I don't recommend this "trap" AT ALL. I just played it because I was feeling spicy, and my opponent fell for it. Against 1. f4, I usually play 1. ...d5