Would You Play This??? Part 2

Okay,

Sorry, I love some openings and try to defend them at all cost. (Although it isn't easy trying to defend 1.a3)...

I, personally, have never played against the Bird's Opening. It is rare, although quite playable. I like the attacking chances you can get.

I can see, it being Thanksgiving, we have only a few people responding...

But do we have any more comments???

Another great thing about the Bird is that Black is in your territory. He cannot play one of his main defense (like a French, Center Counter, or Caro-Kann), and has to know the moves or fall for a flashy attack.

Any more comments???

As Black, the Bird, the English and the Reti all throw me off my game immediately.  Even though I don't face them all that often I need to bone up a little on these.

I've said too much....

Proof of my last comment.

As Black, I would rather face d4 or e4, than f4, Nc3 or Nf3, because I am more prepared for the first two. You reaaly don't have much of a choice on how to defend the minor lines.

Any more comments???

Nf3 usually transposes into a d4 or c4 opening so it shouldn't be a problem unless it happen to sidestep your prefered d4 or c4 opening.

I hate how people assume 1 f4 is aggressive because of a "kingside" pawn move, suggesting a kingside attack. It can lead to that, but usually those crude attacks don't work against correct play and white ends up playing 1 f4 more positionally. That's what happened with the stonewall. At first it lead to awesome attacks but when people knew what to do with it going all out would lose the positional battle and so black couldn't play as actively and was slightly worse.

I used to think 1 f4 was pretty interesting, and it might be a good choice against someone susceptible to suprise, but other than that it's like 1 c4 but leading to less tangible advantages (since if the kingside attack doesn't work white has no chance of advantage, while in the english white might get a weakenss to work with for the rest of the game).

Of course it's playable though.

I disagree.

I think the knigside pawn thrust means a kingside attack. And after 1...d5, MCO 15 gives White advantage if he follows the mainline.

P.S. I love and play the Stonewall Dutch

P.P.S. Any more comments???

If it did, I would play it every time. Just because you have a pawn in that area doesn't mean a kingside attack is just going to happen. It's like a pawn storm without piece support. Why be scared of a few kingside pawns if your opponent isn't even developed enough to make a threat with them? the b2 bishop can be blocked out by a knight on f6 and of course there are some cheap tactical tricks white can try like removing the f6 knight at the right moment, but it won't necessarily lead to anything near a kingside attack. And if white tries to pawn storm with g4, he may find his own king weak if black can counter in the center in some way. Great players played f4 sometimes because of the suprise and this may have lead to the opponent playing against it too passively, in which case the pawn storm may actually be correct. They knew they wouldn't get worse than equality if they played correctly, so it wasn't TOO much risk.

I'm not saying it's not going to work with you, but as you move up these cheap tricks won't keep working. I'm not suprised people can fall victim to this at all, but potentially the move can be shown to be harmless.

It's like scholar's mate. Beginners loved it because they could mate so quickly, yet the correct defense (which is not hard to find!) leaves white's queen in a bad place and black at least equal. The bird can still be interesting, but you're a long way from having real kingside chances.

I have actually played bird's opening a few times, and I haven't really got great kingside chances at all. I was probably equal in the positions, but I had no special chances and just ended up playing in the center and trading a bunch of pieces, with drawn positions.

1.f4

I play 1...e5

I play 2.e4

 We could keep arguing forever...

The f-pawn is vital in the attack. Maybe it doesn't have pieces to support it yet, but we will get there before Black can make use of the time.

P.S. The bishop on b2 is meant to attack e5, not the kingside. A main idea in the opening is central control

Do we have any other Bird fans out there???

Leave a note. If you have played a game with or against the Bird, post it.

Appreciate the comments and Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Not the Bird, but this is one of my best games ever and it's against the English:

http://www.chess.com/forum/view/game-showcase/miniature-against-the-english

I played it in a blitz game this past Saturday against an FM, who basically forced a transposition into a Closed Sicilian. The 1. f4 choice did raise some eyebrows at the club.

I got a good game out of it, but was ground down by the Master's superior endgame technique in the end.

This is totally random but my grandma plays that opening.... but I usually crush her

I too have 'Chess Openings for Black, Explained'. Although their coverage of replies against 1.d4 and 1.e4 were decent, I think their coverage of other openings were way too brief, and I had to instead purchase Palliser's Beating Unusual Chess Openings, which I found way more helpful.

Against 1.f4, along with 1...d5, he also recommends the interesting 1...d6!? The idea being to play ...e5, which is usually the most effective pawn thrust to counter the f4 pawn without losing a pawn.

Sample lines:

1.f4 d6

a) 2.d4?  is an ineffective stonewall. The stonewall is known to be bad against systems where black can play a timely ...e5. Black follows up with ...Nf6 and ...g6, followed by a pawn break with ...e5 once he castles.

b) 2.b3 Nf6!? hoping for the natural 3.Bb2?! when ...e5! 4.fxe5? dxe5 5.Bxe5 Ng4:

b1) 6.Bb2 Bd6, when 7.Nf3 Bxh2 nets the exchange.

b2) 6.Bg3 is no better. 6...Qf6 7.c3 (7.Nc3 Ne3! 8.de Bb4) Bd6 black is better.

c) 2.e4 is met by ...c5 or ...e5 transposing into the Fischer variation of KGA (after ...exf4) or the Sicilian Grand Prix.  even 2...d5!? wasting a tempo is fine for black.

d) 2.Nf3 - Fans of From Gambit can try an improved version with 2...e5 3.de de 4.Nxe5 Bd6. Or he can try 2...Bg4  3.e4 (3.h3? Bxf3 4.exf3 e5 5.fe Qh4+ 6.Ke2 Nc6 Black is clearly better)

After 3.e4, black is spoilt for choice. He can try 3...d5!?  or 3...Nf6 4.Nc3 e6, when 5.d4? d5! 6.e5 Ne4 7.Bd3 Bb4 8.Bd2 Nxd2 9. Qxd2 Bxf3 10.gxf3 Qh4+ black stands excellently.

No, if black plays correctly, you will not have a kingside attack. It's very true that in this opening you control the dark squares like e5, which is good, but nothing special if it doesn't translate into a kingside attack. That's why white is not worse (he does control the center), but it's also quite hard to prove an edge too. The thing is black has the center too.

My mentor plays this all the time and beats me. I havn't tried it against him because I havn't studied it enough. I am reading about this opening in secret tho and want to suprise him.

Thanks for all of the notes.

Any more out there???