1. b3!?

The Nimzovich-Larsen attack, or more simply the Queens fianchetto, aims to control the center and immediatly start to add pressure to Blacks king side. While not a very popular opening (14,348 games) it offers some great attacking possibilities. Kasparov used it to beat Botti and Miller in 2000, and before that he used it to beat Phil Taylor in 1993. Anand opened with this move against Michael Adams, who promptly resigned (Feb 2006).

Tarkatower was at a zoo thinking over chess openings and came up with 1. b4 as a possiblitiy. He decided to call 1. b4 the 'Orangutan' after seeing the orangutans there. I've heard 1. b3 called the 'Baby Orangutan'. Of course the Nimzovich-Larsen attack sounds more serious. Larsen was a fan of 1. f4 I know, the 'Bird' opening (after the chess player Henry Bird).

I like to start off with the Bird, 1. f4, get my knight to Nf3, fianchetto Kingside, then bring out the Nimzovich-Larsen, for a sort of Bird-Orangutan.

After all, what chess player can take down a flying monkey?

I had heard that about 1.b4 but I have never heard 1.b3 referred to as "the Baby Orangutan". In the story Tarkatower named it the orangutan because of the climbing motion of the b4 pawn in his theoretical attack. This has the information that I saw on 1.b4

It wasn't that bad, he drew one and lost one with this opening. The one he lost was short only 17 moves I believe.

I think Nimzo-Larsen is very fun... sometimes. I do not like 1.b2 e5, but i do like 1.Nf3 d5 (or Nf6) 2.b3 Sometimes I get 1...c5 or ...d6 which I reply e4 because I am mainly an e4 player after all. You have to be prepared to transpose with Nf3 N-M, which can be a burden or a plus. I just have to pray I don't meet 1.Nf3 Nf6 2.b3 d6

No matter what, it tends to throw players around my level off track.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiVNcat8creSaVIwL-hKIhA