I never thought Grob Opening was that bad! Seriously! (No offense)

The Grob Opening (1. g4) may catch opponents off guard, but it comes with several major drawbacks that make it a risky choice, especially at higher levels. That’s why I lost many OTB games *cries*. Here’s a list of the bad things about it:

1. Weakens the Kingside

• The first move 1. g4 opens up White’s kingside, making it vulnerable to attacks. The g-pawn push weakens the f3 and h3 squares, creating holes that an opponent can exploit, especially if they can develop quickly and target the exposed king. Wow! It’s like checkmate in 7 or 10 moves brutally or like Scholar’s Mate or something… Idk.

2. Fails to Control the Center

• Traditional opening principles emphasize controlling the center with pawns, but the Grob does not follow this approach. White’s first move does nothing to help with central control (the e4 and d4 squares), giving Black an early opportunity to seize the center with moves like 1…d5 or 1…Nf6.

3. Lack of Development

• White’s early commitment to g4 delays other key development moves, such as bringing out knights or preparing to fianchetto the bishop. Without a clear development plan, White can fall behind in terms of piece activity, allowing Black to seize the initiative.

4. Exposes the King

• In many variations of the Grob, White may quickly fianchetto the bishop to g2. But the early weakness on the kingside and the delay in castling leaves the White king exposed and often vulnerable to direct attacks.

5. Vulnerable to Counterattacks

• By pushing the g-pawn, White creates open lines and weak squares around their own king. Black can take advantage of this by playing aggressively, often with …d5, …c5, or …Nf6 to control space and mount a counterattack. The exposed nature of White’s position makes it easier for Black to create threats.

6. Limited Flexibility

• The Grob restricts White’s flexibility in many lines. While the idea of a kingside attack may sound exciting, it often ends up being hard to execute without proper preparation. The lack of a solid pawn center leaves White with limited options for expansion, and many ideas are forced or underdeveloped. No knight, nothing!

7. Doesn’t Match the “Principles” of Good Openings

• A strong opening in chess is usually one that:

• Develops pieces efficiently,

• Controls the center,

• Ensures king safety, and

• Provides flexibility in planning.

The Grob fails to check most of these items. It goes against the conventional opening principles and is often considered unsound at the top levels of play.

8. Easy for Black to Equalise or Gain Advantage

• Against an opponent who knows how to respond, the Grob will often result in a position where Black can quickly gain control of the center and develop without any immediate danger. The lack of a clear plan for White allows Black to easily neutralize White’s early ideas and seize the initiative.

How to play Grob?

I wanna test it for myself, play it against Martin.

Yeah it's pretty trash, just play normal stuff

The Grob opening is white playing 1. g4 but check out my Grob video to learn the key ideas for white first.

Yes, the Grob Opening (1.g4) is objectively white's WORST opening move possible according to Stockfish. However, it can still be tricky and that's kind of the point of it. Black can definitely lose if they are unfamiliar with the lines and there's many ways to go wrong.

Here's a video of mine for this opening from the white side to see some of the many traps:

hmmmmm

f3 is the worst first move, and it's not even close. Stockfish is wrong in that regard.

I will die on this hill.

Idk, maybe you can use it to support e4 and castle queen side. At least it doesn't lose you any material unlike g4 which probably will for little compensation