2. b3 gambit against the French

I'm thinking of switching from 1. d4 to 1.e4 as white and I'd like to add that line to my repertoire.

1. e4 e6
2. b3 d5
3. Bb2

Has anyone here played that before? Is it any good?

I've played against it a few times.

I usually play 2. ... b6 avoiding the messy gambit stuff.

I'm not sure White has any advantage at all with 2. b3 but I doubt s/he's worse after it either.

I played that once when I was an A player it resulted in white winning a miniature I think.

White castled queenside and black castled kingside and white had lots of development.

I think it mighta went something like.


Something like that anyways it was about 20 years ago.
I would still play it if I think of it but usually I forget to remember to think of it.

Originally posted by National Master Dale
I would still play it if I think of it but usually I forget to remember to think of it.

I'm always forgetting to think. Even when I remember. 🙄

Originally posted by Heroic Metool
I'm thinking of switching from 1. d4 to 1.e4 as white and I'd like to add that line to my repertoire.

1. e4 e6
2. b3 d5
3. Bb2

Good choice!

I had this old booklet by Mike Papa on 2.b3, but now Thomas Johansson has written a new book on it: “The Facinating Réti Gembit”.

I've played it a couple of times, the most memorable was at a simul. When i studied at University of Queensland (Brisbane, Australia), Unicef arranged a simul with the young IM David Smerdon. He was generous enough to let half of us play White. Unfortunatly I don't have the full game with me now; but I prodly remember the Start:

Paul vs. David (April, 2001)



Needless to say – I managed to piss away this promissing position...