Best Unusual OTB Openings

Originally posted by Northern Lad
Thanks for that; I've looked at the website and it does actually look quite interesting. I may even give it an outing sometime on RHP!
Kalhornov is right - it was written by a GM called Bezgodov. With my limited Russian I know that 'bez' means 'without'. I'm just wondering what 'godov' might mean!?

Without annual?

Years?

Originally posted by bikingviking
Do you have any books to recomend? I thought about the everyman book abuot the 1.f4 but I've heard that it's rather bad... Do you play the polobear setup in the Bird?

My favorite book on Bird's Opening is the "Bird-Larsen Attack (2nd ed.)" by GM Andrew Soltis.

Usually White gets in the following moves: 1 f4 2 b3 3 Bb2 4 Nf3 5 e3 6 KB somewhere 7 O-O.

Could somebody please tell me what the polobear(sic?) setup is? Thanks.

IM Tim Taylor plays the Bird frequently and has written a book about it called, appropriately, "Bird's Opening."

What about the Hippo defense?
No matter what white plays, black plays ...g6, ...f6, and ...Nh6 as his first three moves (the order depends on white's opening)

I've never tried it but apparently it's ok

Originally posted by yofidawg
What about the Hippo defense?
No matter what white plays, black plays ...g6, ...f6, and ...Nh6 as his first three moves (the order depends on white's opening)

I've never tried it but apparently it's ok

I play the double fianchetto prep-moves 1...g6, 2...b6 first after, typically 1.e4, 2.d4.
Then often they play 3.Bc4 & 3...Bb7 (attacking e4)
4.Nc3 - developing/defending
4...Bg7
then I look to play the e6/d6, Ne7/Nd7 moves.

Works very well in blitz as white often has to spend time thinking early on & sometimes forgets the double fianchetto & hangs a piece or pawn.
I found it hard work playing it with longer time controls though (you can get in a real mess & problems getting your heavy pieces active at all) & it is the definition of passivism!

Originally posted by gaychessplayer
My favorite book on Bird's Opening is the "Bird-Larsen Attack (2nd ed.)" by GM Andrew Soltis.

Usually White gets in the following moves: 1 f4 2 b3 3 Bb2 4 Nf3 5 e3 6 KB somewhere 7 O-O.

Could somebody please tell me what the polobear(sic?) setup is? Thanks.

IM Tim Taylor plays the Bird frequently and has written a book about it called, appropriately, "Bird's Opening."

Well it is played by the Icelandic GM Danielsen. Check out his website http://www.videochess.net/ very recomended. I would be interested what you think about his games and what you think is the best way of meeting it. Thanks! //BV

Originally posted by yofidawg
What about the Hippo defense?
No matter what white plays, black plays ...g6, ...f6, and ...Nh6 as his first three moves (the order depends on white's opening)

I've never tried it but apparently it's ok

A very enjoyable book is "The Hippopotamus Rises" by IM Andrew Martin. It contains a lot of annotated games.