I played an OTB game yesterday as black. For the first time ever an opponent played 1. b4?
I was completely in awe about how to respond it caught me off guard.
What opening is this?
I responded 1.b4 d5.
Was this the best move for me. I got beaten and badly so I am unsure about this b4 problem.
Any thoughts?
Beau
Originally posted by beaurobertsIt's tricky as a lot of time white is willing to sacrifice the pawn. Why don't you post the game so we can see what you played?
I played an OTB game yesterday as black. For the first time ever an opponent played 1. b4?
I was completely in awe about how to respond it caught me off guard.
What opening is this?
I responded 1.b4 d5.
Was this the best move for me. I got beaten and badly so I am unsure about this b4 problem.
Any thoughts?
Beau
A friend of mine, who has a FIDE rating of around 2300, played this in a 4NCL game a few years ago:
I was impressed with the position he got out of the opening and have used it in blitz games ever since. I haven't tried it in a serious game yet because I meet 1.b4 so rarely.
My mistake, I had the move order slightly wrong because White played an early Nf3 ( making the opening the wonderfully named "Santasiere's Folly" )
http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1607145
Originally posted by Data Fly19.Nxe6 was a serious mistake by white i feel. Why exchange such a strong knight for such a terrible bishop? White had all the time in the World. 19.Na6 followed by Nb4 and how is black going to regain control of c6? Positionally black would be totally busted.
A friend of mine, who has a FIDE rating of around 2300, played this in a 4NCL game a few years ago:
[pgn]
1. b4 d5 2. Bb2 Qd6 3. a3 e5
[/pgn]
I was impressed with the position he got out of the opening and have used it in blitz games ever since. I haven't tried it in a serious game yet because I meet 1.b4 so rarely.
My mistake, I had the move order ...[text shortened]... 2. Bg6 Ne7 73. Bh5 Nf5 74. Bg4 Ne7
75. Bd1 Kf7 76. Bb3+ Kf6 77. Bc2 Nf5 78. Bb1 1/2-1/2
[/pgn]
I guess Black was planning on playing f5-f4 and White decided to stop that by keeping the initiative even though that meant swapping off his opponent's "bad" bishop. That sort of thing happens all the time, you can't always have all the advantages on your side, you've got to be willing to give up some (better knight in this case) in order to increase others (rook coming straight into c6, Black on the defensive and no time for an immediate f5-f4). It was a typical FM level sort of game.
Originally posted by beaurobertsAt my local chess club there's a guy known as the b4 man and he's about 1900+ rated.
I played an OTB game yesterday as black. For the first time ever an opponent played 1. b4?
I was completely in awe about how to respond it caught me off guard.
What opening is this?
I responded 1.b4 d5.
Was this the best move for me. I got beaten and badly so I am unsure about this b4 problem.
Any thoughts?
Beau
I would play e5 myself.
Originally posted by Data FlyActually it's even simpler than that. 19.Na6 wins the exchange because if say ..Ra8 then 20.Rc6 is curtains..
I guess Black was planning on playing f5-f4 and White decided to stop that by keeping the initiative even though that meant swapping off his opponent's "bad" bishop. That sort of thing happens all the time, you can't always have all the advantages on your side, you've got to be willing to give up some (better knight in this case) in order to increase others ...[text shortened]... ck on the defensive and no time for an immediate f5-f4). It was a typical FM level sort of game.
Originally posted by beaurobertsThe opening was played by S. Tartakower and later by A. Santasiere (who sometimes played 1. Nf3 and 2. b4). It was later analyzed by Sokolski. It is known by several names: Polish Opening (after Sokolski), Orangutan (Tartakower's facetious name for it), Santasiere's Folly. It is an eccentric opening but not without theoretical significance: White attempts to control the center from the flanks, rather than by direct occupation. An outright refutation is not known to me. Playable replies are 1. ... d5, 1. ... e5, and 1. ... a5. Anything timid let's White have it all his own way.
I played an OTB game yesterday as black. For the first time ever an opponent played 1. b4?
I was completely in awe about how to respond it caught me off guard.
What opening is this?
I responded 1.b4 d5.
Was this the best move for me. I got beaten and badly so I am unsure about this b4 problem.
Any thoughts?
Beau
I used to play a lot this opening 1. b4!!
Best answer.... just 1.b4 e5.
or the best of the best 1 b4 c6!! (to avoid the orangutan in b5)
Game 9941146
Game 9989072
Even with black you can use the same ideas with 1 .... b5
Game 10196374
Hi beauroberts
"Blacks best response to b4 ."
If there was truly an answer to this opening move then there would
not be so many different responces and ideas posted.
Nor would we have players swanning about playing it with any form of regulararity.
Post the game so we can see what happened after you, having never
played against 1.b4 before, felt that 1...d5 was the best reply.
Maybe you can work on that. 1...d5 is OK.
In the end it will come down to you and what you think is the best reply.
Originally posted by beaurobertsThe Polish, Orangutan, Sokolsky
I played an OTB game yesterday as black. For the first time ever an opponent played 1. b4?
I was completely in awe about how to respond it caught me off guard.
What opening is this?
I responded 1.b4 d5.
Was this the best move for me. I got beaten and badly so I am unsure about this b4 problem.
Any thoughts?
Beau
Chess is 15% what your opponent plays and 85% how you react to it.
Originally posted by beaurobertsI have no idea how to post it in game form but here it is. I am still fairly new to Chess notation so hopefully I got it right. Any thoughts on where I went wrong would be appreciated... Beau
I played an OTB game yesterday as black. For the first time ever an opponent played 1. b4?
I was completely in awe about how to respond it caught me off guard.
What opening is this?
I responded 1.b4 d5.
Was this the best move for me. I got beaten and badly so I am unsure about this b4 problem.
Any thoughts?
Beau
1. b4 d5
2. Bb2 Bf5
3. e3 e6
4. Nf3 Nf6
5. c4 Nc6
6. a3 dxc4
7. Bxc4 Bd3
8. Qb3 Bxc4
9. Qxc4 Bd6
10. d3 O-O
11. Nbd2 a6
12. O-O h6
13. e4 e5
14. Nh4Ne7
15. h3 b5
16. Qc2 Rc8
17. Nb3 Nd7
18.d4 exd4
19. Bxd4 Ne5
20. Rfd1 N7c6
21. Nf5 Qg5
22. Be3 Qg6
23. f4 Nc4
24. Bc5 Rfe8
25. e5 Bf8
26. Rd7 Qe6
27. Bxf8 Kxf8
28. Nc5 Qg6
29. g4 Ne7
30.Kh2 h5
31. Qd3 hxg4
32. Rxe7 Rxe7
33. Rg1 Qc6
34. Rxg4 g6
35. Rh4 gxf5
36. Rh8+ Kg7
37. Rxc8 Nb6
38. Rd8 Nc4
39. Qxf5 Qg6
40. Qf6+ Qxf6
41. exf6+ Kxf6
42. Rxe8 1-0