Grob

There were a few threads discussing it back in 2007... but none that I could find recently. Apologies if I'm retreading old ground.

So most of you better folk out there will be familiar with this, but as studying openings is a new past time for me, I only came across this recently.
For those who are as clueless as I was a month ago,see a typical grob opening below:



The main question I have is "Is it sound?" It worked against me, and then it worked for me, but in all of those games I felt it was because I was unfamiliar with such an unorthodox opening. Does anyone use this opening for preference, or is it just a party piece to pull on unsuspecting opponents OTB?

Originally posted by morgski
There were a few threads discussing it back in 2007... but none that I could find recently. Apologies if I'm retreading old ground.

So most of you better folk out there will be familiar with this, but as studying openings is a new past time for me, I only came across this recently.
For those who are as clueless as I was a month ago,see a typical grob o ...[text shortened]... is opening for preference, or is it just a party piece to pull on unsuspecting opponents OTB?

Here is how you handle the Grob!

Game 5366130

A quick quip and not addressing anything really Morgan but I remember the former President CCCP, Gorbachev, playing a 'demonstration game' with Kasparov circa early 90's. Gorbachev offered 1.g4 and Kasparov was visibly seen to offer him the chance to play a 'better move'..he didn't and Kasparov said, 'so, I'm forced to play this game out then'...smiling naturally 😉 ALSO, Karpov v Susan Polgar, the date the same, another demonstration with Gorbchev present but the moves are unrecorded. It's unsound Morgan, at club level perhaps a 'surprise' move but no doubt someone will quote GM games that I'm unaware of lol...Why play 1.g4 when you have far more solid initial moves ?? 1. e4, 1. d4, 1. c4, 1. Nf3, 1. b3 ??

a few years ago korch analyzed it in some thread, and as far as I remember came to the conclusion that it was quite okay. shouldn't be that hard to find cross referencing korch & grob.

Originally posted by tomtom232
Here is how you handle the Grob!

Game 5366130

Nice. Thanks.

Originally posted by tomtom232
Here is how you handle the Grob!

Game 5366130

This was the game when someone Grobbed me (I think I put it in another thread a while ago)

Game 8618185

And the one I did to someone else. A shame, because there was an early blunder, but the endgame is nice...

The only other time I've used it was OTB, which resulted in a King + Bishop + Knight vs. King endgame. We weren't sure if it was possible, and it took me 42 half moves after the last pawn went to get the checkmate. I would provide the pgn, but floating Chess sets in swimming pools don't come with a notebook 🙂

Originally posted by morgski
This was the game when someone Grobbed me (I think I put it in another thread a while ago)

Game 8618185

And the one I did to someone else. A shame, because there was an early blunder, but the endgame is nice...

[pgn][Event "Challenge"] [Site "http://www.redhotpawn.com"] [Date "2011.10.12"] [EndDate "2011.10.13"] [Round "?"] [White "morgski"] [ f6 Kg8f8 23. Nf6xh7 Kf8e7 24. Bc3f6 {and the queen is lost} 1-0[/pgn]

I think white missed a win in the first one

44.Ke4 seems to do the trick.

and

46.Kd5 not 46.d5??

Originally posted by tomtom232
I think white missed a win in the first one

44.Ke4! seems to do the trick.

I think both of us missed several chances in that game, I was happy at the time because it was my first draw against a 2000+ person, but looking back it was a bit of a comedy of errors

Originally posted by morgski
I think both of us missed several chances in that game, I was happy at the time because it was my first draw against a 2000+ person, but looking back it was a bit of a comedy of errors

It just seems odd that I 2100(almost) player can't even win a simple king and pawn vs king endgame that is clearly an easy win.

Edit: I'm never happy drawing a game that I could and should have won... both of you should have been unhappy at the end of that game.... like how I was unhappy at the end of our game. Nice comeback by you though.

I was accused of being a hustler yesterday after I used the Grob to win the lowest section of a weekend chess tournament.

Thankfully the arbiters had done their background research, which confirmed that I'm normally genuinely rubbish OTB.



I play the Grob on here more often than not and I don't do any worse than with any other opening. It's a interesting thing to experiment with. You never can tell whether you're going to get a tactical melee or a strategic grind, and it forces you to concentrate either way. That said, as the good Reverend points out above, it's probably not something you want to be employing at the higher levels unless your name happens to be Michael Basman.

(now who's got a link to that Basman-Nunn game?)

Originally posted by hunterknox
I was accused of being a hustler yesterday after I used the Grob to win the lowest section of a weekend chess tournament.

Thankfully the arbiters had done their background research, which confirmed that I'm normally genuinely rubbish OTB.

[pgn][Date "2011.10.23"] [White "hunterknox"] [Black "slanderer"] [Result "1-0"] 1. g4 d5 2. Bg2 Bxg4 3. c4 c ...[text shortened]... happens to be Michael Basman.

(now who's got a link to that Basman-Nunn game?)

Brilliant, IM Michael Basman, the absolutely Master of the 'oddity'...and and and, do you realise I offered The Grob against your good self back on '07 🙂
I'll post the Basman v Nunne game below...

IM Michael Basman v GM John Nunne Oxford, 1978. The Grob, A00


Of Note: Basman doesn't develop his white Bishop until 20.Be2 ..I still find that amazing !

Originally posted by RevRSleeker
...do you realise I offered The Grob against your good self back on '07 🙂

Remember it? I'm still reeling at being out Grobed! Game 3152449

Cheers for posting the Basman - Nunn game. Never gets old that one. I might have to dig out "the Killer Grob" and go fishing for some more classics...

Read this post the other day , and whilst in my local chess book store , noticed a little book in the second hand section .. Tactical Grob , Claude Goodblood , a bargain at £6 ( original copy ) , I think i may attempt my first Grob soon once i have time to play with the pieces on the board - the book looks quite enlightening