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My instinctive response to 1.c4

My instinctive response to 1.c4

Only Chess

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Is 1...b5.
Does anyone have any ideas regarding this gambit? Anyone played it before?
I don't come across the English opening often & have just played it twice in 2 G.I.P.
It looks very natural to me, & perhaps not surpringly white has played 2.cxb5 both times.
I will update this thread with game details when finished.

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Originally posted by Squelchbelch
Is 1...b5.
Does anyone have any ideas regarding this gambit? Anyone played it before?
I don't come across the English opening often & have just played it twice in 2 G.I.P.
It looks very natural to me, & perhaps not surpringly white has played 2.cxb5 both times.
I will update this thread with game details when finished.
I play 1...f5.

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Originally posted by Squelchbelch
Is 1...b5.
Does anyone have any ideas regarding this gambit? Anyone played it before?
I don't come across the English opening often & have just played it twice in 2 G.I.P.
It looks very natural to me, & perhaps not surpringly white has played 2.cxb5 both times.
I will update this thread with game details when finished.
There are 35 games in the chessgames.com database - (I am not a member yet) with white winning 40% of the games after cxb5. Looks very playable, draws a white pawn away from the center, and possibly a lead in development for black

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Originally posted by Squelchbelch
Is 1...b5.
Does anyone have any ideas regarding this gambit? Anyone played it before?
I don't come across the English opening often & have just played it twice in 2 G.I.P.
It looks very natural to me, & perhaps not surpringly white has played 2.cxb5 both times.
I will update this thread with game details when finished.
Sounds like an inferior type of Benko Gambit. Playable of course, but not solid.

Anyway, who am I to say that an opening is bad. Play 1...h6 if it suits you 🙂

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Originally posted by Exuma
There are 35 games in the chessgames.com database - (I am not a member yet) with white winning 40% of the games after cxb5. Looks very playable, draws a white pawn away from the center, and possibly a lead in development for black
35 games is not enough to show a correct assesment of an opening.

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Originally posted by anthias
35 games is not enough to show a correct assesment of an opening.
True. But at least there are some games to go look at...

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I've run into it, but can't find the game right now. Usually it is just an inferior benko, but it is a shocker.

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i like Nf6 very flexable. a solid defense is the catalan. i wouldn't suggest a reverse sicilian but i've seen a reversed grand prix attack before can be dangerous. and is hard to play against.

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Originally posted by Squelchbelch
Is 1...b5.
Does anyone have any ideas regarding this gambit? Anyone played it before?
I don't come across the English opening often & have just played it twice in 2 G.I.P.
It looks very natural to me, & perhaps not surpringly white has played 2.cxb5 both times.
I will update this thread with game details when finished.
What about 1. c4 b5 2. e3 as a reply?

(I know e2-e4 is a typical English move at some point in the game, but at such an early stage, it would simply create a very backward d pawn...)

It would be an interesting game, in my opinion.

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white can immedeatly play e4. he will try to transpose to a bottvinnik position or a maricozy bind. he'll force d4 eventually. if played right.

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Well, one idea I had was:
1.c4...b5?!
2.cxb5...c6
the point being after
3.bxc6...Nxc6
white is up a pawn, but black has a lead in development with the Nc6 & open lines for Q, Bc8 & Ra8.

White to move



This was my original idea for 1...b5 against the English.
Alas, there really is no pressure on white to take again on c6, so you can get a stuffed QS if he decides to run with the pawn & re-inforce with a4, Nc3, e3/e4 etc.
So, in short I think that line offering the 2nd pawn is suspect!

I'm now using the other (perhaps more obvious!) reason for the 1...b5 gambit & that is to deflect the c4 pawn away from the center & play an immediate 2...e5 & not worry too much about the b5 pawn. If white tries to defend it - fine, I carry on usual development & re-inforce control of the center.