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Rat's tail opening.

Standard memberDewi Jones
Only Chess 28 Apr '13 15:19
  1. DJ
    Standard memberDewi Jones
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    28 Apr '13 15:19
    I played a league game last week, and drew, though as a team we came off worst.
    One of our team playing black came out badly against a rather unusual opening.

    The opening moves for white were: 1. g6, 2. Bg7, 3. d6, 4. a6, 5. c6, 6. b5, 7. .
    Nd7, 8. Ngf6 9. Bb7, 10. 0-0, apparently it's called the rat's tail, and in a similar fashion to the KIA which I enjoy, white makes the moves in response to almost every reasonable black defence. There must be a way to refute all these pawn moves with almost no piece development and we're going to spend some time going over it tomorrow night. And having just finished work, I have time to look at it this evening and formulate some ideas for tomorrow night. But I thought I'd see if I could get some insight without doing any work - by asking on here 😉.

    Anybody play it? Played against it? Observations?
  2. K
    Standard memberKepler
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    28 Apr '13 16:131 edit
    Originally posted by Dewi Jones
    I played a league game last week, and drew, though as a team we came off worst.
    One of our team playing black came out badly against a rather unusual opening.

    The opening moves for white were: 1. g6, 2. Bg7, 3. d6, 4. a6, 5. c6, 6. b5, 7. .
    Nd7, 8. Ngf6 9. Bb7, 10. 0-0, apparently it's called the rat's tail, and in a similar fashion to t doing any work - by asking on here 😉.

    Anybody play it? Played against it? Observations?
    You sure those aren't black's moves? If so it's a Modern, also called the Rat. If that was truly white playing, i.e. g3, Bg2 etc, then Duncan Suttles used to play this. He played the 1. ... g6 version as black also but decided it should be just as good for white. Sometimes it was, sometimes it wasn't. If I remember correctly, Suttles often put f4 in there as well so that his knight was behind the pawns. He liked to keep his pieces behind his pawns for some reason.
  3. s
    Subscribersonhouse
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    28 Apr '13 16:51
    Originally posted by Kepler
    You sure those aren't black's moves? If so it's a Modern, also called the Rat. If that was truly white playing, i.e. g3, Bg2 etc, then Duncan Suttles used to play this. He played the 1. ... g6 version as black also but decided it should be just as good for white. Sometimes it was, sometimes it wasn't. If I remember correctly, Suttles often put f4 in there as ...[text shortened]... s knight was behind the pawns. He liked to keep his pieces behind his pawns for some reason.
    I imagine because he won a lot🙂
  4. K
    Standard memberKepler
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    28 Apr '13 19:01
    Originally posted by sonhouse
    I imagine because he won a lot🙂
    From what I remember of the annotated games I looked at a while ago he won because his opponents didn't have a clue what he was up to.
  5. DJ
    Standard memberDewi Jones
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    28 Apr '13 19:44
    Yes, it's usually blacks moves. But this time it was white, so a rats opening with an extra move!
  6. d
    Standard memberdikankan
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    28 Apr '13 23:40
    I am an appreciative reader of Gereenpawn's blogs, and by a fortunate coincidence, Greenpawn's latest blog culminates in an instructive game by white where black plays this system. Facing it with colours reversed there is surely a choice of good plans for black, I would probably be tempted to put pawns on e5, d6 and c6 but it's no better than other options.
  7. Standard memberRJHinds
    The Near Genius
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    29 Apr '13 20:06
    Originally posted by Dewi Jones
    I played a league game last week, and drew, though as a team we came off worst.
    One of our team playing black came out badly against a rather unusual opening.

    The opening moves for white were: 1. g6, 2. Bg7, 3. d6, 4. a6, 5. c6, 6. b5, 7. .
    Nd7, 8. Ngf6 9. Bb7, 10. 0-0, apparently it's called the rat's tail, and in a similar fashion to t ...[text shortened]... doing any work - by asking on here 😉.

    Anybody play it? Played against it? Observations?
    Yes, this appear to be the Reti Opening, King's Indian Attack. The moves are in a different order than I have ever seen. But I have played against two people who like this type of opening with the fianchetto of both bishops attacking the two center pawns that most people set up against it. I agree there seem too many pawn moves on the queenside, but you did not indicate what black did, so it might be justified.

    I have had a hard time playing against this opening, because I either forget about those bishops or have allowed the Knights to maneuover too close to my king, which I castle on the Kingside. And my opponents seem to understand their plan better than I do.

    I haven't had a chance to face it again, but I recommend watching out for those bishops and trade down the minor pieces, if necessary, to keep them from coordinating on a kingside attack. I replayed one of my games and believe I could have won, if I had taken out the lead Knight when I had the chance, but I did not see the danger at the time.
  8. Standard memberwolfgang59
    Quiz Master
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    29 Apr '13 21:24
    Originally posted by Dewi Jones
    I played a league game last week, and drew, though as a team we came off worst.
    One of our team playing black came out badly against a rather unusual opening.

    The opening moves for white were: 1. g6, 2. Bg7, 3. d6, 4. a6, 5. c6, 6. b5, 7. .
    Nd7, 8. Ngf6 9. Bb7, 10. 0-0, apparently it's called the rat's tail, and in a similar fashion to t ...[text shortened]... doing any work - by asking on here 😉.

    Anybody play it? Played against it? Observations?
    Those pawn moves occur in the Pirc after developing the KB and KN.

    Maybe delaying piece development is psychological ... ask RJ
  9. Standard membercongruent
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    29 Apr '13 21:46
    If black plays actively then he has nothing to fear, example Deep Blue vs Kasparov

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  10. Standard memberRJHinds
    The Near Genius
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    30 Apr '13 06:09
    Originally posted by congruent
    If black plays actively then he has nothing to fear, example Deep Blue vs Kasparov

    [pgn]1. Nf3 d5 2. g3 Bg4 3. Bg2 Nd7 4. h3 Bxf3 5. Bxf3 c6 6. d3 e6 7. e4 Ne5 8. Bg2 dxe4 9. Bxe4 Nf6 10. Bg2 Bb4+ 11. Nd2 h5 12. Qe2 Qc7 13. c3 Be7 14. d4 Ng6 15. h4 e5 16. Nf3 exd4 17. Nxd4 O-O-O 18. Bg5 Ng4 19. O-O-O Rhe8 20. Qc2 Kb8 21. Kb1 Bxg5 22. hxg5 N6e5 23. Rhe1 ...[text shortened]... xa2 43. Nxh5 Nd2 44. Nf4 Nxb3+ 45. Kb1 Rd2 46. Re6 c4 47. Re3 Kb6 48. g6 Kxb5 49. g7 Kb4 *[/pgn]
    Okay, a draw. However, not many people can play as well as Deep Blue and Kasparov.
  11. Standard memberRJHinds
    The Near Genius
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    30 Apr '13 10:215 edits
    I found the game I mentioned in an earlier post that I said I could have won if I had taken out the lead Knight. However, it was not exactly the way I had remembered it, for it was the follow-up Knight that I could have taken out with my bishop. This was not really a Reti Opening, King's Indian Attack either although it looks like it is going to transpose into something similar to it later, but he never castles and still beats me because of my blunders later in the game.

    This game was played last year at the Columbia Chess Club in South Carolina. My opponent, Lindel Robinson rated 1763 USCF is playing White. It is the first time I have seen this opening, but he later gets both his bishops in the fianchetto position as I mentioned.

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