Story re: "Don't move f-pawn"

Good thread so far, but has anyone heard the anecdote? If not, at least this thread has had its moments.

Originally posted by rubberjaw30
agreed, just do me a favor, and don't try to start arguing 1. ... f6? as a valid defence

Can transpose to the damiano defense: 1. e4 f6 2. Nf3 e5 3. Nxe5! If black takes the knight, interesting problems arise...

Originally posted by davaniel
Can transpose to the damiano defense: 1. e4 f6 2. Nf3 e5 3. Nxe5! If black takes the knight, interesting problems arise...

the Damiano Defence is not refuted as of yet, just seriously frowned upon.
with the usual move order:
1. e4 e5
2. Nf3 f6?!
3. Nxe5! Qe7
(not 3. ... fxe5? 4. Qh5+! Ke7 (4. ... g6 5. Qxe5+ Kf7 6. Qxh8 etc.) 5. Qxe5+ Kf7 6. Bc4+ d5 (6. ... Kg6 7. h4 h5 8. Qf5+ Kh6 9. d3+ Qg5 10. Bxg5++) 7. Bxd5+ Kg6 8. h4 h5 9. Bxb7!! Black resigns b/c 9. ... Bxb7 leads to same mating pattern as above. white should have no trouble finishing from there for any Black response.)
4. Nf3 Qxe4+
5. Be2 with far superior position. white looks for quick tactical win on the weak light kingside squares around the black king.

Originally posted by rubberjaw30
yeah, yeah, yeah
but the "correct" GPA is
1. e4 c5
2. Nc3 Nc6
3. f4 etc.

It's not played that much at top level because if black knows what they're doing, getting a draw for them would be rather easy...and the main lines offer white a better chance of winning these days anyway..

Originally posted by Restless Soul
It's not played that much at top level because if black knows what they're doing, getting a draw for them would be rather easy...and the main lines offer white a better chance of winning these days anyway..

are you suggesting that the Sicilian is fading out of the circuit?
what's white's most successful line?
is it the
2. Nc3
3. g3!! variation?
because Closed Sicilian RULES!!!!!!!

Except for the Dutch Defense, I can't think of very many good Black defenses where moving the f-pawn in the opening is a good idea. (...f5 is sometimes played early in the King's Indian Defense.)

Teaching a beginner not to move his f-pawn in the opening unless it is absolutely necessary is probably a good rule-of-thumb.

Originally posted by rubberjaw30
the father just got refuted:
1. f4!!

As an occasional Bird's Opening player, I enjoy my game against every Black response except for 1...e5 (From's Gambit), when Black gets to have all the fun for the first 8 to 10 moves or so. The best way, at least for me, to rain on Black's parade is to tranpsose into the King's Gambit with 2 e4.

Originally posted by gaychessplayer
Except for the Dutch Defense, I can't think of very many good Black defenses where moving the f-pawn in the opening is a good idea. (...f5 is sometimes played early in the King's Indian Defense.)

Teaching a beginner not to move his f-pawn in the opening unless it is absolutely necessary is probably a good rule-of-thumb.

good rule of thumb, but I started off with someone telling me this rule...
and for years I was scared to death to EVER move my f-pawn in any situation...
even when the position begged for it...
once someone learns these rules, the very nextt hing he/she must learn is when to break them...

Originally posted by rubberjaw30
good rule of thumb, but I started off with someone telling me this rule...
and for years I was scared to death to EVER move my f-pawn in any situation...
even when the position begged for it...
once someone learns these rules, the very nextt hing he/she must learn is when to break them...

I somehow made it to 2002 USCF without ever moving my f-pawn in the opening or early middlegame. (That's only a very SLIGHT exaggeration!)

Originally posted by gaychessplayer
I somehow made it to 2002 USCF without ever moving my f-pawn in the opening or early middlegame. (That's only a very SLIGHT exaggeration!)

but what about the other rules?
knight on the rim is grim
bishops belong on long diagonals
knights developed before bishops

especially this last one,
surely you've broken these "rules" at least once.
let's see, you should protect the king
several lines of the King's Gambit Accepted result with white having a weak king compensated by a strong attack.

Originally posted by gaychessplayer
I somehow made it to 2002 USCF without ever moving my f-pawn in the opening or early middlegame. (That's only a very SLIGHT exaggeration!)

Just curious gaychessplayer
you have one of your 2 current games against joelstaples who hasn't moved in 414 days. Why not skull him?
He joined the same day you did.
joelstaples has 2 games in progress, one with you and one with bl74, who by the way also joined the same day you did and hasn't moved in 400 days and has only had 2 games in progress. That person also hasn't skulled joelstaples. Couple of friends that joined the same time that didn't hang around?

Some openings you need to put your knight on the rim. So you can redeploy it in the centre later.

Originally posted by Kaworukun
Some openings you need to put your knight on the rim. So you can redeploy it in the centre later.

... or even exchange it off early in the game. Nc3/Na4 to get rid of that pesky black Bc5 in a kings gambit game springs to mind.

I found it in a RHP thread, but nowhere else on line: Thread 73793 (3rd post, by Sam the Sham).

Originally posted by Kaworukun
Some openings you need to put your knight on the rim. So you can redeploy it in the centre later.

A typical example from the Reti Opening: 1 Nf3 d5 2 c4 dc 3 Na3