The Hammerschlag - it works.

White: Me (2125)
Black: Opponent (1679)

1.f3 d5 2.Kf2

Activating the king.

2...c5 3.e3 Nc6 4.d3 e5 5.c3 Nf6 6.Ne2 Be7 7.h3 0-0 8.Nd2 b5 9.b3 a5 10.a3 Qc7 11.g3

I like to call this the I-play-like-I'm-on-drugs variation. Black has no moves that can break through the great white wall...save for maybe a4, b4, c4, d4, e4, Nd7-f5-f4, g5-g4, or h5-h4. But other than that, the wall is completely impenetrable.

11...Bf5 12.e4 dxe4 13.dxe4 Be6 14.g4 Rad8 15.Ng3 Qb6 16.Kg2 g6 17.h4 c4

17...b4 was better, forcing white to give up their defence of the d4 outpost. However, 17...c4 gives black an excellent opportunity to make a dubious sacrifice which they otherwise would not have been able to do.

18.bxc4 Nxe4 19.fxe4 f5 20.gxf5 gxf5 21.exf5 bxc4 22.Bxc4 Bxc4 23.Qg4+ Kh8 24.Nxc4

White is slightly better in this position due to a space advantage and a more active king.

24...Qc5 25.Bg5 Rd3 26.Rhd1 Rxc3 27.Rac1 Rxc1 28.Rxc1 Rd8 29.Qe4 Bxg5 30.hxg5 Rd4 31.Qf3

White is so confident in their position and chess skills that they feel they do not need the extra piece to win.

31...Rxc4 32.Rxc4 Qxc4 33.f6 Kg8 34.Qh5 Nd4

Here it was probably in black's best interest to not let white mate them.

35.Qe8# 1-0

If only black activated their king early on like white did, this would never have happened...

Originally posted by Raven69
White: Me (2125)
Black: Opponent (1679)

1.f3 d5 2.Kf2

Activating the king.

2...c5 3.e3 Nc6 4.d3 e5 5.c3 Nf6 6.Ne2 Be7 7.h3 0-0 8.Nd2 b5 9.b3 a5 10.a3 Qc7 11.g3

I like to call this the I-play-like-I'm-on-drugs variation. Black has no moves that can break through the great white wall...save for maybe a4, b4, c4, d4, e4, Nd7-f5-f4, g5-g4, or h5-h ...[text shortened]...
If only black activated their king early on like white did, this would never have happened...

Works against players rated 500 points below you 😛

Originally posted by Raven69
White: Me (2125)
Black: Opponent (1679)

1.f3 d5 2.Kf2

Activating the king.

2...c5 3.e3 Nc6 4.d3 e5 5.c3 Nf6 6.Ne2 Be7 7.h3 0-0 8.Nd2 b5 9.b3 a5 10.a3 Qc7 11.g3

I like to call this the I-play-like-I'm-on-drugs variation. Black has no moves that can break through the great white wall...save for maybe a4, b4, c4, d4, e4, Nd7-f5-f4, g5-g4, or h5-h ...[text shortened]...
If only black activated their king early on like white did, this would never have happened...

Brilliant game😀

I will have to try this new variation in blitz.

Originally posted by Korch
Works against players rated 500 points below you 😛

I'm overrated. 😵

Originally posted by KnightStalker47
Brilliant game😀

I will have to try this new variation in blitz.

Thanks...remember, it works for black as well.

Originally posted by Raven69
Thanks...remember, it works for black as well.

oh, youre saying 1.f3 d5 Kf2 works great for black as well? 😛
i will have to try that.

Originally posted by irontigran
oh, youre saying 1.f3 d5 Kf2 works great for black as well? 😛
i will have to try that.

Lol, I meant the reverse Hammerschlag with f6 & Kf7 works for black.

If you find the positional f6/Kf7 Hammerschlag too boring, you can always try the tactical Fred (1.e4 f5 2.exf5 Kf7)

Game 3350303

Wow!! I'd never be able to pull off that win. But it looked like a lot of fun to play.

(All theory up until move 25...see MCO 21)

I played the FRED in a serious OTB once and won.

It's unsound I'm afraid.

1.e4 f5 2.exf4 Kf7 3.Nf3!

the coming Knight check on e5 or g5 takes away all the fun.

The 1.f3 and 1.f6 stops the Knight check - therefore it's sound.

The Fred is much like an instant odds game. White has roughly 2 pawns worth of compensation.

The Hammerschlag isn't totally sound but it's very playable. In this respect it's similar to openings like the King's Gambit, the Blackmar-Diemer Gambit, the Smith-Morra or the Nakamura Attack.

Nope..the 'hammer' is still bad...this is one opening that I can touch. While it's not a direct forced win for black, I can't imagine how people lose to this opening, unless they are playing someone a lot stronger then them.

Originally posted by Restless Soul
Nope..the 'hammer' is still bad...this is one opening that I can touch. While it's not a direct forced win for black, I can't imagine how people lose to this opening, unless they are playing someone a lot stronger then them.

They lose because they underestimate it. Black equalizes easily, but too often Black plays as if he or she is winning--then Black loses.

Play an engine as black after 1.f3 e5 2.Kf2 and you'll see how Black loses. =)

Rybka can give pawn odds to GMs and still win. The Hammerschlag may be bad, but the disadvantage can't be worse than a full pawn.