English Chess Forum

Is it?

Well. of course, it is up to you how seriously you take online blitz, and the sort of games you want to have. But you are bound to be teased on it, if you say that you won't face anyone playing 1.h4 but then won't say what other first moves you won't face.

(maybe, as a rule, those who start 1 f3, 1 g4 or 1 h4, are more likely to follow up with a series semi-suicidal moves than those who just play 1 b4. Or even 1 a4. maybe early quenside pawn movers get the benefit of the doubt? But I shall stop teasing now).

Jonathan Rogers wrote: ↑

Sat Nov 20, 2021 12:29 pm

Is it?

Well yes, how far can I wind you up before you lose your patience is a way of winding people up, isn't it

Why everyone be hating on 1.h4? If your opponent is premoving 1...g6, 2...Bg7, 3...c5 against everything then 1.h4 is one guaranteed way of throwing a wrench. Dave Regis has a great Exeter article opening with the tale of an "H. 4. Stewart" he used to know. Follow it up with b3, Bb2, e3, Bd3, Nf3 and watch your opponent castle into a clockwork attack.

You earn the right to show off your gentlemanly cover drive by being able to deal with the 90mph waste of time aimed at your head

Jonathan Rogers wrote: ↑

Sat Nov 20, 2021 12:50 pm

(maybe, as a rule, those who start 1 f3, 1 g4 or 1 h4, are more likely to follow up with a series semi-suicidal moves than those who just play 1 b4. Or even 1 a4. maybe early quenside pawn movers get the benefit of the doubt? But I shall stop teasing now).

On a tangent, I can't remember anyone ever playing 1.a4 against me in tens of thousands of blitz games, I have now played it once, with a hundred percent record. But a KIA with an early irrelevant a4 not something I can really recommend.

I don't mind people playing nonsense at all. I assume that they want to play something non standard for variety rather than they are being deliberately disrespectful. I try to respond as classically as possible which I believe in my heart is the refutation.

Chris Goodall wrote: ↑

Sat Nov 20, 2021 1:17 pm

If your opponent is premoving 1...g6, 2...Bg7, 3...c5 against everything then 1.h4 is one guaranteed way of throwing a wrench.

I seem to recall an author dismissing the sequence 1. d4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. h4 as rubbish, hardly worth mentioning in the context of playing .. c5 against everything. Those who face Simon Williams or his fans cannot afford to be so dismissive.

I did consider recently opening 1. c4 e5 2. g3 h5 as Black against a specific opponent. But it's not a style of play I feel comfortable playing.

Charlie Storey once played 1.e4 d6 2.h4 against me in the last round of the British. I decided this was the time not to play my originally planned 2...g6, and played 2...c5 instead.

IM Jack Rudd wrote: ↑

Sat Nov 20, 2021 1:49 pm

Charlie Storey once played 1.e4 d6 2.h4 against me in the last round of the British. I decided this was the time not to play my originally planned 2...g6, and played 2...c5 instead.

well he got you thinking, anyway

JustinHorton wrote: ↑

Sat Nov 20, 2021 11:28 am

Jonathan Rogers wrote: ↑

Sat Nov 20, 2021 11:26 am

I know what to play against Justin at blitz now, if only I could know when I am playing him (1 d4. then 2 h4)

That would probably get you blocked though

1 d4 and 2 h4 can be at least a semi-legitimate opening against some Black choices IMO.

Well if no one else was curious I was.

here is Jack's game v Charlie, British Ch. Great Yarmouth Rd.11 2007 courtesy of Britbase.
(Jack you never mentioned Charlie playing 5. h5 and 6. Rh4.)

1. e4 d6 2. h4 Nf6 3. Nc3 c5 4. d3 Nc6 5. h5 h6 6. Rh4 e5 7. Be3 Be7 8. g3 d5 9. Bd2 d4 10. Nce2 Bg4 11. f3 Bxh5 12. Rh2 Bg6 13. Kf2 Nd7 14. Bh3 O-O 15. Bxd7 Qxd7 16. g4 c4 17. Ng3 cxd3 18. cxd3 Nb4 19. N1e2 Nxd3+ 20. Kg2 Nxb2 21. Qb3 Na4 22. Rah1 Nc5 23. Qc4 Qe6 24. Qc1 Rfc8 25. Qa1 Nxe4 26. Bxh6 Nxg3 27. Kxg3 gxh6 28. Rxh6 Bg5 29. Nxd4 Bf4+ 30. Kg2 exd4 31. Rh8+ Kg7 32. Qxd4+ Qe5

Sadly I've always been a 1.e4 man and the excitement of playing 1.a4 or 1.h4 has passed me by.
Though as Black I did reply in an OTB game to 1.a4 with 1...a5! (If I recall correctly, I won!)

My off the beaten track moves usually comes from a daft at the board idea after 1.e4
V Mark Orr in the 4th round of an Edinburgh 1980's five rounder when we were both on 3 out of 3.
Here, from an advance Caro Kann...

rn1qkbnr/pp2ppp1/2p4p/3pPb2/3P3P/8/PPP2PP1/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - 0 5

...I played 5.Rh3 probably thinking BxR, NxB then Nf4 and Bd3 and Qh5 when things might happen
(based on the theory a minor piece can often be more valuable than a Rook in the first 10 moves.)

Mark took the Rook (obviously he was unaware of the above theory) and I lost.

1.d4 f5 2.h4 could be a line against a Dutch player who had a Leningrad fixation?

I play 4.h4 in the Advance CK too (winning a few bishops) and I like Geoff's idea even more after 4...h5, when the knight also has g5 available. If he didn't take, were you going to put the Rook on b3?

Chris Goodall wrote: ↑

Sat Nov 20, 2021 11:53 pm

1.d4 f5 2.h4 could be a line against a Dutch player who had a Leningrad fixation?

Databases certainly show it played a non-negligible number of times, including by some strong GMs.

Chris Goodall wrote: ↑

Sat Nov 20, 2021 11:53 pm

....If he didn't take, were you going to put the Rook on b3?

Hi Chris,

If the Rook is not taken the Rook slips along the 3rd rank looking for a minor piece to hack.
(The claim that the Rooks are better than Bishop and Knights only applies in the ending - so avoid the ending.)

I will, if ever given the chance play 1...h5 v the Grob. Nobody has ever played the Grob against me.
2.g5 then 2...g6 and go for a safe 0-0. It's a real pain trying to bust through a castled fianchetto
position with no open h-file and a white pawn on g5. (no Be3 -Qd2 and Bh6 option to swap off the g7 Bishop.)

These early resignations (which is the topic) are not all that new, with the sudden burst of interest
in online chess all that has happened is the numbers have drastically risen. Going back through the RHP
database from 2005 there are 1,000's of needless resignations under 5-6 moves.
Often after 3. exd5 in the French or if the Scholars Attack or some other opening trap has no hope of succeeding.

Matt Mackenzie wrote: ↑

Sun Nov 21, 2021 12:14 am

Chris Goodall wrote: ↑

Sat Nov 20, 2021 11:53 pm

1.d4 f5 2.h4 could be a line against a Dutch player who had a Leningrad fixation?

Databases certainly show it played a non-negligible number of times, including by some strong GMs.

Its pretty logical, as these things go. Fairly strongly deters the Leningrad and isn't terrible against everything else if you just play normally.

Mind you LC0 doesn't even think following it up with h5,h6 after black goes e6 etc is daft - it is prone to liking that sort of thing but

Martin, in blitz/bullet games, shoving that h-pawn as far as one can be played against almost anything. someone who plays 1...g6 or 1....f5 is really just giving you an excuse for something you wanted to do anyway.