Unusual Openings

Technical questions regarding Openings, Middlegames, Endings etc.
Simon Rogers
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Unusual Openings

Post by Simon Rogers » Sun Sep 27, 2020 11:38 am

Hi all. Need your help please. A number of years ago, playing in the Intermediate at Scarborough Congress, as black I faced something I had not seen before.
I was playing the Owen's Defence at the time which is why I tried 1.b6 as a reply.
What is the plan for white and what should I have played?
Here is the game:
1. h3 b6 14.Nxh5 Rxh5
2 .a3 Bb7 15. h4 Bf6
3. d3 d5 16. Bf3 Rh8
4. c3 e6 17. Bd2 Ne5
5.Qc2 Nf6 18. O-O-O Nxf3
6.Nf3 c5 19. Nxf3 O-O-O
7.Nbd2 Nc6 20. Bg5 Bxg5+
8. g4 h6 21. Nxg5 d4
9.Bg2 Be7 22. f3 Qe7
10.Nf1 Qc7 23. Rdg1 Kb8
11.Ng3 a6 24. Qb3 Ka7
12.g5 hxg5 25. c4 Qf6
13.Nxg5 Nh5 26. Qd1 g6=
Many thanks, Simon. 27. DRAW

Roger de Coverly
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Re: Unusual Openings

Post by Roger de Coverly » Sun Sep 27, 2020 12:27 pm

It's just some home made relative nonsense, starting the middle game at move 1. Playing .. b6 at move 1 discourages 2. g3 or 2. g4

If you are typing games into the forum, it's much better to do them in linear format, eg 1. h3 b6 2. a3 Bb7 3. d3 d5 . That way it can easily be converted to play through format


Nick Ivell
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Re: Unusual Openings

Post by Nick Ivell » Sun Sep 27, 2020 6:19 pm

1.... b6 is probably better against this garbage than against 1. e4, d4 and c4.

For the dangers of ...b6 against c4, please see Karpov's demolition of Tony Miles.

We're more used to seeing the freakish Miles win of 1....a6, but in fact, the game I refer to is rather more typical of their encounters.

LawrenceCooper
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Re: Unusual Openings

Post by LawrenceCooper » Sun Sep 27, 2020 9:55 pm

I probably shouldn't publicise this game but it seems relevant to this thread:

https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1026345

Roger de Coverly
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Re: Unusual Openings

Post by Roger de Coverly » Mon Sep 28, 2020 1:45 am

LawrenceCooper wrote:
Sun Sep 27, 2020 9:55 pm
I probably shouldn't publicise this game but it seems relevant to this thread:
Difficult as it is to play against Basman, it can be easier against those who might emulate him. Given the evidence of Basman games an evaluation of "rubbish" can be reduced to "mostly rubbish".

Kevin Thurlow
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Re: Unusual Openings

Post by Kevin Thurlow » Mon Sep 28, 2020 9:07 am

"Difficult as it is to play against Basman, it can be easier against those who might emulate him."

Yes - after all Botwinnik thought that Basman was the most talented British player after a Hastings tournament (1966-67?).

Mike Gunn
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Re: Unusual Openings

Post by Mike Gunn » Mon Sep 28, 2020 10:33 am

Basman calls 1. a3 ... 2. h3 the "Creepy Crawly" opening and has published a pamphlet on it (which I have, somewhere).

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John Upham
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Location: Cove, Hampshire, England.

Re: Unusual Openings

Post by John Upham » Mon Sep 28, 2020 10:55 am

Roger de Coverly wrote:
Mon Sep 28, 2020 1:45 am
LawrenceCooper wrote:
Sun Sep 27, 2020 9:55 pm
I probably shouldn't publicise this game but it seems relevant to this thread:
Difficult as it is to play against Basman, it can be easier against those who might emulate him. Given the evidence of Basman games an evaluation of "rubbish" can be reduced to "mostly rubbish".
There is a Basman (as white) game from the 1988 Leighton Buzzard Quickplay quoted in The Killer Grob that may well be relevant to the above comment. Could someone post it please (if convenient) as I have lent out my copy.
British Chess News : britishchessnews.com
Twitter: @BritishChess
Facebook: facebook.com/groups/britishchess :D

Mick Norris
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Location: Bolton, Greater Manchester

Re: Unusual Openings

Post by Mick Norris » Mon Sep 28, 2020 11:09 am

The Howell game?
Any postings on here represent my personal views

Roger de Coverly
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Re: Unusual Openings

Post by Roger de Coverly » Mon Sep 28, 2020 11:42 am

Mick Norris wrote:
Mon Sep 28, 2020 11:09 am
The Howell game?
He means a game against me. Being a rapid game, I wasn't at the time archiving them. From memory, I tried to make a Hebden idea work where you play Ng8-e7-g6 with ideas of Nh4 or Nf4 hitting the Bishop on g2. The problem was that Basman left the Bishop on f1 and then liberated it with e3 and c4.

Basman usually plays 2. h3, but I've realised that what I used to think of as White's trap doesn't actually work.
That would be 1. g4 d5 2. Bg2 Bxg4 3. c4 c6 4. cxd5 cxd5 5. Qb3 hitting both d5 and b7. Black should defend the d5 pawn with .. Nf6 and meet Qxb7 with .. Nbd7. Snatching the d pawn loses.


Simon Rogers
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Re: Unusual Openings

Post by Simon Rogers » Tue Sep 29, 2020 4:50 pm

Roger de Coverly wrote:
Sun Sep 27, 2020 12:27 pm
It's just some home made relative nonsense, starting the middle game at move 1. Playing .. b6 at move 1 discourages 2. g3 or 2. g4

If you are typing games into the forum, it's much better to do them in linear format, eg 1. h3 b6 2. a3 Bb7 3. d3 d5 . That way it can easily be converted to play through format

Apologies Roger and all. This is the first time I've typed a game on the forum. As you might aware sadly, I only have access to the forum from my phone.
I'll have another go. Here it is:
Scarborough Chess Congress
Intermediate Under 151 27/10/13
White Peter Smith 140 Black Simon Rogers 140
1. h3 b6 2. a3 Bb7 3. d3 d5 4. c3 e6 5. Qc2 Nf6 6. Nf3 c5
7. Nbd2 Nc6 8. g4 h6 9. Bg2 Be7 10. Nf1 Qc7 11. Ng3 a6
12. g5 hxg5 13. Nxg5 Nh5 14. Nxh5 Rxh5 15. h4 Bf6
16. Bf3 Rh8 17. Bd2 Ne5 18. O-O-O Nxf3 19. Nxf3 O-O-O
20. Bg5 Bxg5+ 21. Nxg5 d4 22. f3 Qe7 23. Rdg1 Kb8
24. Qb3 Ka7 25. c4 Qf6 26. Qd1 g6= 27. DRAW

Roger de Coverly
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Re: Unusual Openings

Post by Roger de Coverly » Tue Sep 29, 2020 5:18 pm

Simon Rogers wrote:
Tue Sep 29, 2020 4:50 pm

= 27. DRAW
I think a grinder would have continued in the final position, piling up on the isolated h4 pawn being a potential plan. White's opening is not so much bad as unambitious, leaving Black with the problem of whether to accept this, or trying to make something happen.

Paul McKeown
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Location: Hayes (Middx)

Re: Unusual Openings

Post by Paul McKeown » Fri Oct 02, 2020 5:57 pm

Roger de Coverly wrote:
Mon Sep 28, 2020 11:42 am
From memory, I tried to make a Hebden idea work where you play Ng8-e7-g6 with ideas of Nh4 or Nf4 hitting the Bishop on g2. The problem was that Basman left the Bishop on f1 and then liberated it with e3 and c4.
[/quote]

I think you may find that Max Euwe was suggesting this formula against the Grob before Hebden was born, never mind playing chess.

Roger de Coverly
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Joined: Tue Apr 15, 2008 2:51 pm

Re: Unusual Openings

Post by Roger de Coverly » Fri Oct 02, 2020 7:06 pm

Paul McKeown wrote:
Fri Oct 02, 2020 5:57 pm
I think you may find that Max Euwe was suggesting this formula against the Grob before Hebden was born, never mind playing chess.
Citation?

Paul McKeown
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Location: Hayes (Middx)

Re: Unusual Openings

Post by Paul McKeown » Fri Oct 02, 2020 7:21 pm

Roger de Coverly wrote:
Fri Oct 02, 2020 7:06 pm
Paul McKeown wrote:
Fri Oct 02, 2020 5:57 pm
I think you may find that Max Euwe was suggesting this formula against the Grob before Hebden was born, never mind playing chess.
Citation?
Roger, I would love to help you with a citation, but won't be able to for some time. Most of my Dutch language chess books are stored in a box in my sister's loft, and if I went to fetch them, I would be subject to compulsory Covid quarantining. Please remind me in a few month's time, and I may be able to help you by then.

What I can say is that Euwe used this an paedagogic example of the danger of holes in a pawn formation.

But please, I can tell you with some certainty that the idea of Ng8-e7-g6-f4 against the Grob was published by Euwe. If you play the Grob against a Dutch player, this is a recipe that you are likely to face.