Bird’s Opening - How to Play the d-pawn Openings - The Complete Chess Course From Beginning To Winning Chess! (2016)

The Complete Chess Course From Beginning To Winning Chess! (2016)

Book Eight

How to Play the d-pawn Openings

Bird’s Opening

A rare opening, as 1.f4 contributes nothing to White’s development. The idea of controlling the e5-square often leads to a kind of Dutch Defense (page 282) with colors reversed. Black has a number of ways to obtain an excellent game.

Bird’s Opening

White - Black

1.f4 Nf6

From’s Gambit (1…e5) is not quite satisfactory, for example 2.fxe5 d6 3.exd6 Bxd6 4.Nf3 g5 5.d4 g4 6.Ng5! f5 7.e4! h6 8.e5 Be7 9.Nh3 gxh3 10.Qh5+ Kf8 11.Bc4 Qe8 12.Qxh3 with a decisive attack in return for the sacrificed piece.

2.e3 g6 3.Nf3

Nor is the immediate queen fianchetto very promising, for example 3.b3 Bg7 4.Bb2 d6 5.Qc1 0-0 6.Nf3 Nc6 7.Be2 Bg4 8.0-0 e5! and Black has the better game.

3…d5 (D)

images

Position after 3…d5

White can now resort to a stonewall formation, but after 4.d4 Bg7 5.Bd3 0-0 6.Nbd2 c5 7.c3 b6 8.Qe2 Bb7 Black has a fine game.

4.Be2 Bg7 5.0-0 c5 6.d3 Nc6 7.Qe1 0-0 8.Qh4 Qc7 9.Nbd2 e5

Black has an excellent game in this position (a Dutch Defense with colors reversed).