Hello David,
Thank you for this.
The point of h2-h4 is to provoke Black into an immediate decision about the
exposed g5 Pawn. Pushing with ...g5-g4 is no good because it's simply en prise
to the Queen, the advantage of not yet having played Ng1-f3. Trying to shore
the Pawn up with pieces doesn't work as Mordue-Eastwickfield demonstrates. The
reply ...g5xh4 is a positional concession as Mordue-Leinmuller deomstrates,
although ironically it was Black's Queenside that was decimated, not his
Kingside. Of course the moves 16 Rh1-g1 and ...Rh8-g8 contributed to this, The
only means of support for g5 is to play the move ...f7-f6. Not only is this
positionally undesirable, it probably fails to a sequence such as hxg5 fxg5,
Qh5+ Kf8, Bxg5 and the pin on the h6-Pawn means Black loses material. Of these
alternatives the line with ...g5xh4 does less damage but I think the
consequences are clear. On an open file the h6 Pawn sticks out like a sore
thumb.
I discovered the strength of a quick h2-h4 in the early 1980s and even played
it against Basman himself, ultimately winning the h-Pawn for nothing. I should
point out that the St. George with ...a7-a6 and ...b7-b5 is much sounder simply
because there are no White Queen enties on the square a5 whereas ...g7-g5
fundametally weakens the h5 square. I know this may sound either very basic or
pie-in-the-sky according to your approach to chess, but it's a fact! All I'm
doing is reacting to changed circumstances again.
My bottom line is that unless you are well prepared the Borg, 1...g7-g5, is not
a move to venture against strong experienced players.
Regards,
Tyson
On 16 March 2020 at 03:19 David Rosenkoetter <davidrosenkoetter260@xxxxxxxxx
mailto:davidrosenkoetter260@xxxxxxxxx ;> wrote:
Hi, Tyson and all.
Thanks for the game. I've seen some discussion of the lines coming off
1.e4 g5 on a few chess forums and, I think, chessgames.com featured it
as the opening of the day some weeks back. Your discussion of 4.h4 may
also help me ponder other lines where the similar type of attack is
employed.
btw: It was about a year ago in a correspondence game when I meant to
play 1...g6 and made a typo, which led to the 1.e4 g5. With no
knowledge of the opening from black, I played by the seat of my pants
and duly landed on my backside twenty-some moves later.
David
On 3/15/20, mordue andrew <dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
mailto:dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx ;> wrote:
>
>
> > Hello folks,
> >
> > This is 'How not to play the Grob, Part 2'. I should add that
this is
probably the funniest game that I've ever played.
> >
> > Regards,
> >
> > Tyson
>
> >
> > Text begins:
> >
> > [Event "BRISTOL LEAGUE DIV 2"]
[Site "KEYNSHAM A V UNIVERSITY B"] [Date " 07/02/1996"]> > 1.e4 g5
[White "TYSON MORDUE"] [Black "LEINMULLER J"]
>
> >
> > [This opening is apparently called the Borg because it’s the Grob
reversed.
The St. George with …e6, …a6 and …b5 at least bears some
resemblance to the
French and Sicilian Defences.
> >
> > The one player who used the line played in this game
consistently, and with
some success (!), was the English IM Mike Basman, so sometimes it’s> > .
called
Basmania. He once played this against me in a rapidplay game at
Stroud in
the early 80s and was very lucky to escape with a draw. However, he
did win
the tournament with 5½/6 after playing 1 g4 in all his White games
and 1...
g5 in all his Black games so perhaps he knew what he was doing!]
>
> > 2.d4 h6
>
> >
> > 3.Nc3 Bg7
> >
> > 4.h4!
> >
> > [A handy prod at the exposed Pawn before Black is coordinated.
White has
delayed Nf3 to rule out …g4 but the Rook on h1 is immediately in
the game.
Often Black is left with a weak Pawn on h6 that White can attack
with
doubled Rooks and Bishop.
> >
> > On the other hand leaving the Pawn on g5 can also have its
drawbacks as the
following line shows. 4...e6 5 hxg5 hxg5 6 Rxh8 Bxh8 7 Qh5 Bxd4 8
Bxg5 Bf6 9
Qh7 Bxg5 10 Qxg8+ Ke7 11 Qxg5+ and White has won a piece. This line
is not
forced, but it is a small example of the difficulties Black may
encounter
here.]
> >
> > 4... gxh4
> >
> > 5.Nf3 d6
> >
> > 6.Rxh4 Nc6
> >
> > 7.Be3 e5
> >
> > 8.Rh1!?
> >
> > [A prudent retreat to avoid tactical possibilities based on the
f3 Knight’s
task of guarding both d4 and h4. However, 8 Bb5 may be stronger and
is also
playable after Black‘s next move.]
> >
> > 8... Bg4
> >
> > 9.dxe5
> >
> > [White decides to release the tension in the centre, but this not
really a
concession because he already has a clear advantage due to Black’s> > As indicated 9 Bb5 is an alternative, but 9 d5 could be answered
broken
Kingside Pawns.
>
by 9...
Nd4.
> >
> > Black has a small problem here. Recapturing with 9 …dxe5 may lead
to the
exchange of Queens, and in an endgame Black’s weaknesses will be
more
obvious. However, taking with the Knight leaves White with a
significant
space advantage. The centre of Pawn on e4 versus one on d6 is
called the
’little centre’, and often arises from Philidor’s Defence e.g. (1
e4 e5 2
Nf3 d6 3 d4 exd4). Here too Black often has to struggle for
equality.]
> >
> > 9... Nxe5
> >
> > 10.Be2 Bxf3?
> >
> > [A significant mistake. Black concedes the Bishop pair in a
position that is
already fairly open. Perhaps he was expecting the further exchange
11 Bxf3
Nxf3+ 12 Qxf3 when he could consider 12...Bxc3+ now that the White
Queen
can’t go to d4.
> >
> > The right move was 10...Nxf3+ 11 gxf3 Bd7, but not 11 …Bxc3+ 12
bxc3 Bd7 13
Rb1 b6 14 Qd4! with a big initiative and lead in development.]
> >
> > 11.gxf3 Nf6
> >
> > 12.f4 Ned7?!
> > [It is difficult to see why Black did not play the natural
>
12...Nc6.
Leinmuller is conducting an eccentric middle-game to go with an
eccentric
opening and the result is that he lags in development, is cramped
and has
glaring Kingside weaknesses. Admittedly White has doubled Pawns but
they
help bolster his central control.
> >
> > After the text White opts to put his Bishop on f3 with tactical
possibilities of e5 and Bxb7. Originally I was going to play f3 to> > 13.Bf3 Qe7
support
e4 but with the Knight on d7 rather than c6 the Bishop can be
posted more
aggressively. My computer wants to play 13 (or even 14) Qd4 here.
It’s a
good active square, but I think any human would be reluctant to
line up his
or her Queen against the Bishop on g7, even if there are no
effective
discoveries immediately available.]
>
> >
> > 14.Qe2 c6
> >
> > [Naturally 14...0-0-0 just loses a Pawn to 15 Bxa7 (15...b6?? 16
Qa6 mate)
but does Black really have to play a move which just creates further
weaknesses? My computer thinks so because it wants to play 14... c6
too. It
also considers 14... 0-0 but again I think any human would reject
that as
White has two open files bearing down onto an already weakened
Kingside.
> >
> > At the time I thought that 14...Nb6 might have been best, but 15
e5! dxe5 16
Bxb7 Rd8 or b8 17 Bc6+ or 17 Qb5+ is very strong. Black keenly
feels the
absence of his light-squared Bishop here and as two of White’s
candidate
moves here are Qb5 and Nd5, also light squares, Black chooses to
rule them
out. ]
> >
> > 15.O-O-O Nb6
> >
> > My computer recommends 15 …h5 here. This is a Pawn sacrifice to
force some
liquidation. However, after 16 Bxh5 Nxh5 17 Rxh5 Bxc3 18 bxc3 Rxh5
19 Qxh5
0-0-0 (not 19... Qxe4? 20 Qh8+ Nf8 21 Rxd6 with a big advantage.)
20 Qf5!
White consolidates with a reasonable advantage and threatens 21
Bxa7 in
earnest (if 21...b6? 22 Bxb6 because of the pin on the Knight d7).
> >
> > After the text 16 a4 to oust the Knight is certainly a
possibility, but my
eye was caught by something else. I needed to play a preparatory
move first
though. What would Black do if I attacked his Bishop?]
> >
> > 16.Rhg1 Rg8?
> >
> > [A good moment to pause and work out what’s going on.
> >
> > Falling into the trap. 16 …Kf8 seems to be no good after 17 Qd3
Rd8 18 e5
because the Rook on d8 is loose now that the King has wandered away.
16...Bf8 is well met by 17 e5! opening up all the central lines
with Black’s
King caught in the middle. 16...Qf8 is even worse for the same
reason.
> >
> > It seems that Black has no reasonable alternative to the text,
but in view
of what happens I would advocate 16 …Kf8 and after 17 Qd3 Ne8.
However, it’s
clear White is well on top. After the next move it’s even more
obvious!
> >
> > Second chance to pause and have a ponder. It’s worth it!}
> >
> > 17.Rxd6! Nfd7
> >
> > [It’s now clear that if 17...Qxd6 18 e5 forces the win of
material. After 19
exf6 not only is the pinned Bishop on g7 threatened (the point of
inserting
the moves 16 Rg1 Rg8). but White also has Bxb6 with a discovered
check, or a
different discovery to win the Black Queen if she is still on a
dark square.
Had Black left his Knight on d7 on move 15 he could answer e5 with
…Nxe5,
but that resource is not available.]
> >
> > 18.e5 O-O-O
> >
> > [A safe haven at last? Not with the Roving Rook on the doorstep.]
> >
> > 19.Rgd1 Bf8
> >
> > [If 19... Kb8 20 Qd3 forces 20... Kc7 because of the threat 21
Bxb6, (if 20
…Kc8 21 Bg4 wins) and now 21 Nb5+! cxb5 22 Qe4 Rb8 23 Bxb6+ Nxb6 24
Rc6+!
Bxc6 25 Qxc6 mates or here 23 … axb6 24 Qd5 Rgd8 25 Rc6+ etc.
> >
> > Now that the Knight on d7 is pinned down the d-file White can
destroy even
more of the enemy King’s protective shield.]
> >
> > 20.Bxb6 axb6
> >
> > [Now 21 Bg4 just wins an Exchange, but there is something more
picturesque.]
> >
> > 21.Rxc6+! Kb8
> >
> > [If 21 …bxc6 22 Qa6+ Kc7 23 Nb5+ cxb5 24 Qb7 mate, or here 22 …
Kb8 23 Bxc6
Nc5 24 Qa8+ Kc7 25 Nb5 mate.]
> >
> > 22.Rc7!
> >
> > [The Roving Rook chomps through Black’s King position like a
hungry Pacman -
the computer game, not the Czech/West German GM. Naturally if 22
…Kxc7 23
Nd5+ wins the Queen.]
> >
> > 22 …Qe8
> >
> > 23.Rxb7+ Kc8
> >
> > [Now 24 Nb5 and there is no defence to 25 Na7 mate, but the
Roving Rook
hasn’t eaten it’s fill yet!]
> >
> > 24.Qa6 Nb8
> >
> > 25.Rxb8+
> >
> > [Completing the remarkable journey a1-d1-d6-c6-c7-b7-b8 with a
‘Knightcap‘.
]
> >
> > 25... Kxb8 and 1-0
> >
> > [26 Qb7 is mate ]
> >
> > Text ends.
>
