This Topic was moved here from French by MilenPetrov.

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I often achieve this kind of structure.  I am not much worried about ...d5, honestly.  I think White still has good chances, and I am familiar with the systems with the early f4 anyways.  I recently have been playing more 1. e4, for the longest time I have wanted to be able to incorporate an early e4 in my f4 systems, but it is easier to do it the opposite way!  And White gets good chances.  I have been playing more King's Gambits now, and I enjoy the positions I get.

TN wrote on 03/19/10 at 21:47:16:


I have always thought that 1.e4 c5 2.d3 Nc6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.f4 and 6.Nf3 was called the Big Clamp and 5.Nc3 (or later) the Closed Sicilian?! So now what do you recommend, if Black refuses to play ...d5, the Big Clamp (no Nc3) or the Closed Sicilian (White does play Nc3)?
My recommendation would be to postpone the choice as long as possible. 1.f4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.g3 (no need to invite early ...d5 stuff with 3.e4) g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.0-0, 6.d3, 7.e4 (assuming that there is no ...d5 yet) and only depending on Black's setup eventually 8.Nc3. That looks most ambitious to me.

Concerning that early fianchetto move order, 1.f4 g6 2.Nf3 Bg7 3.g3 d6 4.Bg2 Nf6 5.0-0 0-0 6.d3 e5 7.e4 and 8.Nc3 is a line of the Vienna Fianchetto (1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.g3) that has scored rather well for White.

As you may have concluded, I don't believe in BirdBrain's theory of flexibility. 1.f4 followed by a kingside fianchetto (except vs. early ...e5 stuff in the broadest sense of the word) looks most promising to me.

It occurred to me - to answer the request of the OP - that 1.f4 g6 2.Nf3 Bg7 3.g3 d6 4.Bg2 e5 5.0-0 Ne7 6.d3 0-0 might be an interesting possibilitiy.

linksspringer wrote on 03/21/10 at 11:38:11:


2.e4 Bb7 3.d3 followed by Nf3/g3/Bg2/0-0 and White achieves an improved Polar Bear where he gains e4 in one turn and Black is committed to the not so effective ...b6 setup. If Black plays ...d5, then Nc3 is a good riposte.

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 When black plays c6 isn't  Black open to  Dutch Stonewall  with colors reversed?  Isn't ...c6 saying   Nd7 with the idea of e5?   Doesn't a simple and timely d4 negate this?

    Here play can go down the Nh3 lines against the Dutch.  Although Nh3 lines against the Dutch are for the most part a good choice... I don't know how they turn out with colors reversed)   Example…. 1.f4 g6 2.Nf3 Bg7 3.e3 d5 4.Be2 Nh6!? 5.0–0  and on …c6  white plays  6.d4 then  6...Nd7  (what else? Black is committed)  then    7.c4!? (...dxc  8. Bxc4   looks good too)  0–0 and 8.Nc3.   This is just quick analysis.... so I don’t know what kind of pull the position really has (if any)  but at a quick glace it looks as white....easy to play.  slow yes...but black looks to be mired in his own pawn formation and  Black's Nh6 looks out there considering black is already a tempo down. 

Take in mind I'm trying to find good things so I'm coming from an optimistic point of view


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Taylor's  line looks ok…as someone who  played Be2 , pawns at e4 and f4 lines against the Sicilian,  The line  1.f4 c5 2.Nf3 g6 3.e4 Bg7 4.Be2 Nc6 5.0–0 d6 6.d3    looks to be satisfactory and certainly "can" lead to unique play.   Again this is another line where the colors are reversed I.e (English ...e5 lines..)

1 f4 has got some flex something people don't give it enough credit for.

The ..Bg4 lines are quite good and covered in Palliser's Beating Unusual Chess Openings. 

The critical line is the pawn sac:  1.f4 e5 2.Nf3 Bg4 3.e3 Nd7 4.h3 Bxf3 5.Qxf3 e5!? 6.Qxd5 Qh4+ 7.Kd1 0-0-0

But 5..e6 or 5..c6 are also playable if you haven't got the guts.