1.f4 d5 2.kf3 og4 makes reversed Leningrad impossible. What do you play then?

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Yes, he does, but I have him as a source for some of the material I have in my notes and didn't want to fail to credit anyone.

As to 4.h3 lines, I have written down....
4.h3 d6 5.d4 e4
4.h3 d6 5.d4 h6
4.h3 d6 5.d3 h6/g4
All as being playable for Black. There are a number of games in the database covering these lines, but I'm not sure how improtant they are.

I do remember that alot of the interest in these lines came from an Australian chess forum (chesschat?), where a substantial debate was broiling over the problems with the 4.d4 lines (which seemed to be the most popular OTB).

Wow, so many posts to reply to, better get started then.

After f4 b6, d3 Bb7, e4 then d5 is sensible (though i'm not so sure about an early f5) but white can always go e5 and claim a slight space advantage. The question is whether you would be happy to play this position as White. Personally I would.
Well after 1.f4 e5, 2.fe d6, 3.ed Bxd6, 4.nf3 g5, 5.g3 is the best move. I'm not sure White has any edge after 5.d4 g4 6.Ne5 Bxe5 7.dxe5 Qxd1+. ok now f4 f5. 2.e4 fe 3.d3 ed 4.Bxd3 Nf6 5.g4 d5 -hmm, i'm sure there is supposed to be something here somewhere, i'll have to come back to this another time. In the meanwhile 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.g4 looks dangerous. Glenn Snow's suggestions also seems very sensible.
ok. next. 1.f4 e5 2.fe Nc6 3.Nf3 g5 and here I like 4.h3!? e.g. d6 5.d4 de 6.d5 Ne7 7.e4 With an extremely comfortable position for White.
Lastly. I'm sure 1.f4 e5 2.d3 is perfectly playable, but since the From should be unsound then why not just take the pawn?

For Black, the Neo-From is perhaps an even better Bird-killer.

1.f4 e4
2.fxe5 Nc6

One continuation from my pile of Bird notes (from a brief daliance I had with it last year):

3.Nf3 g5
4.d4 g4
5.Bg5 Be7
6.Bxe7 Qxe7
7.d5 gxf3
8.dxc6 fxg2
9.Bxg2 Qh4+
10.Kf1 Qf4+
11.Ke1 dxc6
-+

Possible improvements/alternates do exist for White. Specifically I have notes on various 4.h3 lines (which don't work much better than the above) and also 7.Nd2 lines (which seems to offer the prospect of equality for White ).

I'm sure there are other lines and improvements to be found but that's what's on the top of my stack of papers on the Bird.

I feel the Neo-From offers Black a strong, yet somewhat uncommon line against the Bird. If White does not play with great precision, Black will enjoy a quick and smashing victory. Even with precise play by White, Black has solid play if not near certain equality.

My sources for the lines include work by Keith Hayward, David Flude among others, as well as my own work and refinements. I don't follow the Bird much, so my apologies if some recent game has refuted the Neo-From in the last year. If that's the case just ignore my ramblings

Hi,
     What about 1.f4 f5 2.e4 fe4 3.Nc3!? Nf6 4.g4!? of course its usually played from blacks side so is the pawn on f4 rather than f2/f7 helpful or not?


Regards

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Just to play devil's advocate, can't Black try an early 3 ... f5?  Or 3 ... d5?  Or else e6/Bc5/Ne7/0-0/f5?  It seems as though Black can exert some uncomfortable early pressure on White's center.   

I don't think White's position is bunched by a long way, but the earlier post was looking for ways to get take White out of his repertoire...

ok, lots to deal with here...

I thought that 1.f4 f5 2. e4 fe 3.d3 de 4. Bxd3 Nf6 5.g4 was winning for White. I have played this in blitz and won every time.

ok... 1.f4 d6 is sensible but the simple 2.d3 is the most flexible reply. The idea is that next move you will play Nf3 and you can then meet Bg4 with Nbd2.

I haven't yet faced 1...b6 but as Black is equal after 1.b3 f5 i see no reason to worry, 1.f4 b6 2.d3 Bb7 3.e4 seems to keep a slight spatial edge for White.

P.S. i would be happy to play John Coz in an f4 f5 game... so long as I have the White pieces!

2 e4!? My word. According to my newly-acquired Oxford Companion to Chess this is only truly a Swiss Gambit if it goes on 3 Nc3 Nf6 4 g4!? and, hey, why not? I remember losing to a 12 year old Stuart Conquest from this position in about 15 moves once (with d4 in instead of f4, natch).

Is f4 all that much use in a reversed From? After 1 f4 e5 2 fxe5 d6 3 exd6 Bxd6 4 Nf3 Nf6 Black quite often goes Bf5/g4/h3, surely? So the extra tempo is blocking that bishop a bit - what is it gaining in return?

Hmm - 1 f4 f5: I quite like it. I wonder if TomR would be up for a partie fixe in the next Barbican2-Perceptron 4NCL clash?!