How one should play after 1. b4?It was the question that I was coming across recently buzzing around even in the remotest parts of the world! For instance, on the following web page:
http://www.olimpbase.org/index.html?http%3A%2F%2Fwww.olimpbase.org%2Farticles%2F... I give some suggestions below.
A “serious option”: (1) Picarda - Pytel,K [A00]
Clermont Ferrand, 1991
[Pytel]
1.b4 e5 2.Bb2 Bxb4!
I have already won several games following this path. Hungarian grandmaster, A. Adorian (see chess databases) is also an advocate of this rather crude approach. However, many a chess manual frowns upon an exchange of the side b4 pawn to the central e5. Meanwhile, the practice clearly indicates that white cannot dominate in the centre. Furthermore, the black’s pression on “e” and “d” lines could turn out to be more effective than white pawns’ majority in the centre.
3.Bxe5 Nf6 4.c4 0-0 5.e3 Re8 6.Nf3 d5 7.cxd5 Nxd5 8.Be2 Be7 9.0-0 c5 10.Bb5?! [10.d3 Nc6 11.Bb2 Bf6=/+] 10...Bd7 11.Qb3 Bxb5 12.Qxb5 Qd7 13.Na3 [13.Qxd7 Nxd7 14.Bb2 Nb4-/+] 13...Nc6 14.Rab1 Ndb4! 15.d4!? a6 16.Qe2 Nxe5 17.Nxe5 Qd5 18.Nac4 Diagram
18...cxd4 19.exd4 Rad8 20.Ne3 Qxd4 21.Nf5 Qf4 22.Nxe7+ Rxe7 23.Rfd1 Rde8 24.Ng6 hxg6 0-1
So, the incentive of the move 2... Bxb4 could be the fact that white’s strategy involving a gain of a space advantage on the queenside is down the drain! *** *** ***
A „tricky” option:(2) Analysis [A00]
1963
[Pytel]
1.b4 c5!? 2.bxc5 e5 3.Bb2 Nc6 4.Nf3 Bxc5 [4...e4 5.Ne5 Bxc5 6.Nxc6 Qb6 7.Qc1 Bxf2+ 8.Kd1 f6] 5.Nxe5 Qb6 Diagram
6.Nd3 Bxf2+ 7.Nxf2 Qxb2~~ 8.Nc3 Nb4 9.Rc1 Nxa2 etc.
*** *** ***
Option - „Pachman’s recommendation”, so called „mole in the pocket” (3) Analysis [A00]
1965
[Pytel]
1.b4 a5!?
Playing 1... a5!? Black tries to take the control over the c5 square and transpose the game into the King’s Indian defence mood.
2.b5 e5 3.Bb2 d6 4.e3 Nf6 5.Nf3 Nbd7 [5...g6 6.d4] 6.c4 g6 7.d4 Qe7 8.Be2 Bg7 9.0-0 0-0 10.a4 b6 etc.
*** *** ***
Option - „Uhlmann’s recommendation”, so called “elephant’s trunk” (4) Analysis [A00]
1972
[Pytel]
1.b4 d5 2.Bb2 Qd6
Black aims at dominating in the centre.
3.a3 [3.b5 Qb4] 3...e5 4.e3 Nf6 5.Nf3 Nbd7 6.c4 c6 7.Be2 g6
There is no doubt, the bishop will be better placed on g7 than on e7.
8.0-0 Bg7 etc.
*** *** ***
A „free development” option:(5)Analysis[A00]
[Pytel]
1.b4 d5 2.Bb2 Bf5 3.e3 e6 4.Nf3 Nf6 5.b5 c5 etc. Diagram
*** *** ***
A „natural development” as an option:(6) Analiza [A00]
[Pytel]
1.b4 d5 2.Bb2 Bg4!? 3.h3 Bh5 4.g4 Bg6 5.Bg2 c6 6.Nf3 e6 [6...f6!? 7.d3 e5] 7.Ne5 Nd7 etc.