Fromper wrote on 06/20/10 at 02:40:04:
Looking at IM Timothy Taylor's "Bird's Opening" book, he states that he's not really sure what white's best 7th move is in the main line after 1. f4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. e3 g6 4. Be2 Bg7 5. O-O O-O 6. d3 c5. He recommends avoiding the most popular older move, 7. Qe1, and gives 7. Nc3 as his personal choice. He also mentions 7. a4 as an option, and interestingly doesn't seem to mention 7. Ne5, though I haven't read the whole chapter from cover to cover, so I might have just missed it.
As a Classical Dutch player, I know that in the analogous position after 1. d4 f5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. g3 e6 4. Bg2 Be7 5. O-O O-O 6. c4 d6 7. Nc3, 7. ... Qe8 is also the old, most popular move that is no longer considered that great. But in the Dutch, 7. ... Nc6 is considered "slightly dubious", as GM Simon Williams says in his "Killer Dutch" DVD (while still recommending it as an occasional weapon for surprise value). 7. ... Ne4 and 7. ... a5 are also considered decent options, so the options between the Bird and Dutch versions of this line are obviously pretty similar.
What I'm trying to figure out is why Taylor likes 7. Nc3 so much, when it's considered so inferior in the analogous Dutch line. It seems to have pretty much the same drawback in both, despite black not having his knight on c6 yet in the Bird version, so I'm trying to see how the extra tempo helps white that much in the Bird.
I don't play much over the board mainly postal/internet games etc. I do play the Bird and like it. I think it has merit. However, few play the orthodox lines.
However.... The Classical Bird 7.Nc3 looks promising.
1.f4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e3 g6 4.Be2 Bg7 5.0-0 0-0 6.d3 c5 7.Nc3 d4 8.Ne4 Nxe4 9.dxe4 dxe3 10.Qxd8 Rxd8 11.c3 b6 12.Bxe3 A space advantage and superior development gives white a pull. Taylor I would have to agree. Study the position and you will give black a hard time.
ON 7...Bg4?! 8.Nh4 (8.Ne5 with the idea of Bf3 and e3-e4 also looks good for white...Taylor) 8...Bxe2? 9.Qxe2 Nc6 10.e4 dxe4 11.dxe4 Again white achieves his goal of having pawns at e4 and f4! 8...Bd7 9.e4! And again white gets to play e4!
7...Nc6 8.e4!
8...d4 (8...dxe4 dxe4 gave white += Kan-Vaglio Munoz, Haifa 1976; (see the game for more info black can improve)
9.Na4 Nd7 10.c4 a6 (10...dxc3 11.Nxc3 Nd4 12.e5 Nb8 13.Nxd4 Qxd4+ 14.Kh1 Nc6 15.Bf3 Bf5 16.Re1 Qxd3 17.Be3 For a pawn white gets two active Bishops and the initiative) 11.b3 b5 12.Nb2!? looks like a slight advantage white
Here is Simon Williams idea reversed 7...Nc6 8.Ne5!? Qc7 (8...Nxe5 9.fxe5 Nd7 10.Nxd5 Nxe5 11.e4+=) 10.Bf3 Rd8 11. Qe2 and white yet again achieves the edge with e3-e4 +=
IMO.... The difficulty in opening with 1.f4 doesn't lie in 1...d5 or 1...e5 1...c5
1. f4 limits your responses to the Sicilian (this could be good or bad depending on how one looks at it... Taylor's recommended Be2 lines i.e....a reversed English 1...e5 with a tempo initiative looks sound, having played it a couple of times in postal chess)
1...f5 plays like a symmetrical English (I always liked the symmetrical English so this is ok with me...but as in the symmetrical English, no advantage can be gained ...white must look for an advantage in the maneuvering of his pieces) There is the occasional 1...d5 2.Nf3 Bf5 which i seem to struggle with. On 2...Bf5 more times than not..... I enter into a Stonewall attack as white ...yes...yes...its archaic and not cutting edge... but a favorable Stonewall Attack is dangerous for black and fun to play as white if I can get it ("if" being the key word) I would recommend studying the Stonewall Attack to understand when its ok to play it and when it isn't ok. (as Taylor recommends....)
With 1.f4 d5 2. Nf3 Bg4..... I play the little explored reversed Tromp lines (Danielsen's reply to 2...Bg4 is awesome but black doesn't have to allow it by steering the game into reversed French lines.
I also play the Nimzo-larsen so I'm a true "flank aficionado" my opinions about the Bird are certainly bias....