Bird's Opening

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Bird's Opening is a chess opening characterised by the move (in algebraic notation)

1.f4

It is named after the 19th century English master, Henry Bird.

According to ChessBase, in master level chess, out of the twenty possible opening moves, 1.f4 ranks seventh in popularity. It is much less popular than 1.c4 (the English Opening) mainly because 1.f4 weakens the king's position slightly.

The usual response from Black is 1...d5, when the game can take on the character of a reversed Dutch Defence (1.d4 f5). White will then often either fianchetto his queen's bishop to increase his hold on the e5 square or adopt a stonewall formation with pawns on d4, e3, and f4 and attempt a kingside attack.

Another popular response is 1...g6, transposing the opening into a Modern Defense. Black thus prevents white from playing on the long diagonal.

Black may also try 1...e5!?, From's Gambit. White can then transpose into the King's Gambit with 2.e4. If White wants to stay in the Bird's Opening play can continue 2.fxe5 d6 (2...Nc6 is also possible) 3.exd6 Bxd6. Now White must play 4.Nf3 (and if 4...g5, either 5.g3 g4 6.Nh4 or 5.d4 g4 6.Ne5) or 4.g3, avoiding 4.Nc3?? Qh4+ 5.g3 Qxg3+ 5.hxg3 Bxg3 checkmate. This gambit can give Black an overwhelming attack if White goes wrong, but even if White plays accurately Black still has some attacking chances. From's Gambit is named after the Danish chess player Severin From (1828–1895).

A rare response for black is 1...g5?!, the Hobbs Gambit, with play usually continuing 2.fxg5 h6.

If Black chooses the symmetrical reply 1...f5, an unusual try for White is the Swiss Gambit, which continues 2.e4 fxe4 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.g4. This gambit was named by Aleksander Wagner (1868–1942), a Polish/Ukrainian chess player and openings analyst who introduced it in the Swiss correspondence game Wagner–Kostin, 1910–1911.

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