Editing Bird's Opening

{{Use British English|date=May 2025}}
{{Infobox chess opening
|openingname = Bird's Opening
|image = {{Chess diagram
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|moves = 1.f4
|ECO = A02–A03
|birth =
|nameorigin = [[Henry Bird (chess player)|Henry Bird]]
|AKA = Dutch Attack
|chessgid = 889687&move=1.5&moves=f4&nodes=889687
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'''Bird's Opening''' (or the '''Dutch Attack''') is a [[chess opening]] characterised by the move:
: 1. [[b:Chess Opening Theory/1. f4|f4]]

Named after 19th century English player [[Henry Bird (chess player)|Henry Bird]], Bird's opening is a standard [[flank opening]]. White's strategic ideas involve control of the e5-square, offering good attacking chances at the expense of slightly weakening their own {{chessgloss|kingside}}. Black may challenge White's plan to control e5 immediately by playing From's Gambit (1...e5); however, the From Gambit is notoriously double-edged and should only be played after significant study.

The ''[[Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings]]'' assigns two codes for Bird's Opening: A02 (1.f4) and A03 (1.f4 d5).
{{AN chess|pos=toc}}

==History==
The opening was mentioned by [[Luis Ramírez de Lucena]] in his book ''Repetición de Amores y Arte de Ajedrez con Cien Juegos de Partido'', published c. 1497. In the mid-nineteenth century the opening was sometimes played by [[Louis-Charles Mahé de La Bourdonnais|La Bourdonnais]] and [[Elijah Williams (chess player)|Elijah Williams]], among others. The British master [[Henry Edward Bird]] first played it in 1855 and continued to do so for the next 40 years.<ref>"Having forgotten familiar openings, I commenced adopting KBP for first move, and finding it led to highly interesting games out of the usual groove, I became partial to it." —&thinsp;Henry Bird (1873, entering match play after a six year absence from chess); Hooper and Whyld (1987), p. 32.</ref> After a six year break from Chess, he forgot how to play the more familiar openings.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Sterran |title=Fundamental Chess Openings |publisher=Gambit Publications |isbn=9781906454135}}</ref> In 1885, the ''[[Hereford Times]]'' named it after him.<ref>Hooper and Whyld (1992), p. 40.</ref> In the first half of the 20th century [[Aron Nimzowitsch]] and [[Savielly Tartakower]] sometimes played 1.f4.<ref>de Firmian (2008), p. 732.</ref> In more recent decades, [[Grandmaster (chess)|grandmasters]] who have used the Bird's with any regularity include [[Bent Larsen]], [[Andrew Soltis]], Lars Karlsson,<ref>{{cite web |title=The chess games of Lars Karlsson |website=[[Chessgames.com]] |url=http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessplayer?pid=18045 |access-date=2012-09-07}}</ref> [[Mikhail Gurevich (chess player)|Mikhail Gurevich]], and [[Henrik Danielsen]].<ref>{{cite web |date=2010-07-26 |title=The chess games of Henrik Danielsen |website=[[Chessgames.com]] |url=http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessplayer?pid=56533 |access-date=2012-09-07}}</ref>

==1...d5==
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Black's most common response is 1...d5, when the game can take on the character of a [[Dutch Defence]] (1.d4 f5) with colours reversed. White will then often either [[fianchetto]] their {{chessgloss|king's bishop}} with Nf3, g3, Bg2, and 0–0 with a reversed Leningrad Dutch; adopt a [[Stonewall Attack|Stonewall formation]] with pawns on d4, e3, and f4 and attempt a {{chessgloss|kingside}} attack; or fianchetto their {{chessgloss|queen's bishop}} to increase their hold on the e5-square. Another strategy, by analogy with the Ilyin–Zhenevsky variation of the Dutch Defence, involves White playing Nf3, e3, Be2, 0-0, d3 and attempting to achieve the break e3–e4 by various means, e.g. Ne5, Bf3, Qe2 and finally e3–e4, or simply Nc3 followed by e4. Timothy Taylor's book on Bird's Opening suggests as a main line: 1.f4 d5 2.Nf3 g6 3.e3 Bg7 4.Be2 Nf6 5.0-0 0-0 6.d3 c5.

White can also play 2.c4, the Mujannah-Sturm gambit. This is a decent opening and seems to borrow ideas from the Réti Opening (1.Nf3 d5 2.c4) and the Queen's Gambit Accepted. Eventually, this move order is followed by Nf3. The best move in this position is 2...d4, where the game continues in the style of the Réti Opening, with 3.Nf3 being a possible next move. 2.c4 is not a true gambit, since if Black tries to hold on to their pawn, they will be punished (2.c4 dxc4 3.e3 b5{{chesspunc|?}} [Black should pursue development instead] 4.a4 c6? 5.axb5 cxb5 6.Qf3, where Black must part with a {{chessgloss|minor piece}}, akin to the Queen's Gambit Accepted trap).

==From's Gambit: 1...e5 <span class="anchor" id="From's Gambit"></span>==
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Black's {{chessgloss|sharpest}} reply is 1...e5{{chesspunc|!?}}, From's Gambit, named for the Danish chess player [[Martin Severin From]] (1828–1895). White then has the option to [[Transposition (chess)|transpose]] into the [[King's Gambit]] with 2.e4. This is an important option which may cause Black to consider playing a different line if they wish to avoid the King's Gambit. It has been observed that one of the possible disadvantages of From's Gambit is that it is very easy for White to avoid.

If White accepts the gambit with 2.fxe5, Black must choose between the main line 2...d6 and the rather obscure 2...Nc6. After 2...Nc6, [[International Master]] (IM) Timothy Taylor, in his 2005 book on the Bird's, recommends 3.Nc3{{chesspunc|!}} Nxe5 4.d4 intending 5.e4, rather than 3.Nf3{{chesspunc|?!}} g5! when Black stands well.<ref>Taylor (2005), p. 182.</ref> After the normal 2...d6 3.exd6 Bxd6, White must play 4.Nf3, avoiding 4.Nc3{{chesspunc|??}} Qh4+ 5.g3 Qxg3+ 6.hxg3 Bxg3 [[checkmate]]. Then Black again has two alternatives: 4...g5 to drive away White's knight, and 4...Nf6, threatening 5...Ng4 and 6...Nxh2! Future [[World Chess Championship|world champion]] [[Emanuel Lasker]] introduced 4...g5 in the game Bird–Lasker, Newcastle upon Tyne, 1892, so it is known as "Lasker's Variation".<ref>Taylor (2005), pp. 150–51.</ref> Taylor considers 4...g5 dubious; a quiet response that he considers favourable for White is 5.d4 g4 6.Ne5! (6.Ng5{{chesspunc|?}} leads to a dubious piece sacrifice) Bxe5 7.dxe5 Qxd1+ 8.Kxd1 Nc6 9.Nc3! Be6 (9...Nxe5?! 10.Bf4 f6 11.Nd5 Kd8 12.Nxf6!) 10.Bf4 0-0-0+ 11.Ke1 Nge7 12.e3 Ng6 13.Bg5 Rdf8 14.Bf6 Rhg8 15.Be2 Ngxe5 16.Rf1 "with the typical edge for White that is characteristic of this variation", according to Taylor.<ref>Taylor (2005), pp. 149–52.</ref> He also considers the sharper 5.g3 g4 6.Nh4 favourable for White, giving as the main line 6...Ne7 7.d4 Ng6 8.Nxg6 hxg6 9.Qd3 Nc6 (9...Rh5 10.Bg2; 9...Na6 10.c3) 10.c3 (10.Nc3? Nxd4! 11.Qxd4?? Bxg3+ wins White's queen) Bf5 (10...Qe7 11.Bg2! Bd7 12.Nd2 0-0-0 13.Ne4! favoured White in Taylor–Becerra Rivero, Minneapolis 2005) 11.e4 Qe7 12.Bg2 0-0-0 13.Be3. According to Taylor, White has a large advantage in all lines, although play remains extremely sharp, e.g. 13...Rde8 14.Nd2; 13...Rxh2 14.Rxh2 Bxg3+ 15.Kd1 Bxh2 16.exf5! Re8 17.fxg6! Qxe3 18.Qxe3 Rxe3 19.gxf7; or 13...Bd7 (threatening 14...Rxh2!) 14.Bf2!<ref>Taylor (2005), pp. 135–45.</ref>

The worst response to From’s Gambit is 2.g4[[Chess annotation symbols|??]], since black will respond with Qh4#, which is a [[Fool's mate|Fool’s mate]].

==Other Black responses==
* The flexible 1...Nf6 is also possible. Then if White plays 2.b3?! (2.Nf3 is safer), 2...d6! 3.Bb2?! (or 3.Nf3 e5! 4.fxe5 dxe5 5.Nxe5?? Qd4!) e5!, a sort of From's Gambit Deferred introduced by IM Michael Brooks, is dangerous for White, e.g. 4.fxe5 dxe5 5.Bxe5 Ng4! Then 6.Bb2 Bd6 "leaves White in huge trouble down the e1–h4 diagonal", and Black wins an {{chessgloss|exchange}} after 7.Nf3 Bxh2! 8.Rxh2 Nxh2. After the alternative 6.Bg3, 6...Qf6! (even better than 6...Bd6) 7.c3 (not 7.Nc3? Ne3! 8.dxe3 Bb4) Bd6 is strong for Black.<ref>Palliser (2006), p. 124.</ref>
* Another popular response is 1...g6, a sort of [[Modern Defense]], which may transpose into a reversed Dutch Defense (if Black plays ...d5 and ...c5), or a [[Sicilian Defence]] (if White plays e4 and Black plays ...c5). Black thus prevents White from playing on the a1–h8 diagonal.
* Also reasonable is 1...c5, hoping for a transposition into the [[Tal Gambit]], a favourable variation of the [[Sicilian Defence]], after 2.e4 d5! 3.exd5 (3.Nc3, the mellifluously named "Toilet Variation," is also possible) 3...Nf6, but White need not oblige, and may build up more slowly with 2.Nf3, followed by g3, Bg2, d3, and possibly a later e4.
* The offbeat 1...b6!? is also known, and more soundly based than the same move after 1.e4 or 1.d4, since 1.f4 does not aid White's {{chessgloss|development}}, and weakens the a8–h1 diagonal as the move f3 is no longer available to shore up White's {{chessgloss|centre}}. Taylor recommends 2.e4 Bb7 3.d3 e6 4.Nf3 Ne7 5.c3 d5 6.Qc2 Nd7 7.Be3, with a spatial advantage for White.<ref>Taylor (2005), pp. 202–03.</ref>
* Also possible is 1...b5!?, a form of the [[Polish Defense]]. After the natural 2.e4 Bb7, White has no good way to protect e4 while maintaining their attack on b5, since 3.Nc3? b4 4.Nd5 e6 wins a pawn.
* If Black chooses the symmetrical reply 1...f5, Taylor considers White's best line to be quiet play with 2.b3 b6 3.Bb2 Bb7 4.e3, when 4...Nf6 5.Bxf6! exf6 6.Nf3 left White with the better [[pawn structure]] in Larsen–Colon Romero, San Juan 1969. Instead, 4...e6 5.Qh5+ forces the weakening 5...g6, with a slight advantage to White according to Taylor.<ref>Taylor (2005), p. 210.</ref> Also possible is the aggressive 2.e4!?, when Taylor analyses 2...fxe4 3.d3 exd3 4.Bxd3 Nf6 5.Nf3 (5.g4 is well met by 5...d5, when after 6.g5, 6...Bg4 and 6...Ne4 both favour Black) 5...d5 6.0-0, when he considers White to have some, but not enough, compensation for the sacrificed pawn.<ref>Taylor (2005), pp. 214–16.</ref> Another possible continuation is 2...fxe4 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.g4, the Swiss Gambit. This gambit was named by [[Alexander Wagner]] (1868–1942), a Polish chess player and openings analyst who introduced it in the Swiss [[Correspondence chess|correspondence game]] Wagner–Kostin, 1910–11. The term "Swiss Gambit" is often used to refer more generally to 1.f4 f5 2.e4. Chess historian [[Edward Winter (chess historian)|Edward Winter]] has criticized that usage, pointing out that 1.f4 f5 2.e4 was analysed by F.A. Lange in the June 1859 ''[[Deutsche Schachzeitung]]'', and was played by many players, including [[Adolf Anderssen]], in the nineteenth century.<ref>Edward Winter, [http://www.chesshistory.com/winter/extra/swiss.html 'The Swiss Gambit'] (1998).</ref>
* An aggressive but rare response is 1...g5?!, the Hobbs Gambit, with play possibly continuing 2.fxg5 h6, a sort of mirror image [[Benko Gambit]]. White can simply return the pawn with 3.g6, leaving Black with a weakened {{chessgloss|kingside}} after 3...fxg6. A variant is the Hobbs–Zilbermints Gambit, 1...h6 intending 2...g5; against this, White could proceed with 2.e4 g5 3.d4, when Black has lost time and weakened their kingside.
* Another offbeat try is Martin Appleberry's 1...Nh6!?, also known as the Horsefly, which exploits the closed c1-h6 diagonal. One idea is to meet 2.b3 with 2...e5, another deferred From Gambit, and 2.e4 with 2...d5, when 3.exd5 Qxd5 would result in a [[Scandinavian Defense]] where White's pawn is oddly placed on f4. However, 2.Nf3 avoids both of these lines.  The primary objective of the Horsefly is to retain control of e5, preventing the Stonewall attack, but otherwise giving White great flexibility.
* Another possible reply by Black is 1...Nc6. With this move, Black lays the support for the advance of the e-pawn. The general sequence of moves that Black may opt for is ...g6, ...Bg7 and ...d6 and eventually advance the e-pawn.
* Another possible reply is 1...e6. This exploits the weakness created by 1.f4 on the e1–h4 diagonal by releasing the queen, and also releases the {{chessgloss|king's bishop}} without offering a pawn, unlike the From Gambit. White should avoid playing 2.g4?? as it leads to 2...Qh4# (a variation of the [[Fool's Mate]]). 2.e4 transposes to the La Bourdonnais Variation of the [[French Defence|French Defense]] (the normal order being 1.e4 e6 2.f4).

==Popularity==
Out of the twenty possible opening moves, 1.f4 ranks sixth in popularity in [[Chessgames.com]]'s database, behind [[King's Pawn Game|1.e4]], [[Queen's Pawn Game|1.d4]], [[Zukertort Opening|1.Nf3]], [[English Opening|1.c4]], and [[Benko's Opening|1.g3]].<ref name="Opening Explorermove0">{{cite web |title=Opening Explorer |website=[[Chessgames.com]] |url=http://www.chessgames.com/perl/explorer |access-date=2009-02-06}}</ref> It is less than one-twentieth as popular as the mirror image [[English Opening]] (1.c4).<ref name="Opening Explorermove0"/> The move 1.f4 slightly weakens White's [[king (chess)|king]]'s position.<ref>Adorján (1998), p. 27.</ref> Chessgames.com's statistics indicate that the opening is not an effective way of preserving White's [[First-move advantage in chess|first-move advantage]]: as of February 2013, out of 3,872 games with 1.f4, White had won 30.7%, drawn 32%, and lost 37.7%, for a total score of 46.7%.<ref name="Opening Explorermove0"/><ref>White's overall winning percentage is calculated by taking the percentage of games won by White and adding half of the percentage of drawn games, in this case 32.8 plus half of 25.3.</ref> White scores much better with the more popular 1.e4 (54.25%), 1.d4 (55.95%), 1.Nf3 (55.8%), 1.c4 (56.3%), and 1.g3 (55.8%), as well as with the less popular 1.b3 (52.5%).<ref name="Opening Explorermove0"/>

According to the similar site 365chess.com, which includes data for lower-level games, as of August 2015, out of 20,010 games with 1.f4, White had won 35.1%, drawn 25%, and lost 39.9%, for a total score of 47.6%.<ref name="365chess.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.365chess.com/opening.php |title=Chess Opening Explorer |publisher=365Chess.com |date= |accessdate=2022-10-09}}</ref> The five more popular openings are still substantially more successful for White: 1.e4 (53.15%), 1.d4 (54.8%), 1.Nf3 (55.4%), 1.c4 (54.65%), and 1.g3 (54.9%).<ref name="365chess.com"/>

At lichess.org, in the 1600-2200 rating range in Rapid, Classical, and Correspondence time controls White wins 50% of the time while losing 45% of the time in the 2,600,000 games in their database. In those games the most common responses to 1.f4 are d5 (41%), e6 (11%), c5 (9%), e5 (7%) and Nf6 (7%). Black's most successful response to Bird's Opening in that rating range is e5, where Black's win percentage is 50-46%, but that evens to 48-48% when White plays 2.fxe5.

==See also==
* [[List of chess openings]]
* [[List of chess openings named after people]]

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

===Bibliography===
{{wikibooks|Chess Opening Theory|1. f4|Bird's Opening}}
* {{cite book |last=Adorján |first=András |author-link=András Adorján |year=1998 |title=Black is O.K. in Rare Openings |publisher=CAISSA Ltd }}
* {{cite book |last=de Firmian |first=Nick |author-link=Nick de Firmian |year=2008 |title=Modern Chess Openings |edition=15th |publisher=Random House Puzzles & Games |isbn=978-0-8129-3682-7}}
* {{cite book |last1=Hooper |first1=David |author-link1=David Vincent Hooper |last2=Whyld |first2=Kenneth |author-link2=Kenneth Whyld |year=1992 |title=[[The Oxford Companion to Chess]] |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=0-19-866164-9}}
* {{cite book |last=Palliser |first=Richard |author-link=Richard Palliser |year=2006 |title=Beating Unusual Chess Openings |publisher=Gloucester Publishers |isbn=978-1-85744-429-2}}
* {{cite book |last=Taylor |first=Timothy |year=2005 |title=Bird's Opening: Detailed Coverage of an Underrated and Dynamic Choice for White |publisher=Gloucester Publishers |isbn=1-85744-402-7}}

{{White's twenty opening moves in chess}}
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[[Category:Chess openings]]