Grob's Attack

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This article uses algebraic notation to describe chess moves.

Grob's Attack

Moves

1. g4

ECO

A00

Named after

Henri Grob

Parent

Irregular chess opening

Synonym(s)

Spike Opening, Ahlhausen's Opening, Genoa, San Pier D'Arena Opening, Fric's Opening, Kolibri's Opening.

Chessgames.com opening explorer

Grob's Attack is an unconventional chess opening where White immediately moves the king knight's pawn two squares ahead:

1. g4

The opening takes its name from Swiss International Master Henri Grob (1904–1974) who analyzed it extensively and played hundreds of correspondence games with it. In Grob's newspaper column analyses of this opening, he referred to it as the Spike Opening, a name which still enjoys limited usage. Other early references used the name Ahlhausen's Opening, after Carl Ahlhausen (1835–1892) of Berlin, one of the first to play 1.g4. Savielly Tartakower sometimes played this opening in simultaneous exhibitions and called it the Genoa or San Pier D'Arena Opening, after the city and suburb of Genoa where he first used it. In Czechoslovakia 1.g4 is called Fric's Opening, and in other parts of the world it is called Kolibri's Opening.

It is considered an irregular opening, so it is classified under the A00 code in the Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings.

The Grob is generally considered inferior and is usually not employed in serious competition, although International Master Michael Basman and Grandmaster Spyridon Skembris are advocates. It does, however, have a certain surprise value and the average player is unlikely to know how to refute it and more likely to get overconfident and make mistakes. Moreover, the lack of theory along this line may negate the repertoire of an experienced opponent. Intuitive play by Black can lead black into dangerous traps. Many of these traps rely on Black's replying with 1...d5, attacking the pawn with his queen's bishop. After 2.Bg2 Bxg4!?, White has an attack after 3.c4 and eventually Qb3, aiming at the weakened squares d5 and b7, an attack that may well be worth a pawn.

After 1. g4 d5 2.Bg2 Bxg4!? 3.c4

After 3.c4 d4 4.Bxb7 Nd7

Romford Countergambit, after 6...d3!

Black is not obliged to give White these opportunities. After 1...e5, Black can take aim at the h4-square, left weak by White's pawn advance. If 2.Bg2 h5 will force a weakening of White's pawn structure, and 2.d3 (intending to answer 2...h5 with 3.g5) or 2.h3 can be answered by 2...Ne7 with the threat of ...Ng6 followed by ...Nf4 or ...Nh4, disrupting White's kingside fianchetto. (Martin 2004)

A key element of the Grob is deploying the king's bishop on g2 and having it rule the diagonal. In order to further this goal white must keep the center clear of pawns. This leads to frequent "tearing at the center" with c4 often being white's third move.

Due to the unusual pawn structure white attains by playing g4 and c4 so early in the game, there is frequently little advantage to castling. Play often devolves into a wild and wide-open game, with a definitive advantage usually resolving itself in the first 20 moves.

[edit] References

Michael Basman (1991). The Killer Grob. Cadogan. ISBN 0-08-037131-0.
Bill Wall (1988). Grob's Attack. Chess Enterprises. ISBN 0-931462-86-X.
Angus Dunnington (2000). Winning Unorthodox Openings. Everyman Chess. ISBN 978-1857442854.
Michael Basman (1989). The Killer Grob. Pergamon chess openings. ISBN 0080371310.
p. 201-210 Eric Schiller (2002). Unorthodox Chess Openings, Second Edition, Cardoza. ISBN 1-58042-072-9.