Andrew Martin: Santasiere's Folly: 1.Nf3 followed by b4 in 60 Minutes Downloadversion

ChessBase 60 Minutes Download, Englisch, 2022

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Level: Advanced, Tournament player, Professional

Many chess players have a desire to avoid theory, preferring to try to outplay the opponent from a sound, but uncommon opening position. 1 b4 might be the start of one such adventure, but after that 1...e5! is regarded as strong. So how about playing 1 Nf3 first, to be followed by 2 b4 if Black allows? White gains space on the queenside, forces the opponent to use their own resources right from the start of the game and creates a complicated position. We are going to see that this opening, used at the right moment, can cause confusion in the enemy camp. A very early b2-b4 by White is often regarded as rather loose, enabling Black to equalise easily. White pioneers need not worry about this type of assessment, because a position is going to be reached where they can play for the win, avoiding theory and thereby saving energy for the game. Reuben Fine dubbed this opening, Santasiere's Folly. He did not think much of it. Let us examine the evidence and see if he was right...