998:, which White's first move ignores, with 1...e5 (it is normal for White to ignore the attack on the b-pawn and play 2.Bb2, where 2...d6, 2...f6, and 2...Bxb4 are all playable), 1...d5 (possibly followed by 2.Bb2 Qd6, attacking b4 and supporting ...e7–e5), or 1...f5. Less ambitious moves like 1...Nf6, 1...c6 (called the Outflank Variation, preparing ...Qb6 or ...a5), and 1...e6 are also reasonable. Rarer attempts have been made with 1...a5 or 1...c5. Black's reply 1...e6 is usually followed by ...d5, ...Nf6 and an eventual ...c5. After 1...a5 White will most likely play 2.b5 and take advantage of Black's queenside weakness. Black's 1...c5 is much sharper and more aggressive and is normally used to avoid theory. After the capture Black will generally place pressure on the c5-square and will develop an attack against White's weak queenside structure at the cost of an inferior central position.
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named Susan. She somehow indicated, Tartakower insisted, that he should open with b4. Also, Tartakower was impressed with the climbing skills of the orangutan, and thought that the "climb" of the b-pawn was similar. In that particular game, Tartakower came out of the opening with a decent
596:, who played in the same 1924 New York tournament as Tartakower and the Orangutan game, wrote that the problem is that it reveals White's intentions before White knows what Black's intentions are. That said, it still sees sporadic use among top level grandmasters.
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569:, which would lead to the opening being called the "Sokolsky Opening". Sokolsky's work defended the viability of the opening even at the highest levels of professional play.
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instead. Tartakower simply said the "New York Zoo" in his book, leaving the matter unclear. Sources indicating it was specifically the
Central Park Zoo include
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According to various databases, out of the twenty possible first moves from White, the move 1.b4 ranks ninth in popularity. It is considered an
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or the f6- and g7-squares. Black can respond in a variety of ways: For example, a common response is for Black to make a claim on the
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The opening received sporadic play in the decades that followed. Tartakower had more success in 1926 when he used it against
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565:(1908–1969), who often used it in high-level play. Sokolsky wrote a monograph on the opening in 1963,
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1...d5 2.Bb2 Qd6 3.a3 e5 4.Nf3 e4 5.Nd4 Nf6 6.c4! dxc4 7.e3 Be7 8.Bxc4 O-O 9.Nc3 (German
Defense)
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on March 21, 1924. The name "The
Orangutan" originates from that game: the players visited the
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1115:"Schlechter Wins An Immortal vs. 1.b4 - Best of the pre-1900s - Fleissig vs. Schlechter, 1893"
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using b4 in a match in 1919 when both were top-level players, and Reti himself defeated
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in a 1960 match, albeit having to settle for a draw. In May 2021, world champion
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The final term, and the one used in contemporary books and chess websites such as
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Alekhine, Alexander. "New York 1924". Russell
Enterprises, Inc. 2009 p. 64
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1. b4 variations and games by Marek
Trokenheim (Marek's 1.b4 Encyclopaedia)
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1...e5 2.Bb2 f6 3.e4 Bxb4 4.Bc4 Nc6 5.f4 Qe7 6.f5 g6 (Brinckmann
Variation)
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Danelishen, Gary; M. "The Final Theory of Chess". Phillidore Press 2008
1136:, p. 5 Sources conflict on the date; some say the game was in 1895.
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584:(1. d4 b5), where Black's Queen's Knight pawn is advanced two spaces.
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in 1893, although
Fleissig was handily defeated in just 18 moves.
1334:. www.jeremysilman.com. Archived from the original on 2012-04-19.
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1307:"Magnus Carlsen wins "absolutely insane" FTX Crypto Cup final"
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Weinreb, Michael. "Kings of New York". Gotham Books. 2007
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In general, the opening is not popular at the top level.
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for a victory. One of the most notable proponents was the
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The most famous use came in a game between
Tartakower and
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580:, is the Polish Opening. This is by analogy to the
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1408:The Sokolsky Opening 1.b4 in Theory & Practice
1423:Play 1b4!: Shock your opponents with the Sokolsky
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982:The opening is largely based upon tactics on the
1344:: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (
1021:1...c6 2.Bb2 a5 3.b5 cxb5 4.e4 (Schuhler Gambit)
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545:the previous day, where Tartakower consulted an
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494:One of the earliest opening plays of b4 was by
550:position, but the game was ultimately drawn.
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1036:1...e5 2.Bb2 f6 3.e4 Bxb4 (Tartakower Gambit)
8:
1486:a web site dedicated to the Sokolsky opening
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1042:1...Na6 (Bucker Defense Kingsley Variation)
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1410:. Russell Enterprises, Milford USA 2009,
1067:List of chess openings named after people
1421:Lapshun, Yury; Conticello, Nick (2008).
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1520:White's twenty opening moves in chess
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1048:1...Nf6 2.Bb2 g6 3.g4 (Polish Spike)
1332:"How To Meet The Polish & Grob"
1234:, History of the Orangutan Opening.
14:
1478:"The Chess Moves 1 b4 and 1...b5"
1285:"Boris Spassky vs Vasily Smyslov"
1222:Some sources indicate it was the
1159:"Richard Reti vs Abraham Speijer"
1113:Copeland, Sam (August 20, 2022).
1033:1...e5 2.Bb2 c5 (Wolferts Gambit)
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608:essayed the opening against GMs
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1102:ChessGames.com opening explorer
506:defeated former world champion
472:Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings
1051:1...Nh6 (Karniewski Variation)
1010:2.a4 (Queen's Knight's Gambit)
539:New York 1924 chess tournament
1:
1256:Lapshun & Conticello 2008
1228:Lapshun & Conticello 2008
1146:Lapshun & Conticello 2008
1134:Lapshun & Conticello 2008
1045:1...Nc6 (Grigorian Variation)
1007:1…b5 (Symmetrical Variation)
977:Common response after 1...e5
1030:1...e5 2.a3 (Bugayev Attack)
1368:Winning Unorthodox Openings
1018:1...c6 (Outflank Variation)
454:that begins with the move:
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1015:1...c5 (Birmingham Gambit)
477:
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1445:Unorthodox Chess Openings
1098:365chess opening explorer
563:Alexei Pavlovich Sokolsky
421:Alexei Pavlovich Sokolsky
27:
1387:Play the Orangutan 1.b4!
1385:Hansen, Carsten (2021).
530:1923 using the opening.
484:to describe chess moves.
1330:Martin, Andrew (2004).
1062:List of chess openings
512:simul exhibition game
1406:; Soszynski, Marek:
442:, also known as the
1451:. pp. 354–57.
1447:(Second ed.).
588:Notable later usage
516:Savielly Tartakower
24:
1630:Nimzowitsch-Larsen
1449:Cardoza Publishing
1425:. Everyman Chess.
1370:. Everyman Chess.
1092:2009-02-28 at the
620:rapid tournament.
594:Alexander Alekhine
482:algebraic notation
480:This article uses
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1738:
1734:
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1432:978-1-85744-560-2
1416:978-1-888690-65-1
1404:Konikowski, Jerzy
1396:978-87-93812-64-2
1377:978-1-85744-285-4
1364:Dunnington, Angus
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496:Bernhard Fleissig
467:irregular opening
450:, is an uncommon
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1480:by Edward Winter
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1287:. Chessgames.com
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1161:. Chessgames.com
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1085:See for example
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440:Sokolsky Opening
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1752:Chess openings
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618:FTX Crypto Cup
616:in the online
606:Magnus Carlsen
602:Vasily Smyslov
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582:Polish Defense
567:Debyut 1 b2–b4
504:Nikolai Bugaev
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448:Polish Opening
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1762:1963 in chess
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1757:1924 in chess
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1192:. pp. 15-16.
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1314:. Retrieved
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1571:King's Pawn
1232:Hansen 2021
417:Named after
1746:Categories
1316:2021-06-01
1209:2008-01-20
1073:References
427:Synonym(s)
1687:Zukertort
1649:Saragossa
1617:Anderssen
1120:Chess.com
1087:ChessBase
986:queenside
614:Wesley So
574:Chess.com
547:orangutan
543:Bronx Zoo
518:defeated
444:Orangutan
432:Orangutan
1544:Sokolsky
1484:Sokolsky
1443:(2002).
1366:(2000).
1340:cite web
1090:Archived
1056:See also
446:and the
1726:Clemenz
1717:1.Nh3:
1685:1.Nf3:
1640:1.Nc3:
1608:1.Na3:
1598:Despréz
1553:English
1311:Chess24
624:Details
578:Lichess
561:player
537:at the
490:Origins
1724:1.h3:
1704:1.g3:
1694:Barnes
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559:Soviet
1707:Benko
1642:Dunst
400:1. b4
397:Moves
1719:Amar
1589:Grob
1580:Bird
1535:Ware
1453:ISBN
1427:ISBN
1412:ISBN
1391:ISBN
1372:ISBN
1346:link
1293:2023
1269:ISBN
1186:ISBN
1167:2023
612:and
576:and
438:The
526:in
458:1.
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407:ECO
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