According to various databases, out of the twenty possible first moves from White, the move 1.b4 ranks ninth in popularity.[1] It is considered an irregular opening, so it is classified under the A00 code in the Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings.
The most famous use came in a game between Tartakower and Géza Maróczy at the New York 1924 chess tournament on March 21, 1924.[7] The name "The Orangutan" originates from that game: the players visited the Bronx Zoo the previous day,[8] where Tartakower consulted an orangutan 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 position, but the game was ultimately drawn.[9][6]
The opening received sporadic play in the decades that followed. Tartakower had more success in 1926 when he used it against Edgard Colle for a victory.[10] One of the most notable proponents was the Soviet player Alexei Pavlovich Sokolsky (1908–1969), who often used it in high-level play. Sokolsky wrote a monograph on the opening in 1963, Debyut 1 b2–b4, 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.[10]
The final term, and the one used in contemporary books and chess websites such as Chess.com and Lichess, is the Polish Opening. This is by analogy to the Polish Defense (1. d4 b5), where Black's Queen's Knight pawn is advanced two spaces.[6]
Notable later usage
In general, the opening is not popular at the top level. Alexander Alekhine, 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.[11] That said, it still sees sporadic use among top level grandmasters. Boris Spassky used it against Vasily Smyslov in a 1960 match, albeit having to settle for a draw.[12] In May 2021, world champion Magnus Carlsen essayed the opening against GMs Hikaru Nakamura and Wesley So in the online FTX Crypto Cup rapid tournament.[13]
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After 1.b4 e5 2. Bb2 Bxb4 3. Bxe5 (Exchange variation)
The opening is largely based upon tactics on the queenside 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 centre , 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),[14] 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.
The opening is the initial stage of a chess game. It usually consists of established theory. The other phases are the middlegame and the endgame. Many opening sequences, known as openings, have standard names such as "Sicilian Defense". The Oxford Companion to Chess lists 1,327 named openings and variants, and there are many others with varying degrees of common usage.
The French Defence is a chess opening characterised by the moves:
The Ruy Lopez, also called the Spanish Opening or Spanish Game, is a chess opening characterised by the moves:
The King's Indian Defence is a common chess opening. It is defined by the following moves:
In chess, a Wing Gambit is an opening in which White plays an early b4, deflecting an enemy pawn or bishop from c5 so as to regain control of d4, an important central square.
The Caro–Kann Defence is a chess opening characterised by the moves:
The Catalan Opening is a chess opening where White plays d4 and c4 and fianchettoes the white bishop on g2. A common opening sequence is 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3, although various other openings can transpose into the Catalan. The Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings (ECO) lists codes E01–E09 for lines with 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.Bg2; other lines are part of E00.
The Budapest Gambit is a chess opening that begins with the moves:
The Nimzowitsch-Larsen Attack is a chess opening typically starting with the move: 1.b3 but sometimes introduced by the move order 1.Nf3 and then 2.b3. The flank opening move 1.b3 prepares to fianchetto the queen's bishop where it will help control the central squares in hypermodern fashion and put pressure on Black's kingside.
The Danish Gambit, known as the Nordisches Gambit in German and the Noords Gambiet in Dutch, is a chess opening that begins with the moves:
The Slav Defense is a chess opening that begins with the moves:
The Semi-Slav Defense is a variation of the Queen's Gambit Declined chess opening defined by the position reached after the moves:
The World Chess Championship 1886 was the first official World Chess Championship match contested by Wilhelm Steinitz and Johannes Zukertort. The match took place in the United States from 11 January to 29 March, the first five games being played in New York City, the next four being played in St. Louis and the final eleven in New Orleans. The winner was the first player to achieve ten wins. Wilhelm Steinitz won the match 10–5, winning his tenth game in the twentieth game of the match. There were five draws.
The World Chess Championship 1889 was the second official World Chess Championship, and was between Wilhelm Steinitz and Mikhail Chigorin. It took place in Havana, Cuba. Steinitz defended his world title, and was the first of the two players to reach 10½. He won the match 10½-6½.
A Steinitz Variation is any of several chess openings introduced and practiced, or adopted and advocated by Wilhelm Steinitz, the first officially recognized World Chess Champion.
The third World Chess Championship was held in New York City from 9 December 1890 to 22 January 1891. Holder Wilhelm Steinitz narrowly defeated his Hungarian challenger, Isidor Gunsberg.
↑ Some sources indicate it was the Central Park Zoo 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 Lapshun & Conticello 2008, p.6 and Hansen 2021, History of the Orangutan Opening.
↑ Weinreb, Michael. "Kings of New York". Gotham Books. 2007
↑ Martin, Andrew (2004). "How To Meet The Polish & Grob". www.jeremysilman.com. Archived from the original on 2012-04-19.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
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