Grob Opening Keene Defense
Grob Opening
Definition
The Grob Opening (ECO code A00), also known as the Spike Opening, is defined by the move 1. g4!? played by White on the very first turn. By pushing the g-pawn two squares, White immediately weakens the own king’s shelter but simultaneously stakes out space on the kingside and prepares a quick fianchetto of the bishop to g2.
Typical Move-Order and Main Ideas
Most games begin
- 1. g4 d5 (Black occupies the center at once)
2. Bg2 Bxg4 (accepting the “Grob Gambit”)
3. c4! … - or 1. g4 e5 2. Bg2 d5 3. c4 dxc4 4. Qa4† … — a common tactical motif.
Strategically, the Grob is a hyper-aggressive flank opening:
- White vacates g1 for the knight, hoping for Ng3–f5.
- The bishop on g2 eyes the d5-square and the a8–h1 diagonal.
- Because f2–f3 is often necessary to buttress g4, Black can target the weakened e1–h4 diagonal with …Qh4† or …Bf5.
Historical Context
The move was experimented with in the 19th century (Lichtenhein 1857) but received its modern name from Swiss master Henri Grob, who analyzed it extensively in newspaper columns during the 1940s–50s, amassing hundreds of correspondence games. English IM Michael Basman later made it famous in over-the-board play during the 1970s-80s, often catching higher-rated opponents off guard.
Example Game
Basman’s trademark attacking style is on full display in the following miniature:
[[Pgn| g4|d5|Bg2|Bxg4|c4|dxc4|Bxb7|Nd7|Nf3|Rb8|Ba6|b5|d3|cxd3|Qxd3|Nc5|Bxb5†|Rxb5|Qxb5†|Nd7|Nc3|e6|Ne5|Nf6|Bg5|]]After 25 moves White’s pieces flood the board while Black’s king remains in the center, illustrating the practical venom of the opening.
When and Why It Is Used
- Surprise Weapon: Because most opponents spend little time studying it, the Grob is popular in rapid and blitz.
- Psychological Edge: It can provoke over-confidence or impatience in an unprepared adversary.
- Training Tool: Some coaches employ it to teach beginners about the importance of king safety and center control—after seeing what happens when those principles are violated!
Interesting Facts
- IM Michael Basman once played the Grob against Garry Kasparov in a simultaneous exhibition (London, 1985). Kasparov needed 31 moves—longer than against most boards that evening—to convert the win.
- The opening inspired a tongue-in-cheek sequel book titled “Play the Stodge,” advocating 1. g3 as the “sensible sibling” of 1. g4.
- Computers evaluate the starting position after 1. g4 as roughly −0.8 to −1.2 for Black, yet the practical score in online blitz hovers near 45 % for White—proof that shock value still matters.
Keene Defense
Definition
The Keene Defense is the provocative reply 1…a6 against the Queen’s Pawn opening, i.e. 1. d4 a6!?. Named after English grandmaster and author Raymond D. Keene, the move takes a page from hyper-modern philosophy: it neglects the center in order to prepare …b5, contesting c4 from the flank and luring White into over-extension.
Typical Continuations
- 1. d4 a6 2. c4 b5 3. cxb5 axb5 — Black offers an Abrahams Gambit, aiming for quick development with …Bb7 and …Nf6.
- 1. d4 a6 2. e4 b5 (transposing to a St George set-up against the King’s Pawn). After 3. Nf3 Bb7 4. Bd3 e6 Black reaches an English-type defense with colors reversed.
Strategic Themes
- Queenside Expansion: The pawn duo …a6/…b5 clamps down on c4 and gains space for a fianchettoed bishop on b7.
- Center from the Wings: Black typically replies to c- and d-pawn advances with timely breaks …c5 or …e5, undermining White’s pawn chain.
- Flexibility: Because no pieces are committed early, Black may transpose into Benoni-, Dutch-, or English-style structures depending on White’s replies.
- Risk–Reward Ratio: The price for this flexibility is a developmental lag; White can seize the center with c4/e4 and attempt to keep Black cramped.
Historical Notes
Ray Keene experimented with 1…a6 in British Championship play during the late 1960s. Although the line never became mainstream, it influenced Tony Miles’ famous St George Defense (1…a6 against 1. e4), which Miles used to defeat World Champion Anatoly Karpov at Skara 1980. In correspondence chess the Keene Defense still appears occasionally, especially among players fond of flank openings.
Illustrative Miniature
[[Pgn| d4|a6|c4|b5|cxb5|axb5|e4|Bb7|Bd3|Nf6|f3|e6|Ne2|b4|O-O|c5|Be3|cxd4|Nxd4|Bc5|Nc2|Qb6|Bxc5|Qxc5|Nd2|]]Black sacrifices a pawn to open lines. After 24…Qxc5 the bishops on b7 and c5 generate long-term pressure while White’s extra pawn is difficult to nurse.
When to Employ
- As a Surprise: Very few opening manuals give extensive coverage, so the Keene Defense can take theory-minded opponents out of book.
- Versus Positional Players: The asymmetrical pawn structure forces an unbalanced game, something many solid players may dislike.
- In Rapid/Blitz: The immediate question posed on move one can cost White precious time on the clock.
Curiosities & Anecdotes
- Keene once noted in The Times that he adopted 1…a6 after reading about Lewis Carroll’s chess problems—“a move so mad it simply had to be tried at least once.”
- Engine assessments have mellowed: early engines rated 1…a6 as almost −1.0 for Black, but modern neural-net engines give only a small edge to White (≈ +0.35) when Black follows up precisely with …b5 and …Bb7.
- The ECO code for 1. d4 a6 is A40, the catch-all section for “Irregular Queen’s Pawn Openings,” placing it in the same family as 1…b5 (Polish) and 1…d6 (Old Indian setups).