Sokolsky Opening
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The Sokolsky Opening (also called the Orangutan or Polish opening) is an uncommon chess opening in which White opens with 1.b4 (see algebraic notation). According to ChessBase, in master level chess, out of the twenty possible first moves from White, 1.b4 ranks ninth in popularity. It is classified under the A00 code in the Encyclopedia of Chess Openings. The openings is largely based upon tatics on the queenside or the f6, g7 squares.
Black can respond in a variety of ways: perhaps the most principled is to make a claim to the centre (which White's first move ignores) with 1...d5 ,1...e5 or 1...f5, though less ambitious moves like 1...Nf6 and 1...c6, 1...e6 are also reasonable. Rarer attempts have been made with 1..a5 or 1...c5. 1..e6 is usually followed by d5, Nf6 and an eventual c5. After 1.b4 e5 it is normal for White to ignore the attack on the b-pawn and play 2.Bb2, when 2...d6, 2...f6, and 2...Bxb4 are all playable. After 1...a5 white will most likely play 2.b5 and take advanatage of black's queenside weakness. 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 whites weak queenside structure.
An obvious trap in the openings after 1...e6 that should be avoided is 2.Bb2 c5? 3.bxc5 Bxc5?? 4.Bxg7 or 2...d5 3.e3(or any other move) c5? 4.bxc5. Instead, the precautionary 2...Nf6 or 3...Nf6 should be played.
The opening has never been popular at the top level, though a number of prominent players have employed it on occasion (for example, Richard Réti against Abraham Speijer in Scheveningen 1923 and Boris Spassky against Vasily Smyslov in the 1960 Moscow–Leningrad match). Perhaps its most famous use came in the game Tartakower–Maroczy, New York 1924; it is from this game that the name "Orangutan Opening" originates. (Tartakower had made a visit to the zoo and decided to dedicate his next game to an orangutan he saw there). One of its more persistent exponents was Alexey Sokolsky, whose name it often bears (though even Sokolsky more often played 1.c4, 1.d4, or 1.e4).
Categories: Chess openings