Talk:Chess Opening Theory/1. g3/1...b6

What!? This is not a thing. It's never been played and you're down a rook for nothing in the "Main LIne". This page is just a silly joke and must be deleted. AeyBess (discuss • contribs) 15:20, 8 February 2022 (UTC)


 * you have a concern posted here and you'll have 7 days to answer. —Atcovi (Talk - Contribs) 18:11, 8 February 2022 (UTC)
 * @AeyBess  I am glad you brought forward your concerns and I believe that your feedback can help improve this page. If I understand correctly, you do not believe this is a position that has been played nor that it should be played due to an unnecessary rook sacrifice and knight for bishop trade.
 * Firstly, although this opening may seem unconventional, it is not uncommon.  As of March 8, 2022, on the Lichess database of non-master players (which will be used as a reference from now on), the moves 1. g3 b6 2. Bg2 Bb7 have been played 41 225 times by players with an average rating of 1835.  As a comparison, an opening that dates back to the XVI century, the Damiano defence, defined by moves 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 f6, has only been recorded 160 455 times in the database, the average player has a rating of 1708.  Accounting for the length of the existence of both openings, the fianchetto being a quite recent response for kingside fianchetto, it seems to be catching momentum in the eyes of higher-rated players.  I am not suggesting that it is at the calibre of a master's opening repertoire but it is common and should be cataloged.
 * Secondly, to address your concern that this is a losing position for black, you are correct.  The engine analysis, made by Stockfish 14+ (which will be used as a reference from now on), evaluates this position as +7 for white at depth 22.  For comparison, the Damiano defence evaluates the position at +1,9 in depth 36.  But by looking deeper, things become interesting.  With the fianchetto, the win rate for white is at 64% compared to 33% for black, the rest being draws.  Compared to the Damiano defence, which is won 63% of the time by white and the same amount of times by black, you come to realize that material advantage or engine evaluation is not the only important factor for the outcome of the game with lower-ranking players.  To go briefly, for black, it can be useful to sacrifice a rook to win long-term advantages, especially in fast-paced games where the opponent could be destabilized.  Isn’t it just like a gambit, but putting more on the line? As for white, it can be useful to prepare to take advantage of blacks’ mistakes when they occur, as they could easily be missed.
 * If there is one thing to remember, it is that, although this position favours white, keeping it in our minds and in the books can be a useful tool if used properly, and there are important lessons to learn from it.  I will eagerly be waiting for your thoughts and I hope I have convinced you that this is not some «silly joke» and should remain in the Chess Opening Theory WikiBook.  To avoid further confusion and to deepen the available knowledge available on the module, I think a collaboration rather than an opposition would be a better solution. 24.226.246.19 (discuss) 22:06, 8 February 2022 (UTC)