The BongCloud Opening

Bongcloud Attack  

The Bongcloud Attack (or Bongcloud Opening) is an irregular chess opening that consists of the moves:

1. e4 e5
2. Ke2?

It is considered a joke opening and is associated with internet chess humor. Twitch streamers such as grandmaster (GM) Hikaru Nakamura have used it in online blitz chess, including in games against high-level opponents, as has former world champion Magnus Carlsen. The name has also been applied to other opening sequences in which a player moves the king on move two.

Background
The opening's name is thought to originate either from Chess.com user "Lenny_Bongcloud", who used the opening with little success, or more generally in reference to a bong, a device used to smoke cannabis, humorously implying that one would need to be intoxicated to think that using the opening is a legitimate strategy. The opening's usage in chess humor was furthered by Andrew Fabbro's joke manual Winning With the Bongcloud.



Analysis
The Bongcloud Attack violates several principles of chess strategy by forgoing castling, impeding the movement of both the queen and the light-squared bishop, leaving the king exposed, and doing nothing to improve White's position. The lack of any redeeming feature, unlike some other dubious openings, puts the Bongcloud well outside of conventional practice.


(Magnus Carlsen Plays Bongcloud Opening Against Hikaru Nakamura and They Laugh While They Are Playing)