I think you mean 1...e5. Pushing the pawn to b5 is theoretically more in the spirit of the Sokolsky, gaining more queenside space. I played 1.b4 e5 2.b5 once in an official game and i won it against an opponent with 200 Elo points more than me, and i'm planning to do it more in the near future. I have 2 books on the Sokolsky ("play 1.b4 !" by Lapshun and Conticello and "1.b4 Theory and Practice of the Sokolsky Opening" by Konikowski and Soszynski) and strangely enough neither of them has a game with 1.b4 e5 2.b5 or even mentions this move order. I found however an annotated corresp. game with 2.b5 here http://www.chesscafe.com/text/kibitz86.pdf between T.M. Whiteside and T. Harding. When i put 1.b4 e5 in Shredder12 it even gives 2.b5 as the second best move. I think under master level 1.b4 is as good as any other opening because the objectively slightly worse position for white is compensated by the experience&knowledge of the Sokolsky player and the fact that he feels comfortable with it.
Orangutan? 1.b4 d5, 2.b5
Both e5 and d5 are respected answers to Polish.
Chessgames.com opening explorer:
Why play b5 when you can play Bb2?
It's a slippery slope you're on. Picking a second rate first move, I can understand. But following it up with a second rate second move....where does the madness end?
I played a game with this opening earlier today. I think 1...e5 was the move I made, and it continued 2. b5. Personally I think b5 should be played later on when it actually proves useful.
I know both 1...d5 and 1...e5 are good replies to 1.b4 but in the original post by fawe4 he was mixing up both replies, because it would be really difficult to attack the opponent's e-pawn with 2.Bb2 after he played 1...d5. 2.b5 is a possible answer against 1...e5 but against 1...d5 it wouldn't make much sense ?! After 1...d5 white's push to b5 should or could be played later.
I always play 2.b5, 3.bB2, 4.b6. At that point everything turns into a flanking and keep that knight in b8. Usually the opponent tries to trade c7, so I reinforce it that possition with a4 and c4, even I play c3 to allow the cover of the bishop. The opponent is forced to a KS castle, so anothe play I use commonly is f4 - Nf3 and put my Bishop in e2 or c4 (the later is a very strong move, my first option if I can put it there). If the opponent comits the mistake of taking c4 or trade it, no problem, I have a Rook covering that line...
Some games I've won using that opening, and some variations.
1. b4 e5 2. Bb2 d6 3. b5 Nf6 4. a4 Be7 5. c4 O-O 6. e3 c6 7. f4 exf4 8. exf4 a6 9. Nf3 axb5 10. cxb5 cxb5 11. axb5 Rxa1 12. Bxa1 Ne4 13. Bd3 Bf5 14. O-O Qa5 15. Nd4 Qxa1 16. Nxf5 Nc5 17. Nxe7+ Kh8 18. Bc2 Re8 19. Nf5 d5 20. Qg4 Qf6 21. Qh3 g6 22. Nc3 Qxf5 23. Bxf5 gxf5 24. Nxd5 1-0
1. b4 e5 2. Bb2 Qf6 3. b5 a6 4. c4 axb5 5. cxb5 c6 6. a4 cxb5 7. axb5 Rxa1 8. Bxa1 b6 9. d4 d6 10. e3 h5 11. f4 Bg4 12. Nf3 g6 13. Bc4 Bh6 14. O-O Ne7 15. Qc2 O-O 16. fxe5 dxe5 17. Nxe5 Bxe3+ 18. Kh1 Qg7 19. Bxf7+ Kh7 20. Bxg6+ Nxg6 21. Rxf8 Qxf8 22. Qxg6+ Kh8 23. Nf7+ Qxf7 24. Qxf7 Nd7 25. d5+ Ne5 26. Bxe5# 1-0
1. b4 e5 2. Bb2 Bxb4 3. Bxe5 Nf6 4. Nc3 d6 5. Bd4 Nc6 6. Be3 Ng4 7. Nd5 Nxe3 8. fxe3 Bc5 9. Nf3 Be6 10. c4 Bxd5 11. cxd5 Ne7 12. Qa4+ Qd7 13. Qb3 O-O 14. e4 Rfe8 15. e3 a6 16. Bd3 Ng6 17. e5 Nxe5 18. Nxe5 dxe5 19. O-O Red8 20. Bf5 Qxd5 21. Qc3 g6 22. Bc2 Qxd2 23. Qc4 Bxe3+ 24. Kh1 Qd5 25. Qe2 Bf4 26. Be4 Qd2 27. Qc4 Qd4 28. Qe2 Qe3 29. Qc2 Rd2 30. Qxc7 Rad8 31. Rae1 Qa3 32. Bxb7 Qxa2 33. Rxe5 Rxg2 34. Re8+ Rxe8 35. Bxg2 Re2 36. Rxf4 Rxg2 37. Rxf7 Kh8 38. Rxh7+ Kg8 39. Qg7# 1-0
I love to fool around with Orangutan opening (1.b4, also called Polish opening)and people usually respond with 1 ...d5. Now, pretty much every logical direction of going forward should be protecting your own b pawn or 2.Bb2 to attack opponents e pawn, but from my experience playing it, anything like that will make it difficult later, so I play 2.b5. It looks a dumb move, but I somehow have an easyer game than against any other responce to b4. Offcourse with keeping in mind that 1.b4 initially is not the best thing to do, but like I said, I love to fool around.
So am I missing something? Some trap later on? Or is it actually a decent way of playing.