Yes. Even Bobby Played The Sokolsky opening theory

Robert James Fischer vs Donald Ina
"Guess Who's Coming to D Ina"
Simul, 51b (1964) · 1-0

This superb game by Bobby Fischer showcases the polish opening.

Need a clue as to finding this game

https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1044197

Fischer played 1 .b4 and won 🏆 

Thanks My friend for posting the game. Not my strong point. But it was a great game by Bobby. An unusual board set up . Particularly in the middle game.You don’t see it often because of the unusual opening theory.

Good to see you here too Charlotte😇😇

games from Ivanchuk (he beat li chao quite persuasively with 1.b4 twice in a row!) or Carlsen with 1.b4 are more instructive.

The polish opening may only seem unsound if black plays text book theory against this opening.

But the beauty of the opening is that you will need to play chess from move 1. 

It can catch medium level chess players off guard and indeed top players too.

Most chess today has theory well established on most of the standard openings. Hence you actually only begin to play chess later in the opening.

the polish opening makes those that haven’t seen it often have to devise a strategy . Usually being in the centre rather than working from the sides.

#6
The Fischer simul game against a weak opponent does not tell much.
Neither do the rapid/blitz games of Carlsen and Ivanchuk.
https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=2049549 

what else do you want? Ivanchuk showed that its a good enough to opening as white that you can outplay 2700 opposition, even without the element of surprise in rapid. Carlsen showed that even agaisnt Giri one of the most over-booked super GM's today you can out play a person of his caliber with it. He barely got away with a draw.

#10
It is just rapid/blitz.
By contrast Fischer opened 1 b3 three times in classical games, he won all 3
https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1044318

https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1044299 

https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1441737

....so?

Whilst I enjoy playing the polish I read here on the site that if black plays “ text book” against it then black has eventually an advantage ( maybe even controlling the tempo).

The old story about being “ in the Centre” rather than trying to control the Center from the flank and who has tempo

But if you are playing white against a much stronger player it may give more opportunity for draw options than trying to outplay someone who knows all the standard openings back to front and  much better than the polish theory.

Something along the lines of learning one opening back to front then being average in all of them.

It never worked for me lol but it sounds good😊😊😊

Pushing b4 to b5 if the game deems it appears to be a pawn advanced too far to early maybe.

I like playing it because it stops the knight coming out momentarily.

Combinations after that are odd to play compared to conventional openings which is therefore fun to play😊

i actually think its sounder than f4.

Here's the only time I played the Polish opening just to fill all my books section in the awards page. 1.b4 Nf6 2.Bb2 g6 6.g4!?

https://www.chess.com/game/live/42178156917

Any opening move which is text book reviewed and played regularly will open out to a series of combinations that leads to chess only starting well into the opening.

Sometimes even without thinking you navigate the moves into known positions.

Then eventually you pause…..and think about your next move.

Many times you see this in the short form of chess at higher levels.

The pause when the text book combinations expire from opening.

With the polish opening you begin the chess from move 1. With medium level players they scramble for text book moves.

Black should be advantaged by this opening if black can gain the centre but they need to know the combinations😇😇😇

Donnsteinz 

#23
Here's the only time I played the Polish opening just to fill all my books section in the awards page. 1.b4 Nf6 2.Bb2 g6 6.g4!?

https://www.chess.com/game/live/42178156917

That was a neat game Donnsteinz using the polish.

Is e6 sound against the Sokolsky opening versus e5.

Thanks, @aflfooty

I’m curious whether top players today will dabble with the Sokolsky opening.

It seems that black has an advantage if everyone knows the lines.

But does everyone know the lines.

Studying an unusual opening less used well . Almost all the standard openings are studied back to front and end up in chess starting almost at the middle game.

I see it often watching the top players here playing 3 minute chess. There is a flurry of moves on known standard openings and then the pause when the game “ starts” after the opening theory expires.

b4 might change that dynamic.