I play a KIA type structure where you lose 2 tempo at the beginning but aren't down significant amounts.
Ultimate guide to Bongcloud opening
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I have found the refutation:
Kalagorinor-That's the symmetrical variation, it's a line best used in Bughouse.
/facepalm bloodstained youre either a master of sarcasm or a total noob bongcloud rulz
TalFan wrote:
Bo
ngcloud scholar mate variation:
<iframe border="0" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" width="574" height="395" src="http://www.chess.com/emboard.html?id=161131"></iframe>
After 5. ... h6??, white wins with 6. Qh5+ g6+ 7. Qxg6#. The white king and bishop don't need to get involved.
Go bongcloud! Personally, I think it's flawed, but I'd be happy to be proved wrong.
A nice but often overlooked feathure of the Bongcloud is its ability to explain why opening moves such as 1.h4? are bad.
The traditional textbooks recommend something like 1..e5 without giving a real reason for white difficulties. They say that "white is falling behind in development and central control", but the serious student can easily see how these factors are easily balanced by white's king rook extra mobility and by the possibility of launching a slashing assault along the h file. So why 1.h4? scores so badly? Nobody was really able to explain this before the great Lenny Bongcloud, who wrote in his masterpiece Openings for white according to Bongcloud volume VI:
"1.h4? doesn't really deserve any attention, and is likely to lead to a painful loss the careless player who attempts this risky path. 1...e5! highlights the lack of positional foundation of white opening choice, because 1.h4? does nothing to enhance the king mobility. Black king mobility is now greater than white's, and even if white continues with the relatively best 2.d4, the weakened g4 square facilitates a classical black king march to the enemy kingside. It's hard for white to improve over 2...Ke7! 3.Kd2 Kf6 4.Kd3 Kf5 5.Kc4 Kg4! with an overwhelming position for black as in Korneyev-Zabolotny 0-1, Leningrad 1967(16 moves)."
It's no surprise that after this lucid explanation the formerly popular 1.h4? disappeared completely from tournament practice.
acbell1996 wrote:
kingpawnstrike wrote:
jpd303 wrote:
Lokaz wrote:
kingpawnstrike wrote:
What is the point of this? The Bongcloud is the worst opening in chess. Ke2 blocks the bishop and queen and opens the king and e4 to attack.
Alas, my friend. Seeing this post, I realize that you truly require a vigorous education on chess.
First of all, After 1.e4, the d3 and f3 squares are weakend. With 2.Ke2, these weak points are deftly bolstered in.
Second, it utilizes prophylaxis against developing either your Queen or Bishop prematurely.
Third, with 2.Ke2 your king is mobilized, and once the pieces rapidly come off the board, white will have the more active king in the endgame.
a sublime explination. the more subtle poits of the opening brought to light from under a veil of smoke. the mysterious bongcloud has entranced another young master it seems. the bongcloud, as pointed out in the quote, is an opening of the future. always looking forward toward the ending never backwards toward the start.
Still, the squares can be reinforced in other ways. The Boungcloud does not work at the level where the factor of surprise without a basis in SOME theory stops working. When e4, e5 is played, may I reccomend 2. Nf3, Nc6 3. Bc4 OR Bb5 OR d4. Defense is only part of the game. Whereas the Boungcloud is funny to play, I do not see how it would be successful in any rated or tournament game unless the person being played is already lacking the skill to combat it. Ke2 does not help the center and blocks the king and bishop. Besides, most of the games listed here were boungcloud losses. If you want to play a novelty, I suggest the Hippopotomous, though I must admit that I do not know it. Just trying to provide insight.
may i recommend that you yourself try the "nosenseofhumor" opening, the main anti-bongcloud line.
Or play the opening in this puzzle and see if your opponent can solve it:
White will play ONLY these moves, and only if possible:
1. f3 ... 2. Kf2 ... 3. Kg3 ... 4. Kh4
Black can checkmate white in one way, but if black does not have mate in 1 after white's fourth move, then white wins.
bresando wrote:
A nice but often overlooked feathure of the Bongcloud is its ability to explain why opening moves such as 1.h4? are bad.
The traditional textbooks recommend something like 1..e5 without giving a real reason for white difficulties. They say that "white is falling behind in development and central control", but the serious student can easily see how these factors are easily balanced by white's king rook extra mobility and by the possibility of launching a slashing assault along the h file. So why 1.h4? scores so badly? Nobody was really able to explain this before the great Lenny Bongcloud, who wrote in his masterpiece Openings for white according to Bongcloud volume VI:
"1.h4? doesn't really deserve any attention, and is likely to lead to a painful loss the careless player who attempts this risky path. 1...e5! highlights the lack of positional foundation of white opening choice, because 1.h4? does nothing to enhance the king mobility. Black king mobility is now greater than white's, and even if white continues with the relatively best 2.d4, the weakened g4 square facilitates a classical black king march to the enemy kingside. It's hard for white to improve over 2...Ke7! 3.Kd2 Kf6 4.Kd3 Kf5 5.Kc4 Kg4! with an overwhelming position for black as in Korneyev-Zabolotny 0-1, Leningrad 1967(16 moves)."
It's no surprise that after this lucid explanation the formerly popular 1.h4? disappeared completely from tournament practice.
Thank you for that wonderful nugget of history! Indeed, BM Lenny Bongcloud was probably the greatest opening theorist to play the game.
Evidence that the Bongcloud is a superior opening.
i tried it but, then my opponent used bongcloud defense and i lost.
A powerful examble of the way the Bongcloud can be utilized to annihilate the key light squares in Black's position. Light squares, remember, are half the board, so I essentially control half the board!
@helltank why not on move 4 for black Bb4+ losing the white queen. and on move 8. g6 is a weak move allowing the king to enter the f5 is guarded by the queen anyway.
If Bb4+ then I simply move my king to g3 and it will not affect the game.
Wrong... f5 is a crucial square that needs to be defended soundly. However, I agree it could have been better done . g6 just allows my king to enter.
GM Matthew Reynolds did not know the power of the king... after the match I introduced him to the opening that beat him and he was very impressed. I gave him the French Bongcloud(1. e4 e6 2.Ke2!!) and a variation that often leads to strong kingside defence and problems for White, the Scot Variation, 1. e4 e5 2.Ke2!! Nc6.
I played a 2000+ on yahoo chess years ago who always started with the bongcloud, but he would retreat the king back to its square after 3-5 moves, saw him take down other 2000+ players with this strategy. It can be done.
http://www.365chess.com/opening.php/opening.php?m=4&n=1730&ms=e4.e5.Ke2&ns=3.5.1730
Those are all of the master games with bongcloud, an AMAZING OPENING
it makes me smile every time i see small minded people trying to enforce archaic notions of "good" and "bad" to such an advanced form of opening theory. the bongcloud is so subtle that "analysis" breaks down immediatly. its like observing subatomic particles, just the act of inspecting them changes them! once the bongcloud is put under a "microscope" the entire nature of the opening takes on different characteristics. it is difficult to explain to little brains especially in typed form with no color diagrams. but here we go...the substructure of the opening revolves around king mobility and control of central space, familiar topics to classical players but here is where the bongcloud diverges from classical theory! A WIN ISNT ALWAYS A WIN AND A LOSS CAN BE A WIN BUT ONLY WHEN A WIN ISNT A DRAW OR A DRAW ISNT A LOSS. I believe that is the point most players fail to grasp. even Fischer couldnt accept that or didnt comprehend because of his "must win at any cost" personality. i have heard from inside CIA sources that Karpov is secretly researching the bongcloud because of the Karpovian type overtones that the opening structure leads to. meaning the slow python like squeeze so beloved by Karpov is more easily achieved through the use of such a powerful king shutting down the opponents options in the center. and because Karpov is getting advanced in age he understands that a win isnt always a win and a loss can be a win so his plan TO LOSE EVERY GAME is a stroke of genius! he will win by losing!!! Magnus will have no chance against such an advanced strategy and Karpov will reign supreme again!
THETUBESTER wrote:
I just found this. I had literal tears running down my face, reading those annotated games on page one. Oh my gosh, my head hurts - hilarious stuff!!
Welcome in to the fold of those that appreciate Sir Lenny Bongcloud's holy pursuit...dued. 
I'm looking for those interested in developing Bongcloud theory. Send me a game request with the name 4/20. I'll play either side!
Serious Bongcloud theory is being extensively developed in our group, "Bongcloud Society". We'd appreciate the assistance!