Table Of ContentContents
Title page
Bibliography
Dedication to my father
Foreword by IM Michael Basman
History of the Orangutan Opening
My Own Experiences with the Orangutan
Chapter 1: 1...e5 – The Exchange Variation
Chapter 2: 1...e5 2.Bb2 f6
Chapter 3: 1...e5 2.Bb2 d6
Chapter 4: King’s Indian Set-ups
Chapter 5: Grünfeld Indian Set-ups
Chapter 6: Queen’s Indian Set-ups
Chapter 7: Main Lines with 1...Nf6 2.Bb2 e6 & 3...d5
Chapter 8: Other Set-ups with 1...Nf6 & 2...e6
Chapter 9: 1...d5 followed by ...Bf5 or ...Bg4
Chapter 10: Black attacks the b4-pawn with the Queen
Chapter 11: Dutch Set-ups
Chapter 12: Various Other 1st Moves for Black
A Repertoire in a few lines
Join Me in Saving The Orangutan in the Wild
Books by Carsten Hansen
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Play the Orangutan: 1.b4
by
Carsten Hansen
2021
CarstenChess
Play the Orangutan: 1.b4
Copyright © 2021 by Carsten Hansen
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner
whatsoever without the publisher’s express written permission except for the use of brief quotations
in a book review.
Printed in the United States of America
First Printing, 2021
ISBN 978-87-93812-64-2 (ebook)
ISBN 978-87-93812-65-9 (paperback)
CarstenChess Bayonne, NJ 07002
www.WinningQuicklyatChess.com
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Bibliography
1 b4 Sokolsky Opening by D.N.L.Levy (The Chess Player 1977)
1.b2-b4 by Alexander Hildebrand (1963)
500 Orangutan Games by Bill Wall (Bill Wall Chess 2021)
Debjut 1.b2-b4 by Alexey Sokolsky (Minsk 1963)
Die Eröffnung b2-b4 by Alexei Sokolsky (Sportverlag 1965)
Dynamic Chess Openings by Tim Harding (Chess Digest 1989)
The Sokolsky 1.b4 by Andrew Martin (Foxy Chess Openings)
Opening Sideways – Orangutan by Mikhail Ivanov (2003)
Orang-Utan Eröffnung by Schiffler (Sportverlag 1953)
Orang-Utan - Informationsblatt für Liebhaber der Eröffnung 1.b4 by Dirk Van Esbroeck (editor)
(1995-1999)
Orangutan 1 b4 by Bill Wall (Chess Enterprises 1998)
Play 1.b4! by Nick Conticello & Yuri Lapshun (Everyman Chess 2008)
Schach-Praktiker: Sokolski – 1.b4 (A00) by Norbert Heymann (Self-published 2018)
Sokolsky Opening by M.Thomas & A.J.Gillam (The Chess Player Ltd 1981)
The Sokolsky Opening – Theory & Practice by Jerzi Konikowski & Marek Soszynski (Russell
Enterprises 2009)
Thema-Turnier: Sokolski-Eröffnung 1.b2-b4 by Karl Grund (Schachverlag Rattmann 1985)
U Cannot Be Serious by Michael Basman & Gerard Welling (New In Chess 2021)
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Acknowledgments
I want to thank three people in particular:
My father, Jørn Erik Hansen, who inspired me to write this book; Michael Basman for agreeing to
write the Foreword; and Gerard Welling, who enthusiastically supplied me with games and analysis.
Dedication to my father
This book is dedicated to my father, who not only taught me a lot about chess, about life, and who
played 1.b4 for more than two decades.
My father, Jørn Erik Hansen, did many things for chess, primarily as an organizer: he was a board
member of several chess clubs, co-founded a chess club, was president of the Chess Association on
the island I grew up, Funen in Denmark, he was a treasurer for the Danish Chess Federation, he
organized tournaments, both for adults, youth players and for scholastic players, he edited our local
chess club’s magazine, and he was a team captain for various teams. And that is just the beginning of
it, and I’m sure I have left things out.
As a chess player, he wasn’t what you would consider a strong player; his top rating was just under
1900, the level that you are considered a master player in Denmark. He came close a couple of times
but missed the master qualification twice by just half a point. But when he was fighting with his back
against the wall to avoid relegation from the top group in the club championship in our local club,
Søndersø Skakklub (chess club), he was dangerous to everyone, often beating much higher-rated
players to secure a spot in the championship group.
Interestingly, he did not chess me to play chess; that was my mother who did that, but he helped me
study chess. His library of chess books was not a big one. Still, it had several excellent titles in
Danish, my native language, by grandmaster Bent Larsen, International Master Jens Enevoldsen, and
others. When it was time for me to improve, he helped with material; for instance, we studied Max
Euwe and Hans Kramer’s 12-volume work on the middlegame together. He went over games in
bulletins of recently played tournaments, and he provided me with access to volumes of Chess
Informant series from which I played through thousands of games.
But also accompanied me to tournaments both as a scholastic player and later on when I started
playing against adults. In fact, in my first tournament facing adults, a rapid tournament in December
1982, I played him; I did not yet have a rating; he was rated just under 1700 at the time. While I had
overperformed at beating two 1600+ rated players, I did not have a chance against him, and he swiftly
beat me. Our games were never pre-arranged draws. In our first real tournament game, we were both
rated around 1700; I had Black, and I, of course, expected that he would play his beloved 1.b4. I had
worked relentlessly with his copy of Sokolsky’s book on the opening and found a set-up I liked for
Black, one chosen by Keres in a game against Sokolsky himself (the game had ended in a draw after a
long battle). I got a good position, won a pawn, but I was terrified I would mess it up and offered a
draw. (As a by the way, many years later, when facing 1.b4 for the first time since the game against
my father, in the Danish Cup tournament for club teams, I used my original preparation again and
won smoothly against an incredulous opponent who commented, “I thought I would force you to
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think at least a little in the opening, but you played faster than me!”)
He made me promise that I would never offer a draw in such a position again, even if I were playing
against him. For good measure, in our next tournament game, where I could gain the master title with
a win, he beat me again. Of course, I beat him several times later, but to this day, he still has a plus
score against me...
However, as a coach, he helped me make several breakthroughs, usually mentally, helping me deal
with tough and scary opponents and get over difficult and painful losses.
While my father does not play chess anymore, he gave it up in favor of bridge, the card game; he still
follows the game, tells me stories he has read online, games that he played through that were exciting,
and check up on players he likes.
A picture of my father playing 1.b4, probably from an event in Italy in 1980. (A big thank you to my
mother for locating this picture!)
Without my father, you would not be reading this book: I would not have become a strong player
without his encouragement, support, and engagement in chess, and also without him playing 1.b2-b4,
I would probably never have cared enough about this opening to write about a book about. I was
pleased to tell him what I was working on, and I cannot wait to see him open the book for himself
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when I present it to him.
Tusind tak for alt, hvad du har gjort for mig, Far.
- Carsten
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Foreword by IM Michael Basman
When Carsten Hansen declared that he was writing a book on the Sokolsky in homage to his father, I
was delighted. I will be even more delighted when he sends me a paper version of the book, instead
of the wretched computer edition, which is on no use to man or beast.
I began playing 1 b4 (it has many names) as an adjunct to my St George experiments. I didn’t do very
well with it, because the St George is a black opening, and you have to have the mindset of a
counterpuncher; but with the Sokolsky you make the first move!
But, psychology aside, I am now playing 1 b4 slightly better, and would recommend it to all modern
players (if you want a properly difficult game, try its mirror image 1 g4).
Computers have virtually put chess players out of business and too many people see themselves as
mere appendages to their oracular masters.
So let me put a suggestion to our eager readers: why not write your own book based on your own
games with 1 b4. Please don’t use computers; use your own brain; it may be weak and feeble but it’s
the only one you’ve got and that is where you must be making improvements. Send your little books
up to Carsten Hansen, and maybe he will produce a compilation - «The People play 1b4», which will
be truly instructional, as it will be based on your own games and your own thinking.
Good hunting! Or, as Big Chief Eye Spy used to say, «Odhu Nntigo».
Mike Basman,
November 2021
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History of the Orangutan Opening
The history of our opening has been documented well in other books, but for the newcomers to the
opening and because it has been a while since a book was last released on the opening in English, I
will take the liberty to cover it again, leaning on Sokolsky’s recounting as he did a thorough job at it.
In contrast, later retellings, somewhat lazily, usually skipped several steps.
Early Outings, Hypermodernism and Naming
Unlike classical openings such as the Ruy Lopez, Italian Game, the King’s Gambit, and countless
other openings, the Orangutan history is a lot shorter and contains far fewer games; that,
unfortunately, goes with the territory of unusual openings.
The earliest example I could find is Chinarev – Alyekhin, a correspondence game played in 1870; it
starts with 1.b4 e5 2.Bb2 f6 3.e4 Bxb4 4.Bc4 Nc6 5.f4 d6 6.Nh3 Nh6 7.c3 Ba5 8.d4 exd4 9.0-0
dxc3 10.Nxc3, and here the reference ends with an assessment of White being slightly better.
However, that is somewhat optimistic, possibly flavored by the eventual result of the game and the
fact that gambit play was beloved in those days. Looking at the position with today’s objective eyes,
Black must be doing fine after 10...Bg4 11.Qc2 (or 11.Qb3 Bb6+ 12.Nf2 Nd4) 11...Qd7 12.f5 Bxh3
13.gxh3 Nd4 14.Qd1 c6 15.Na4 b5 16.Qxd4 bxc4 17.Qxc4 Nf7 and White does not have sufficient
compensation for the pawn.
Next follows the adventures of the university professor and mathematician Nikolai Vasilyevich
Bugayev (1837-1903) from Moscow, who had his analysis of the opening published in 1903 in the
Russian magazine Shakmatnoye Obozreniyi, possibly in conjunction with his death.
In match in 1888 Solovziev, Bugayev played 1.b4 in four of the games, one, referenced by Sokolsky,
started with 1.b4 e5 2.Bb2 f6 3.a3 d5 4.e3 Be6 5.Nf3 Bd6 6.Be2 Ne7 7.d4 e4 8.Nfd2 0-0 9.c4 c6
10.f3? f5 11.f4 Nd7 12.Nc3 Rf7 13.c5 Bc7 14.0-0? g5! with a position that is definitely in Black’s
favor and he did indeed go on to win the game.
Later on, Bugayev played 1.b4 in a simul game against former world champion Wilhelm Steinitz and
eventually won:
1.b4 e5 2.Bb2 f6 3.b5 d5 4.e3 Bd6 5.c4 c6 6.a4 Ne7 7.Nc3 0-0 8.Qb3?! 8.Nf3!? 8...Bc7? 8...Nd7
was a better option. 9.cxd5 cxd5 10.e4?! 10.Ba3!, attacking the defender of the d5–pawn, looks
promising. 10...Be6 11.exd5 11.Nxd5! Nxd5 12.Bc4 gives White an advantage. 11...Nxd5 12.Nxd5
Bxd5 13.Bc4 Bxc4 14.Qxc4+ Kh8 15.Ne2 Nd7 16.0-0 Nb6 17.Qc2 Rc8 18.Bc3 Nd5 At this point,
Black is in control of the game. 19.Rfd1 Bb6 20.Qb2 Qd7 21.a5 Bc7 22.Ng3 Nf4 23.d4 Qd5 24.f3
Rfd8 25.Rd2 Qc4 26.dxe5 Nd3? Here, Black misses 26...Rxd2 27.Qxd2 Rd8 28.Qb2 Nd3 29.Qd2
Qc5+ with a decisive advantage for Black. 27.Qa3 Bxe5?! 28.Bxe5 fxe5?? 28...Nxe5 was necessary,
leading to a, more or less, equal position. 29.Ne4? 29.Rad1! Qd4+ 30.Kf1 wins for White. 29...Rd7
30.Rad1 Rcd8 31.Nf2 Nc5?? Black misses his only defense: 31...Qc5 32.Qxc5 Nxc5 when a draw is
likely. 32.Rxd7 Rxd7 33.Rc1 Qxb5 34.Qxc5 Qxc5 35.Rxc5 h6 36.Rxe5 Rc7 37.g4 Kg8 38.Kg2 Kf7
39.Ne4 Rc6 40.Kg3 b6 41.h4 and Black resigned. 1–0
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The first game between major players was seen in the match between Berthold Englisch and Harry
Pillsbury in Vienna 1896. For those not familiar with those names, according to Chessmetrics, both
players were in the top 10 in the world at the time of the game, which went as follows:
1.b4 e5 2.Bb2 f6 3.b5 d5 4.e3 Nh6 5.c4 Be6 5...d4 was a better move. 6.cxd5 Qxd5 7.Nc3 White
already has a comfortable edge. 7...Qd7 8.Nf3 Bd6 9.d4 Nf7 10.d5 Bf5
11.e4 11.Nh4!? Bg6 12.Be2 is very good for White. 11...Bg4 12.h3 Bxf3 13.Qxf3 0-0 14.Bd3 Qe7
15.0-0 Nd7 16.Bc2 Nh6 16...Ba3 to exchange the dark-squared bishops was a better choice, but
Pillsbury was concerned about his c7–pawn, which will become a target on the open c-file and
therefore chose a more passive set-up. 17.Qe2 g5 18.a4 Kh8 19.Nd1 Rg8 20.Ne3 Nf8 21.Qh5 Qg7
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