Non human 960 openings IV

Next position was commented by your humble narrator in two different articles before. In magazine Pocket chess edited by Stefan Löffler in the article 'Critical positions in 960' and revised in 960 yearbook edited by Arno Nickel with title 'The four horsemen of the Apocalypse' . Both of them, as said in title, about critical starting positions in 960. It is because the following position 911 is a more unbalanced than classical 518, starting evaluation is 0,42, while classical is 0,18. In the current blog I want to give a different point of view. To look for surprising lines and funny variations without lose an utility as a source for inspiration while purpose of articles was to demonstrate that black does not lose necessarily.

Given that my unseen friend sweeps me away in all of our games it means what is obvious, that it is several magnitude orders stronger than me. Even though sometimes it is difficult for a modest human to believe that the strongest proposed move it actually is. Also, it is true that being that strong it is so far away of infinite as we are. Number 1 is far away of infinite as 10000 is. What I mean is that what silicon oracle says is likely true, but not the absolute truth. Moreover, certitude does not exist. Doubt is a chronic ill that we always try to heal, but cannot do it. There is no doubt about it.

Position 911

rkqrnnbb/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RKQRNNBB w KQkq - 0 1

Starting Position

1.a4. is the first move that our pitiless warrior suggests as the strongest, it is played in 120 of 25397 games, a 0,47% . The best answer 1...a5 is played in only 7 games among humans.
The middle XXth century world champion Mikhail Botvinnik said that g3 (g6) or b3 (b6) were bad squares for knights because h4 (h5) or a4 (a5) comes quickly. But here there is no knight on sight in b6. So, what is happening here?
This move deserves a brief reflection. There are several questions that comes to my mind which I am not able to give a good answer.
Is there not a better move than 1.a4? Considering that the same module gives in standard (518) position as the best moves 1.c4, 1.d4,1.e4 and 1.Nf3 is hard to believe that module is wrong now.
Could king in b1 and rook in a1 be considered as an opening strategy where king is already castled and then play a4 in first moves? Is it necessary a bishop in the opposite corner? Is this radical flank opening more interesting because doing conventional castle is difficult? Imagine 0-0-0 or worse, 0-0.
For sure, reader will think more questions about.

Answering the first question, it is true that 1.e4 and 1.f4, normal human moves, are near behind 1.a4 in module preferences. Also 1.Ne3 is not so obvious but is chosen by 2,5% of humans.
For the second and third questions, I have no idea, maybe it is possible, but you have to be careful with opening the center and notice that you lack of a rook. Of course I saw such moves,1.a4, 1.h4, in many games in different starting positions, however the idea is to know when it is good and when it is not. Perhaps it is related with an opposite bishop like Bh1 in position 911. In the next part of the blog this pattern will be repeated.
I remember a variation in english opening of classical chess. 1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 d5 3.cd5 Nd5 4.g3 g6 7.Bg2 Nc3 8.bc3 Bg7 9.a4
Petrosian - Balashov, 1983

So I will dedicate this blog to 1.a4 and consider two possible defense ways, one is symmetric 1...a5 and the other trying to make 1.a4 be a waste of time or a weakening of white position. A challenge.
Where are old adagios when they are needed? 'Against a flank attack, a center strike'.

v1) 1...g6 a normal move, 2.a5 f5 , black ignores white 'a' pawn and opens diagonals for bishops. What I found unexpected is that SF dislikes 3.a6, it considers 3...c6 a very interesting way to fight back against kamikaze 'a' pawn.
Position after 3...c6

There are better ways for white, but it must be played carefully. 3.f4, instead of 3.a6, is followed by 3...Ne6 4.g3 Nd4, attacking e2 pawn. 4.g3 is better than 4.d3. Not an easy position although doctor's diagnosis is that white is better, but not crushing.

And here, Caissa's Avatar suggests 4.g4. In all moves it gives a little adventage for black, but it is the last move I would have thought about.
And it is not just in this position that suggests that crazy move.

v2) 1.a4 e5 2.a5 f5 (for 2...d5 see v4 variation) 3.g4. Where are the pieces development, fight for center, solid pawn structure? Ruined? Not really, one of the most wonderful features of chess is that exceptions to generic rules are abundant. Chess is a wide world, if classical is a civilized city, 960 is a wild land.
position after 3.g4
Let's continue some more moves.
I cannot believe it, 3...fg4. 4.a6 c6 , as if 4...b6?? 5.Bb7 , we can try the same defense that in former variation, but now comes 5.d4 ed4 (4...g6 is also ugly). It becomes a tragedy after 6.Rd4 g6 7.Qf4

v3) 1...Ne6. Based on that pawn e2 is unprotected.

v3-1) If 2.a5 Nd4 3.Ng3 g6 and black exploits that 'a' pawn advance weakens b3 square.

v3-2) 2.d4 g5. Knowing the intention, this martian move makes sense. Now a possible variation, among many strange ones, could be 3.d5 Nf4 4.Ng3 (4.Qd2 f5) c6 5.Nd3 Qc7 6.Nf4 gf4 7.Nf5 h5 and black position becomes satisfactory.
Variation after 1...Ne6

v4) 1...d5 2.a5 e5 , it may come from v2 variation if black plays 2...d5 instead 2...f5. a Reti variation, white attacks black's center 3.d4.
v4-1) 3...e4 4.f3 f5 5.g4
Pawn is poisoned with an slow acting poison:
5...ef3 6.Nf3 fg4 7.Ne5 .The evaluation of our severe teacher is +1,9 for example 7...g6 8.Ra3 (for some reason that I ignore our demonic tutor considers 8.Ra4 a bit better) little by little black's position goes to abyss. 8...g6 9.Ne3 Nd6 although the adventatge is for white, the position is difficult for both sides. For example, 10.Nd5 Bd5 11.Bd5 Nb5 is good for black
If black holds the center:
5...g6 6.c4 Reti would enjoy this position. 6...c6 7.gf5 gf5 8.h4 looking for 'London diagonal'. Now, if black takes 8...dc4 9.Nc2, white is always better.
variation after 1...d5

v4-2) 3...ed4 4.a6 b6 5.Nd3 white has a remarkable compensation and all 'human' ways to defense black position are convincingly refuted. Imho is difficult to find moves for white.

And what if black decides to play the same game than white does?
v5) 1.a4 a5

Position after 1...a5

White makes a normal move 2.e4 and now black, who decides that normality is boring, 2...f5 and 2...d5 are the two first moves suggested by our private Delfos oracle (it may take some time in cloud, my Stockfish-ubuntu-x86-64-sse41-popcnt gives it quickly). This way of playing, 2...f5 3.ef5 g6, I found it many times, with the idea to accelerate development and win space in center inspired in Morra or center gambits. There are players that like to be so aggresive.

2...d5 3.ed5 e6 4.de6 Ne6 and black has a surprising activity.

In any case, after 1...a5 the game starts to be 'normal'. The most interesting part is when black tries to take profit of heterodox move, with or without succeed.

Post mortem analysis

What about its twin position number 48? Well, here our sparky friend does not recommend 1.h4.
position 48 The four main suggested moves, 1.e4, 1.c4, 1.b3, 1.f4 have an evaluation +0,2, or +0,1, like classical
But what happens if I make the move 1.h4? Then, the evaluation that our sparky friend gives is +0,4. A paradox? Well, even almighty module must be guided sometimes. If the move 1.h4 is really so good, it is not my intention to investigate now. The question is why 1.h4 is not among the first suggestions? I think it is related with castle. Here the move 0-0 is easy to make, then recommendations go towards classical moves and in 911 position it goes to something more heterodox.

A similar position is 767, played in third round of Freestyle finals 2025. King in a side (b1, rook is forced to be in a1), bishop in corner (h1).
Freestyle finals 2025 - Round 3
Although our rogue whisper suggests 1.a4 as one of the best moves all of them choose the orthodox 1.e4. It is difficult to pick such move even for the best players.

In some conditions, such a radical flank first move as 1.a4 or 1.h4 can be done with succeed. I think on:
\- King beside the rook
\- Bishop in the other corner
\- Difficult castle
\- An additional weakness makes it stronger\.

But knowing how chess is, maybe there are more exceptions to those rules that positions agree with them.