Unusual Opening: North Sea Var. of Modern Defense B06

An odd opening for Black that often confuses White. (Near the end I say a position is good for white when I mean black, you can tell where...or you can debate if any of this is good for black!!) About this opening:
There are about 60 games using this opening in the last decade in the TWIC databases. See also "The North Sea Variation of the Modern Defense" by Jim Bickford, 2007, Syzygy Publishing, Inc. (Their website has been down for some time, so search on ebay for the book).

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• chess
• opening
• unusual
• modern
• defense
• B06
• north
• sea
• variation
• lesson
• lecture

[MisterBoneman]

interesting, to be sure. In the second of the two sets,

7. dxe5 Qd5

8.f3 Bg7

9. Bf4, why not Be6, followed with N-d7 and 0-0-0?

(if it's OK to ask...)

[HessOnChess]

@MisterBoneman Certainly, ok to ask. Might be a long while before I get around to answering, but it's not a rock solid opening, more of a novelty that might be fun or good for shocking you opponent. : )

[DSXmachine]

The potential for black to end up in some very bad spots is pretty high. White can ignore a lot of the black moves and just develop once the knight is in that horrible position on h5.

[HessOnChess]

@DSXmachine Nobody side it was a walk in the park. :) The benefit for Black is that it might through off White mentally, especially on time.

[Jaques90]

Just play 5.f4! instead of 5.Bxh5?!. That's basically all you have to know as white.

Probably they will go for Ng7 6.Nf3 h5 or Bg4 but it's simply bad. Black is busted.

[HessOnChess]

I think you are overstating the case a bit, but thanks for your comment.

[brrrdman85]

Looks like it could be fun to play in blitz.

[bastiaan0741]

Interesting.

[MisterBoneman]

@HessOnChess In reading about "holes" from moving pawns, I discovered that a favorite opening I used to play (with a K-side fianchetto) left those very holes at (from Black) g5, and, if exchanged, h6 and f6.

The Knight neatly blocks the h6 hole, so, after an exchange, I'm thinking North Sea.

For a while I was trying a variation of an English game, with a "double" fianchetto, but, is very expensive on moves. As in, Pawns on h7, g6, f6, and e7, and both Bishops tucked into the "cave" so to speak.☺

[tayrone2001]

I think black even misses good moves here. instead of taking the g2 pawn with the Rook, u should first take the d4 pawn with the knight so u threat to make a fork with the knight on c2. after white defended that akwardly, black can take the g2 pawn.

[HessOnChess]

@remarkabledog Really? I need to go look that up!!

[DeltaA118]

@Jaques90 this never ceases to amaze me that always there will be someone on these chess video's that contests the persons judgement.

[gallicrow]

Magnus Carlsen has just played it against Micky Adams at the Olympiad!

Now that a 2800+ player is playing this defence, it could become a lot more popular.