That’s a strong GMs opinion and who is going to argue with him? Even we amateurs know it’s a bad move. Still, there is no direct refutation to this stupid looking defense and, for what it’s worth, it will take your opponent out of any preparation he might have. One thing I have discovered is that sometimes it morphs into a pattern that resembles a ‘real’ opening.
The thing is, even though we amateurs know it’s a bad move, we aren’t likely to know how to utilize whatever opening advantage we get.
Most everybody knows the opening guidelines: control the center. develop your pieces, etc., but lesser understood seems to be a basic understanding of what to do with things like a lead in development, center control, a space advantage and the initiative.
Note that after 1...a5 white does not have a license to violate sound opening principles and attack like a wild man, often playing unsound sacrifices, just because 1...a5 is a very poor first move.
When I first started studying middlegame books most all of them pounded it into our heads that you had to control the center by occupying it, etc, etc.
When it came to openings they discussed the value of a tempo...lose a move and your opponent has an advantage. Lose two and you were on the verge of defeat. Lose three and you might as well resign. You'd read about one side having the initiative, but it was never explained exactly what the initiative was.
When speaking of the initiative, in his book Technique in Chess Gerald Abrahams noted that what is important is that the attacker have a “feeling” that he has some advantage of tempo, a greater degree of mobility than his opponent. He also observed that awareness cannot be taught; it’s experience that makes us more sensitive to the possibilities in a position. Pattern recognition is also very important. Read a post on it HERE.
The point is simply that while 1...a5 may be a horrible move to strong masters and Grand master, at the level at which most of us play the loss of a tempo and the fact that the move contributes nothing to anything doesn’t matter a whole lot because most of us don’t know how to take advantage of it. So. 1...a5 is probably as good as anything.
Of course, if you’re serious about chess and still trying to improve then, of course, 1...a5 should be avoided. However, if the improvement ship has sailed and you are just looking to have some fun, why not give it a try?
In this game the victory, as it usually does, went to the stronger player and the opening didn’t matter.
[Event "NED-ch sf"]
[Site "Enschede"]
[Date "1996.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "C. Dommisse"]
[Black "Mark Van Schaardenburg"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B00"]
[BlackElo "2295"]
[Annotator "Komodo Dragon 3"]
[PlyCount "62"]
[EventDate "1996.11.26"]
[EventType "swiss"]
[EventRounds "9"]
[EventCountry "NED"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceVersion "1"]
[SourceVersionDate "2004.01.01"]
[SourceQuality "1"]
{B00: Cornstalk Defense} 1. e4 a5 2. d4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. Bd3 Bb7 5. O-O (5. Qe2
Nc6 6. c3 Nce7 $6 7. Bg5 h6 8. Bh4 g5 {White is better. Sihite,C (2245)
-Brodowski,P (2451) chess.com INT 2022}) 5... h6 (5... Ne7 6. h3 (6. Qe2 Ng6 7.
Nc3 f6 8. Bd2 Be7 9. Rfe1 O-O {White is better. Pahlevanzadeh,M-Bancod,R (2171)
ICC INT 2009}) 6... Ng6 7. Nc3 Be7 8. Nh2 c5 {Whte is better. Buleandra,
L-Bancod,R (2171) ICC INT 2009}) 6. c4 g6 7. Nc3 Bg7 8. Bf4 {White is clearly
better.} g5 9. Be3 Nc6 10. e5 d6 11. exd6 Qxd6 12. d5 Nb4 13. Bd4 (13. c5 {
This tactical shot is even better than the text.} bxc5 14. Bb5+ Kf8 (14... c6 {
loses quickly...} 15. dxc6 {wins a piece.}) 15. dxe6 {White's advantage should
prove decisive.}) 13... Bxd4 14. Nxd4 O-O-O (14... exd5 {might work better.}
15. Ncb5 Qd8 16. f4 {but even here black's position is on the verge of
crumbling.}) 15. a3 Nxd3 16. Qxd3 exd5 17. cxd5 {With this questionable move
white loses most pf his advantage.} (17. Ncb5 Qd7 18. Rac1 {leaves black
feeling some serious pressure.} dxc4 19. Rxc4 c5 20. b4 {with a game winning
attack.}) 17... Ne7 18. Rac1 {White does not have time to make further
preparations. He has now allowed black to get back to equality.} (18. Ncb5 {
Though not quite as strong as before this was still the correct move.} Qxd5 19.
Qg3 Rd7 20. Rac1 {leaves black under pressure, but white cannot claim to have
a winning advantage. Black has a number of reasonable moves here: 20...Kb8, 20.
..Nc6, 20...Bc6 and 20...Qxg7+}) 18... Kb8 (18... Nxd5 {was even better.} 19.
Ndb5 Qe7 20. Rfe1 Nf4 21. Rxe7 Nxd3 22. Rxc7+ Kb8 23. Rd1 {with complete
equality.}) 19. Ndb5 {Finally, but it's the wrong N. The other N opens the
c-file and attacks c7.} Qd7 20. Rfd1 Nxd5 21. Nxd5 {It's seems nearly
impossible to tell, but this is the losing move! Black coming piece activity
is going to be the deciding factor.} (21. Qf1 {was necessary.} Qf5 22. Nxd5
Rxd5 23. Rxd5 Qxd5 {Black has the advantage.}) 21... Qxd5 $19 22. Qxd5 Rxd5 (
22... Bxd5 {is difficult to see, but it is much better.} 23. Rxc7 Bc4 24. Rc1
Bxb5 25. Rxf7 Rc8 {and black should win.}) 23. Rxd5 $15 Bxd5 24. Rxc7 {[%mdl
4096] The ending looks pretty drawish.} Rd8 25. Kf1 {[%mdl 8192] It's
perfectly logical to bring the K towards the center and at the same time
eliminate a mate threat on the firt rank, but this seemingly logical move is
actually where white loses the fame. The undefended N which is guarding the
attacked R is going to be white's undoing.} (25. f3 Bxf3 26. Rxf7 (26. gxf3
Rd1+ 27. Kg2 Rd2+ 28. Kg3 Rxb2 29. Rc6 Rxb5 30. Rxh6 Ka7 31. Rf6 a4 32. Rxf7+
Ka6 {This ending is won for black.}) 26... Bc6 27. Rf6 Rd1+ 28. Kf2 Rd2+ 29.
Ke1 Rxb2 30. Rxc6 Rxb5 31. Rxh6 {This ending, unlike the one where white
played 26.gxf3 should be drawn.}) 25... Bb3 26. Rc6 {He could gave put up a
stiffer fight with 26.Rc1} (26. Rc1 Rd5 27. Nc3 Rd2 28. Rb1 Bc4+ 29. Kg1 (29.
Ke1 Rc2 {and white is running out of moves. Still, the road to victory is
going to require care on black's part.}) 29... Rc2 30. g3 Bd3 31. Nd1 Rd2 32.
Rc1 Be2 33. Nc3 Rxb2 34. Nxe2 Rxe2 35. Rc3 Ra2 36. h4 Kb7 37. Rf3 f5 38. h5 a4
39. Kg2 g4 40. Rxf5 Rxa3 41. Rf6 b5 42. Rxh6 Rc3 (42... b4 {would lose!} 43.
Rg6 b3 44. Rxg4 {Black has trapped his own R!}) 43. Rh7+ Kb6 44. Rh8 Rc7 45. h6
Ra7 46. h7 Ka5 {and wuns}) 26... Kb7 27. Rc7+ Ka6 28. Nc3 Rd2 29. Ne4 Rxb2 {
Black is clearly winning.} 30. Nd6 Ra2 31. Rc8 (31. Nxf7 Bxf7 32. Rxf7 Rxa3 {
Black has a win ending.}) 31... Bd5 {This prevents Ra8+ and so white resigned.}
0-1
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