The latest reference to The Shuffleduck is by Edward Winter who has recently produced a special report on 1.h4
http://chesshistory.com/winter/extra/1h4.html
A useful article with some details that we were not able to find in our research.
The Shuffleduck by Ken Norbury has now been reprinted following the positive reception by Ray Keene in the Times and the Spectator. See the article here
“… this book points out how an early h4 can form part of a strategic design” – Ray Keane, the Spectator''
It is now available through Ken's website.
Ken is an Accredited ECF Chess Coach who spends a lot of his time coaching at the local SASCA (Sheffield Area Schools Chess Association) chess club. The book aims to be of particular benefit to school chess players and players up to 150 ECF standard, although it has wider appeal to better players and enthusiasts looking for an off beat but playable system.
The main theme is that there is scope to play a move that has traditionally been rubbished by good players but is actually better than its reputation, and indeed has connections with many other openings. It develops a system based upon the opening move 1.h4.
At the very least it fills a gap in the current literature and provokes further discussion.
In addition it also offers some fresh thinking insights and tips covering playing styles, coaching and numerous pretty games by professionals and amateurs alike.
Pete Willoughby (the editor) has taken special care in ensuring that this novel little book is readable and provides answers to all practical first move responses, and invaluable support with research in helping me put together and write a coherent argument for playing the system.
I have personally played it in the Local (Sheffield and District League) representing Ecclesall Chess Club with good results and interesting positions and games.
It has not been published on a commercial basis and consequently sells for only £7.99 plus P&P, less than half the price of similar quality chess books. It is available from Ken's website, or from Ken or Pete or at the Golf Club or at Ecclesall Chess Club at chess congresses or from Chess Direct Ltd. P.O. Box 18, Mexborough. S64 9AR U.K. Tel/Fax +44 (0) 1709 890565 http://www.chessdirect.co.uk/acatalog/Shuffleduck-n0001.html for £7.95 plus postage/packing, or directly from ShuffleduckPublications, 102 Abbeydale Park Rise, Sheffield S17 3PF.
the latest review is from Ray Keene in the Times:
White: Mikhail Botvinnik
Black: Svetozar Gligoric
Moscow Olympiad 1956
English Opening
1. c4
This afternoon I shall be taking on 20 opponents simultaneously at the Fairfield Hall in Croydon in aid of the Multiple Sclerosis Society. There is still time to attend, since the display starts at 1pm this afternoon. Of course, all post-prandial contributions and donations will be gratefully received by the charity, the contact being Karen on 020 8657 7822.
While preparing to take on my 20 opponents, I came across a new book Shuffleduck by Ken Norbury, an English Chess Federation accredited coach, widely known for his interest in offbeat openings and zany sense of humour. Shuffleduck, published this year by senseofthink.com at £7.99 details an opening repertoire commencing with the heterodox 1 h4. In spite of its heretical stance, 1 h4 can lead to surprisingly quick victories, for which see my notes to this week’s game. The key, though, in my opinion resides in the subtitle which mentions strategic ideas. The move 1 h4, if deemed too controversial on move one can, nevertheless, be incorporated in wide-ranging strategic designs. This aspect will be revealed in the Botvinnik victory which follows.
1 c4
Amazingly, 1 h4 has claimed some instant victims as in Welling-ten Haaf, Eindhoven 1981 which saw 1 h4 e5 2 Nc3 Be7 3 e4 Bxh4 4 Bc4 Be7 5 Qh5 g6 6 Qxe5 Nf6 7 Nd5 0-0 8 Nxe7+ Black resigns.
1 ... g6 2 g3 c5 3 Bg2 Bg7 4 Nc3 Nc6 5 Nf3 Nh6 6 h4
The key thrust. Botvinnik plans to exploit the offside position of Black’s knight on h6 which also happens to self-block the defensive retort ... h5.
6 ... d6 7 d3 Rb8 8 h5 Bd7 9 Bxh6 Bxh6 10 hxg6 hxg6 11 Qc1
Greeted with thunderous applause from the enthusiastic Moscow audience, this is a neat way of penetrating Black’s kingside since 11 ... Bxc1 loses to 12 Rxh8 mate, while 11 ... g5 is equally futile after 12 Qxg5!
11 ... Bg7 12 Rxh8+ Bxh8 13 Qh6 Bxc3+ 14 bxc3 e6
Alternatively Black can regroup with 14 ... Bf5, planning ... Kd7 and ... Qh8, neutralising the problems along the h-file.
15 Ng5 Ke7 16 Kd2 Be8
The best try is 16 ... Qb6 when White is obliged to go passive with 17 Rc1 since 17 Kc2 runs into a surprising counterattack. See today’s puzzle.
17 Qg7 Kd7 18 f4 Qe7 19 Rh1 Nd8 20 Ne4 Kc7 21 Rh8 Bc6 22 Nf6 Kb6 23 Bxc6 Nxc6 24 Rh7 Nd8 25 Qxg6 Ka6 26 a4 Ka5
Black’s king march is an extravagant gesture but by now the outcome of the game is no longer in doubt.
27 Qg5 Kxa4 28 Rh1 Kb3 29 Qh4 Kb2 30 g4 Black resigns
More of Shuffleduck and its strategic implications in tomorrow’s Sunday Times column.
The new book Shuffleduck by Ken Norbury extols the virtues of the eccentric move 1 h4. Its main value, though, is its adumbration of strategic and tactical ideas centring on the early advance of White’s h-pawn. This week’s game is a win from my own experience with such ideas.
White: Raymond Keene. Black: Clifford Hilton. Liverpool 1965. English Opening.
1 Nf3 The strongest player to have risked 1 h4 is, as far as I can see, David Janowski, in the game Janowski-Allies, Paris 1901 which went 1 h4 e5 2 h5 d5 3 e3 f5 4 b3 Be6 5 Bb2 and White went on to win. 1 ... c5 2 g3 g6 3 Bg2 Bg7 4 c4 d6 5 Nc3 e5 6 d3 Ne7 7 Bd2 0-0 8 h4 The key move. 8 ... h5 After this natural block White can settle a knight on g5. 9 Ng5 Nbc6 10 a3 a6
11. Rb1 Rb8 12. b4 cb4 13. ab4 b5 14. Nd5 f6? 15. cb5! ab5 16. Qb3 Kh8 17. Ne7 Qe7 18. Bc6 fg5 19. Bg5 Bf6 20. Be3 Bb7 21. Bb7 Qb7 22. O-O Rbe8 23. Ra1 Qc8 24. Bh6 Bg7 25. Bg7 Kg7 26. Ra7 Kh8 27. Qd5 Rf6 28. Qb5 Qe6 29. Qb7 Qg8 30. Rc1 Rb8 31. Qe7 Re6 32. Qg5 Qf8 33. Rcc7 Kg8 34. Re7 Qf6 35. Re6 Qe6 36. e4 Re8 37. b5 d5 38. exd5
Introduction
For the chess enthusiast and amateur player, the Shuffleduck System offers new avenues of exploration in unchartered waters and pure adventure.
Several players have been brave enough to venture 1.h4, including Depres and Kadas and are rightly credited here with their pioneering thoughts and contributions to theory and practice.
Here, however, some attempt has been made to apply the theory and experiment with some of the lines that may occur in ordinary play, especially for those graded from 100 to 180.
This book is not an encyclopaedia of all responses to 1.h4, but a route map to engender safe passage through these murky waters. Players are invited to add their own journeys and travel over side roads and favourite lines by themselves.
As a study tool it does some of the leg work, and like any guide should, highlights some points of interest, pitfalls and areas where a little knowledge may prove to be very dangerous.
There are a few traps, but it is hoped that these are not the sole reason for anyone choosing the system, and the point is the concept is broadly correct and is actually playable to a respectable level.
No doubt there will be a time when the chess engines will make the idea redundant as those with the capacity to memorize the main lines will dissuade others from playing it. Until then however, there is scope for imagination, enjoyment and a fair chance of utilising the system to get positive results.
Somebody once remarked of 1.h4 that there ‘are nineteen better moves than this’. Anyone playing this is making a statement of some kind perhaps deliberately wishing to provoke an opponent, having a laugh, showing off or demonstrating a disregard for recognized theory.
Chess players initially tend to learn the game in stages and reach plateaus before climbing a little higher. Many of these small realisations, and the further quests for new heights and goals are expertly discussed and explained in the classic literature ‘The Chess Mind’ by Gerald Abrahams, ‘The Art of the Middle Game’ by Paul Keres and ‘Think like a Grandmaster’ by Alexander Kotov . These hint that improvement after a certain point becomes more difficult for several reasons, including lack of time, other interests and staleness, compounded by the fact that many players come to accept that although they were good amongst their immediate peers there are better, stronger more experienced players out there.
It is tempting for the developing player simply to imitate stronger players and copy their moves since ‘the book’ moves at least gets them into the middle-game, and disguise some of their opening knowledge. Even if they cannot remember or have the opportunity to trot out their favourite lines they will probably recall a few pearls of wisdom about controlling the centre, getting the pieces into play and putting rooks on open lines.
Those who stick with the literature, and become club players may adopt favourite set pieces and patterns and be aware of pawn chains, the fianchetto, and sometimes a wild gambit or two. Most will buy books on particular lines, variations or system, and might be able to quote ten or fifteen opening moves cited or played by Grandmasters. However it is rare to be able to do something truly original, and almost iconoclastic.
Opening 1.h4 is likely to upset some players. It kicks away some of the development stages of sophisticated chess thought and gets straight to the point of chess; ‘man to man’. After move one Black is on his own. He can try to steer back into normal lines, hide, play safe or pick up the gauntlet and accept the challenge head on. Anyone wishing to play 1.h4 has to be prepared to cock the proverbial snook at established thought, may be laughed at, but can take comfort in the fact that it is not easily beaten, and has a good record of success for those who give it a fair chance.
http://chesshistory.com/winter/extra/1h4.html
A useful article with some details that we were not able to find in our research.
The Shuffleduck by Ken Norbury has now been reprinted following the positive reception by Ray Keene in the Times and the Spectator. See the article here
“… this book points out how an early h4 can form part of a strategic design” – Ray Keane, the Spectator''
It is now available through Ken's website.
Ken is an Accredited ECF Chess Coach who spends a lot of his time coaching at the local SASCA (Sheffield Area Schools Chess Association) chess club. The book aims to be of particular benefit to school chess players and players up to 150 ECF standard, although it has wider appeal to better players and enthusiasts looking for an off beat but playable system.
The main theme is that there is scope to play a move that has traditionally been rubbished by good players but is actually better than its reputation, and indeed has connections with many other openings. It develops a system based upon the opening move 1.h4.
At the very least it fills a gap in the current literature and provokes further discussion.
In addition it also offers some fresh thinking insights and tips covering playing styles, coaching and numerous pretty games by professionals and amateurs alike.
Pete Willoughby (the editor) has taken special care in ensuring that this novel little book is readable and provides answers to all practical first move responses, and invaluable support with research in helping me put together and write a coherent argument for playing the system.
I have personally played it in the Local (Sheffield and District League) representing Ecclesall Chess Club with good results and interesting positions and games.
It has not been published on a commercial basis and consequently sells for only £7.99 plus P&P, less than half the price of similar quality chess books. It is available from Ken's website, or from Ken or Pete or at the Golf Club or at Ecclesall Chess Club at chess congresses or from Chess Direct Ltd. P.O. Box 18, Mexborough. S64 9AR U.K. Tel/Fax +44 (0) 1709 890565 http://www.chessdirect.co.uk/acatalog/Shuffleduck-n0001.html for £7.95 plus postage/packing, or directly from ShuffleduckPublications, 102 Abbeydale Park Rise, Sheffield S17 3PF.
the latest review is from Ray Keene in the Times:
White: Mikhail Botvinnik
Black: Svetozar Gligoric
Moscow Olympiad 1956
English Opening
1. c4
This afternoon I shall be taking on 20 opponents simultaneously at the Fairfield Hall in Croydon in aid of the Multiple Sclerosis Society. There is still time to attend, since the display starts at 1pm this afternoon. Of course, all post-prandial contributions and donations will be gratefully received by the charity, the contact being Karen on 020 8657 7822.
While preparing to take on my 20 opponents, I came across a new book Shuffleduck by Ken Norbury, an English Chess Federation accredited coach, widely known for his interest in offbeat openings and zany sense of humour. Shuffleduck, published this year by senseofthink.com at £7.99 details an opening repertoire commencing with the heterodox 1 h4. In spite of its heretical stance, 1 h4 can lead to surprisingly quick victories, for which see my notes to this week’s game. The key, though, in my opinion resides in the subtitle which mentions strategic ideas. The move 1 h4, if deemed too controversial on move one can, nevertheless, be incorporated in wide-ranging strategic designs. This aspect will be revealed in the Botvinnik victory which follows.
1 c4
Amazingly, 1 h4 has claimed some instant victims as in Welling-ten Haaf, Eindhoven 1981 which saw 1 h4 e5 2 Nc3 Be7 3 e4 Bxh4 4 Bc4 Be7 5 Qh5 g6 6 Qxe5 Nf6 7 Nd5 0-0 8 Nxe7+ Black resigns.
1 ... g6 2 g3 c5 3 Bg2 Bg7 4 Nc3 Nc6 5 Nf3 Nh6 6 h4
The key thrust. Botvinnik plans to exploit the offside position of Black’s knight on h6 which also happens to self-block the defensive retort ... h5.
6 ... d6 7 d3 Rb8 8 h5 Bd7 9 Bxh6 Bxh6 10 hxg6 hxg6 11 Qc1
Greeted with thunderous applause from the enthusiastic Moscow audience, this is a neat way of penetrating Black’s kingside since 11 ... Bxc1 loses to 12 Rxh8 mate, while 11 ... g5 is equally futile after 12 Qxg5!
11 ... Bg7 12 Rxh8+ Bxh8 13 Qh6 Bxc3+ 14 bxc3 e6
Alternatively Black can regroup with 14 ... Bf5, planning ... Kd7 and ... Qh8, neutralising the problems along the h-file.
15 Ng5 Ke7 16 Kd2 Be8
The best try is 16 ... Qb6 when White is obliged to go passive with 17 Rc1 since 17 Kc2 runs into a surprising counterattack. See today’s puzzle.
17 Qg7 Kd7 18 f4 Qe7 19 Rh1 Nd8 20 Ne4 Kc7 21 Rh8 Bc6 22 Nf6 Kb6 23 Bxc6 Nxc6 24 Rh7 Nd8 25 Qxg6 Ka6 26 a4 Ka5
Black’s king march is an extravagant gesture but by now the outcome of the game is no longer in doubt.
27 Qg5 Kxa4 28 Rh1 Kb3 29 Qh4 Kb2 30 g4 Black resigns
More of Shuffleduck and its strategic implications in tomorrow’s Sunday Times column.
The new book Shuffleduck by Ken Norbury extols the virtues of the eccentric move 1 h4. Its main value, though, is its adumbration of strategic and tactical ideas centring on the early advance of White’s h-pawn. This week’s game is a win from my own experience with such ideas.
White: Raymond Keene. Black: Clifford Hilton. Liverpool 1965. English Opening.
1 Nf3 The strongest player to have risked 1 h4 is, as far as I can see, David Janowski, in the game Janowski-Allies, Paris 1901 which went 1 h4 e5 2 h5 d5 3 e3 f5 4 b3 Be6 5 Bb2 and White went on to win. 1 ... c5 2 g3 g6 3 Bg2 Bg7 4 c4 d6 5 Nc3 e5 6 d3 Ne7 7 Bd2 0-0 8 h4 The key move. 8 ... h5 After this natural block White can settle a knight on g5. 9 Ng5 Nbc6 10 a3 a6
11. Rb1 Rb8 12. b4 cb4 13. ab4 b5 14. Nd5 f6? 15. cb5! ab5 16. Qb3 Kh8 17. Ne7 Qe7 18. Bc6 fg5 19. Bg5 Bf6 20. Be3 Bb7 21. Bb7 Qb7 22. O-O Rbe8 23. Ra1 Qc8 24. Bh6 Bg7 25. Bg7 Kg7 26. Ra7 Kh8 27. Qd5 Rf6 28. Qb5 Qe6 29. Qb7 Qg8 30. Rc1 Rb8 31. Qe7 Re6 32. Qg5 Qf8 33. Rcc7 Kg8 34. Re7 Qf6 35. Re6 Qe6 36. e4 Re8 37. b5 d5 38. exd5
Introduction
For the chess enthusiast and amateur player, the Shuffleduck System offers new avenues of exploration in unchartered waters and pure adventure.
Several players have been brave enough to venture 1.h4, including Depres and Kadas and are rightly credited here with their pioneering thoughts and contributions to theory and practice.
Here, however, some attempt has been made to apply the theory and experiment with some of the lines that may occur in ordinary play, especially for those graded from 100 to 180.
This book is not an encyclopaedia of all responses to 1.h4, but a route map to engender safe passage through these murky waters. Players are invited to add their own journeys and travel over side roads and favourite lines by themselves.
As a study tool it does some of the leg work, and like any guide should, highlights some points of interest, pitfalls and areas where a little knowledge may prove to be very dangerous.
There are a few traps, but it is hoped that these are not the sole reason for anyone choosing the system, and the point is the concept is broadly correct and is actually playable to a respectable level.
No doubt there will be a time when the chess engines will make the idea redundant as those with the capacity to memorize the main lines will dissuade others from playing it. Until then however, there is scope for imagination, enjoyment and a fair chance of utilising the system to get positive results.
Somebody once remarked of 1.h4 that there ‘are nineteen better moves than this’. Anyone playing this is making a statement of some kind perhaps deliberately wishing to provoke an opponent, having a laugh, showing off or demonstrating a disregard for recognized theory.
Chess players initially tend to learn the game in stages and reach plateaus before climbing a little higher. Many of these small realisations, and the further quests for new heights and goals are expertly discussed and explained in the classic literature ‘The Chess Mind’ by Gerald Abrahams, ‘The Art of the Middle Game’ by Paul Keres and ‘Think like a Grandmaster’ by Alexander Kotov . These hint that improvement after a certain point becomes more difficult for several reasons, including lack of time, other interests and staleness, compounded by the fact that many players come to accept that although they were good amongst their immediate peers there are better, stronger more experienced players out there.
It is tempting for the developing player simply to imitate stronger players and copy their moves since ‘the book’ moves at least gets them into the middle-game, and disguise some of their opening knowledge. Even if they cannot remember or have the opportunity to trot out their favourite lines they will probably recall a few pearls of wisdom about controlling the centre, getting the pieces into play and putting rooks on open lines.
Those who stick with the literature, and become club players may adopt favourite set pieces and patterns and be aware of pawn chains, the fianchetto, and sometimes a wild gambit or two. Most will buy books on particular lines, variations or system, and might be able to quote ten or fifteen opening moves cited or played by Grandmasters. However it is rare to be able to do something truly original, and almost iconoclastic.
Opening 1.h4 is likely to upset some players. It kicks away some of the development stages of sophisticated chess thought and gets straight to the point of chess; ‘man to man’. After move one Black is on his own. He can try to steer back into normal lines, hide, play safe or pick up the gauntlet and accept the challenge head on. Anyone wishing to play 1.h4 has to be prepared to cock the proverbial snook at established thought, may be laughed at, but can take comfort in the fact that it is not easily beaten, and has a good record of success for those who give it a fair chance.
1.h4 THE SHUFFLEDUCK!
Think about the worst openings in chess and the ones that are not supposed to be played. Maybe they cause weakness, give away key squares, hinder development or fail to control the centre. All of these are good reasons not to play them. After considering the negatives let’s turn to the positives of what can be learned, the surprise element and the sheer excitement of taking the game into new territory.
The argument here is not that the unusual opening will give any traditional significant advantage nor even that it might hold up to the rigours of Fritz, Houdini or any other Engine, only that on the day it is another weapon in the armoury and leaves the players on their mettle simply to play chess rather than in a game of memory. Again, it should be understood that there are good reasons why strong players might choose recognised lines and there is still scope for detailed analysis experimentation research and Grandmaster play.
The problem is that merely following moves does not always generate understanding. Even if it were possible to get say ten or so moves into a fashionable line it may not always be apparent what to do next or how a minor deviation may ripple through the rest of the game to create a plus that can be managed. Having the ability to remember fifteen moves of the Slav, is undoubtedly clever, but not much good if it’s not your style, and the game is lost without you ever having to be there, other than to move the pieces.
Naturally, many of the Offbeat lines will not be to everyone’s taste and losing with a particular variation is going to evoke some derision, especially from more ‘experienced’ team mates who can be assured to have long memories of particular failures, and may even ridicule particular ideas.
Every so often, however the crazy moves create just the kaleidoscopic effect the imaginative player needs to create combinations and employ a little lateralism which enable them not only to win but to win on their own terms, and indeed may as Michael Basman advocates, help keep the game fresh and interesting for the young or at least young at heart.
(Definition of lateralism from the internet (webmaster) Lateralism is a movement of lateralists: people who think creatively and from different perspectives. What lateral means, in short, is sideways. What it means for us is a new view, an innovative way of thinking and challenging what is normally just accepted. It’s sidestepping the obvious and challenging assumptions. It’s fresh, reinvigorating, exciting.)
The Despres opening 1. h4 is ripe for further discussion. Sometimes it is possible on move one to transpose into something quite normal. Examples are 1. a3 ( the Anderssen) 1.b3, 1c3, d3 or e3, where white in effect adopts a defensive strategy pocketing his first move advantage trying to entice black into a premature attack a tempo down.
Here, however the boats are burned immediately with h4, giving some justification, if any were needed to causing as much chaos as early as possible. In the Golden Era of Classical Chess Gambits and Counter Gambits were common, and acceptance of material was almost obligatory as almost a matter of honour. By contrast, today it is extremely difficult to successfully offer anything particularly in well-trodden lines of the Kings Gambit the Evans, the Scotch as players tend either to decline on principle or gobble everything in the knowledge that they have better technique or book knowledge. What is needed is a new gambit, which is likely to be taken, is not in any book but still has the potential of play in the Romantic style. Some liberty is taken with 1 h4 to form…
THE KEN'S GAMBIT (Kingside and Queenside variations)
The Kingside Variation
1.h4 e5
2.f4 exf4
3.e4 fxe3
4.d4
The Queenside Variation
1.h4 d5
2.c4 dxc4
3.d4 cxd3
4.Nc3 dxe2
5.Qxe2
None of these variations are set in stone and there are yet more wrinkles and flourishes to be found. Some experimental and occasionally deeply flawed attempts can be followed on the internet where for instance Bunnyrabbit1 regularly plays both white systems.
To end on a slightly more serious point the game Gabor Kadas-Sergey Arkhipov, Kecskemet 1983 cited by Hans Ree (New in Chess Issue 5, 2012) is of note
To end on a slightly more serious point the game Gabor Kadas-Sergey Arkhipov, Kecskemet 1983 cited by Hans Ree (New in Chess Issue 5, 2012) is of note
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