Opening with instinct: The wild logic of playing 1.b4, also called the Orangutan Opening
In a game where history meets razor-sharp preparation, few openings are more wonderfully odd than 1.b4 — the Orangutan, or Sokolsky Opening. This flank pawn push, born of humour and analytical curiosity, made its global debut in 1924 when Grandmaster Savielly Tartakower, fresh from a visit to the Bronx Zoo, claimed to have been inspired by an orangutan named Susan. While the narrative is entertaining, the maneuver itself is serious. 1. b4 has evolved into a versatile and creative weapon, avoiding deep theoretical lines while inviting rich, imbalanced positions. Despite its underdog status, world champions such as Magnus Carlsen have resorted to it, demonstrating that in chess, a lesser-traveled course can, however, lead to victory.
Even though the line is mostly seen in faster forms of chess these days, such as bullet or blitz, it has also been played at the higher level by many super GMs, such as Fabiano Caruana and Carlsen, among others. Black's most popular replies are 1…e5 and 1…d5. Both leading to a very dynamic position. White's aim with this line is to get the opponent out of his usual preparation early on and invite him to a fierce battle of initiative and tactical play in the middlegame. The following position arises after 1.b4 e5. 2. Bb2 Bxb4 3. Bxe5 Nf6 4. c4, the move c4 is quite rare but interesting.
Although a Titled Tuesday favourite, Fabiano Caruana's game with white against Kollars Dmitrij from the NC World Masters, Dortmund, Germany in 2023 is an exception being played during the classical format. A fascinating position arose after 16 moves starting with 1.b4 d5.
From zoo-side inspiration to grandmaster execution, the Orangutan Opening walks a curious line. Part myth, part method, it's a tribute to chess's rich imagination. And a reminder that every move has a story — even 1.b4.
You can read previous articles from the Chess 101 series about chess openings here
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First Post
8 hours ago
- First Post
FIDE Women's World Cup: Koneru Humpy, Divya Deshmukh stay unbeaten after semifinal openers
Indian chess stars Koneru Humpy and Divya Deshmukh held Chinese opponents Tingjie Lei and Zhongyi Tan to draws in the first leg of the FIDE Women's World Cup 2025 semifinals. Meanwhile, Humpy's pre-game meditation moment also went viral on social media because of Tingjie's reaction. read more Indian chess stars Koneru Humpy and Divya Deshmukh made a solid start in the semifinals of the FIDE Women's World Cup 2025, holding their Chinese opponents to draws in the first games on Tuesday, July 22. Humpy, playing with black pieces, comfortably held China's Tingjie Lei to a draw, while Divya frustrated former world champion Zhongyi Tan with her solid defence. Both Indians will now have the advantage of playing with white pieces in the return leg of this fixture. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The second semifinal games will be held on Wednesday, July 23. If the scores remain tied after the two classical games, the semifinalists will head to faster tie-break games, which will be held a day later. The winner of this event is slated to get $50,000 (over Rs 43 lakh), while the runners-up and third place player will earn $35,000 (Rs 30 lakh) and $25,000 (Rs 21 lakh), respectively. The top-three players will also qualify for the 2026 FIDE Women's Candidates Tournament. Funny moment before Humpy vs Tingjie game Humpy was seen meditating before her high-stakes semifinal clash against Tingjie. As Lei approached the board, she hesitated and quietly went about her routine because Humpy sat with her eyes closed, completely immersed in her thoughts. The scene quickly went viral on social media after FIDE shared it with the caption, 'When your opponent is meditating and you don't want to disturb the vibe…' 🧘♀️ When your opponent is meditating and you don't want to disturb the vibe… FIDE Women's World Cup. Semifinal 🇨🇳 Lei Tingjie – Humpy Koneru 🇮🇳#FIDEWorldCup — International Chess Federation (@FIDE_chess) July 22, 2025 Humpy made history on Sunday by becoming the first Indian woman to reach the semifinals of a FIDE World Cup. The 38-year-old defeated China's Yuxin Song 1.5-0.5 in the quarterfinals. 'It feels happy to qualify without playing tie-breaks,' the Indian Grandmaster said after the match. 'I felt I could have played much better today, I was in a much better position, but slipped out in the time trouble.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Meanwhile, International Master Divya Deshmukh had earlier stunned everyone by storming into the semifinals on her debut appearance. She knocked out compatriot and senior Grandmaster Harika Dronavalli in the quarters. 'Very shaky,' she told FIDE. 'I think I am happy with the way I played. I don't think the last game went well but, not really (worried)…My preparation had a lot of role in that game and I would like to thank my coach for that.'
Indian Express
9 hours ago
- Indian Express
Divya Deshmukh's emergence and Koneru Humpy's resurgence: 2 takeaways for Indian chess evident at FIDE World Cup
The two India vs China semifinals — Koneru Humpy vs Lei Tingjie and Divya Deshmukh vs Tan Zhongyi — ended in contrasting draws on Tuesday at the FIDE Women's World Cup. Both contests are evenly poised heading into the second day of the two-game battle at Batumi. While Divya's draw was short and quick, Humpy pulled out a new trick from her hat to unsettle her opponent before settling for a draw. Such are the high standards that Indians set for themselves; even a draw against the world's best is now unimpressive in their own eyes as was evident from Divya's body language. Asked by FIDE if she was happy, particularly since she had the black pieces, Divya only offered: 'It's okay, I guess.' 'It was quite a short draw, so I don't really have many thoughts about the game,' shrugged the 19-year-old, who's yet to become a GM, after going toe-to-toe and holding her own against a player who was the women's world champion eight years ago. In the three previous games between the pair, the veteran Tan has won twice with Divya salvaging a draw in the final battle. Ask GM Abhijit Kunte, who has seen Divya's rapid rise from close quarters, what that unimpressed reply says about Divya's mindset, and he says: 'In these kinds of mini-matches (games of two), you don't express anything. Because any positive or negative expression is bad for you. You have to remain neutral. And this kind of maturity at 19 is not easy to get. It's very rare.' Kunte, who was the captain of the all-conquering Indian's women's team at the Chess Olympiad last year where Divya was one of the stars, traces her lightning-quick journey to the top: 'Just last year, Divya was a world junior champion. She has always been very brave, someone never afraid to experiment. But she had very limited exposure to the top brass of women's chess. Then she played at the Olympiad last year. This year, she's played in the FIDE Grand Prix events, which has helped immensely.' So far, Divya has had a barnstorming FIDE World Cup, taking down the veteran grandmaster Harika Dronavalli in the quarters, and World No 6 Zhu Jiner in the previous two rounds. Divya has also shown other stand-out attributes on the board. GM Shyamsundar Mohanraj, who is the head of delegation for the Indian team in Batumi and has given the country its last two GMs, points at her victory over the veteran Harika Dronavalli in the previous round via tiebreaks. ❓Who's your pick for the finals? Game 1 of the semifinals was played today — and both ended in draws! 🇨🇳 Lei Tingjie ½–½ Humpy Koneru 🇮🇳 🇨🇳 Tan Zhongyi ½–½ Divya Deshmukh 🇮🇳 #FIDEWorldCup — International Chess Federation (@FIDE_chess) July 22, 2025 'I say this as an outsider, but Divya's endgame skills and her defensive skills have improved quite a lot in a very short span of time. In the first game against Harika of the tiebreaks, she played dynamic chess to win. But if you look at the second game, she defended very well in a minus position (a position where she had a disadvantage). In Game 2 of the tie-breaks, Divya defended very well despite being low on time. She was barely playing with seconds on the clock, and Harika had like 4-5 minutes. There was pressure because Divya was in a don't-lose situation,' says Shyamsundar. At the other end of the spectrum is the veteran Humpy, who has already accounted for Alexandra Kosteniuk, one of the strongest players in the field, and the up-and-coming Chinese prodigy Song Yuxin. While Divya has stunned higher-rated opponents to script a fairytale story already, Humpy has been clinical: only once in the event has she needed tiebreaks to beat her opponent. In the first game of the semi-final against Lei on Tuesday, Humpy played the Berlin Defence, which she has rarely employed over the course of her lengthy career. In fact, one of the only times she's played it was against Kosteniuk in the previous rounds. On Tuesday, it had the desired effect; it forced Lei to think for about 10 minutes after 4… Ne7, a well-known trap door. 'Three years back, I thought Humpy looked like she was on the verge of quitting. But in the last year, she has come back so strongly. Winning a medal at the World Rapid Championship, then being among the top places in the Women's Grand Prix. Her game is also very positive now: she doesn't agree to quick draws. At this age, many people try to make some quick draws and win some easy games and try to finish in the top. But she's fighting it out. That shows her positive attitude and aggression. It's like seeing a very young Humpy again,' says Kunte before adding with a smile: 'I think Humpy is trying to match Divya's age. And Divya is trying to match Humpy's experience and maturity.' What makes Humpy's resurgence and Divya's emergence at the FIDE World Cup even more remarkable, points out GM Shyamsundar, is how tricky the World Cup is for any player, thanks to the treacherous format of two head-to-head battles and then tiebreaks if needed. 'The format is quite intense and very exhausting for the players. It's a best-of-2 battle. It's a dangerous format in a way and tricky. It's not like other Swiss tournaments (where you don't get eliminated) where even if you lose, you have an extra game to come back. But here, it's not like that. You never know when you will be leaving the tournament,' says Shyamsundar from Batumi. Besides Humpy's resurgence and Divya's emergence, there have been other moments to cheer for Indian chess in Batumi. Like Vantika Agrawal taking down former women's world champion Anna Ushenina. Or four Indians making it to the quarters (R Vaishali and Harika beside Humpy and Divya). He looks at the Indian players' performances and predicts a golden era like the one that men's chess is seeing in India. 'In India, despite the population, we have only had three women who have become GMs. But after seeing the results of these two players from different eras at the World Cup, players of any age in India will get inspired. This will definitely inspire and motivate many women players to take up sports,' says Shyamsundar. Amit Kamath is Assistant Editor at The Indian Express and is based in Mumbai. ... Read More
Time of India
2 days ago
- Time of India
India sensation Divya Deshmukh in emotional turmoil after FIDE Women's World Cup quarter-final win
Divya Deshmukh (Screengrab) Indian chess sensation Divya Deshmukh experienced a whirlwind of emotions as she stormed into the FIDE Women's World Cup semifinals with a brilliant 2-0 tie-break victory over compatriot Grandmaster Harika Dronavalli. After sealing the win, the 19-year-old prodigy covered her face with her hands, taking a moment to steady herself even as her opponent left the playing area – a clear sign of the immense pressure and excitement of the occasion. Divya's triumph sets up a thrilling semifinal clash against China's Tan Zhongyi, a former world champion. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! Her composed yet aggressive play in the tie-breaks showcased her growing maturity on the international stage, marking one of the biggest victories of her young career. Watch: The all-Indian quarterfinal clash between Divya and Harika had been a tense affair. Both players had drawn their classical games, forcing the battle into tie-breakers where Divya's sharp calculations and fearless approach earned her a straight-set victory. With this result, India will now have two players in the semifinals, as Grandmaster Koneru Humpy also advanced. Earlier, Humpy secured her spot in the last four by drawing her second game against China's Yuxin Song, having already won the first. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Ready for a Glow-Up? [Get Your Reading Now] Learn More Undo Humpy, who displayed an exceptional counterattacking style, has now guaranteed at least a fourth-place finish. She will have two opportunities to secure a top-three finish and book her place in the next Women's Candidates Tournament. How a Chess Game Trapped a King: Sadhguru on the Miracle of Mind On the other hand, R Vaishali's campaign came to an end after a hard-fought loss to Tan Zhongyi. Despite holding promising positions, a few inaccuracies allowed Tan to take control. Alongside Tan, top seed Lei Tingjie of China also progressed by defeating Georgia's Nana Dzagnidze. With Divya and Humpy in the semifinals, Indian chess is enjoying a historic moment, and all eyes will be on Divya as she takes on Tan Zhongyi for a spot in the final. Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
