The Grob’s Attack is an unusual chess opening where White starts with the move 1. g4. Despite having a small group of enthusiasts, it is generally regarded as one of the weakest opening choices for White. However, it does possess an element of surprise, catching many opponents off guard and leading them to make errors due to their unfamiliarity with it. Additionally, the lack of established theory along this line can negate the advantage of more experienced players who heavily rely on their opening repertoire.
Allow me to share several games from our database to illustrate the different lines White can pursue in the Grob Opening. These games will showcase the various possibilities and potential directions White can take when employing this unconventional chess opening.
Game 1
Game 2
Game 3
The Grob’s Attack, named after Swiss master Henri Grob, is an unconventional chess opening with various synonyms. Grob extensively analyzed and played hundreds of correspondence games with it. In his newspaper column analysis, he referred to it as the Spike Opening, a name that is still occasionally used. Another early name for this opening was Ahlhausen’s Opening, after Carl Ahlhausen of Berlin, who was one of the first to play 1.g4.
Savielly Tartakower, a renowned chess player, sometimes used this opening in simultaneous exhibitions and called it the Genoa or San Pier D’Arena Opening, named after the city and suburb of Genoa where he first employed it. In the Czech Republic and Slovakia, 1.g4 is referred to as Fric’s Opening, while in other parts of the world, it is known as Kolibri’s Opening. The presence of these different names might explain why some chess players may not have heard of the Grob Opening before, as it goes by multiple aliases.