Chess Openings - Bird's Opening
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1. f4
Bird's Opening begins with the unusual 1. f4. 19th century master Henry Bird was the first strong player to work on the development of the opening.
At first glance, the move 1. f4 appears to be bad, as it weakens white's King position. The idea behind the Pawn move is to exert control over the e5 square - which is a central theme of the Bird Opening.
Despite the apparent weakness, the opening is considered to be sound, but with less upside than white's other options. That being said, the Bird has an aggressive potential, and an excellent surprise value that should not be discounted.
How Common is Bird's Opening?
Rare at all Levels
The Bird is not commonly seen at any level of chess. Expect to face it less than 1% of the time. As a result of this low probability, it's not really worth studying the Bird - unless you plan to play it as a surprise opening yourself!