1 f4 c5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 d3 g6 4 e4 Bg7 5 Be2 d6 6 0-0 Nf6 7 Qe1 0-0

After 7. ... O-O

We continue our analysis with more move 7 options for Black. But first I would like to digress for a moment and explain how one evaluate this opening using what I call the ZOOM technique. (ZOOM was a book written by Steffen Zeuthen. ZOOM meaning Zero hour for Opening Operative Modules.) The ZOOM idea is play similar openings as White and Black, then develop a feeling for the pawn structures and resulting tactics / play. With the idea that you will never be caught in unknown waters. Zeuthen wrote about the Catalan opening as White, and Gruenfeld and ...g6 Caro Kann defenses as Black. I adapted the ZOOM method to my Bird's opening as White, and the Dutch defense and Latvian gambit as Black. Zeuthen did not get tied up in giving variations, but showed opening / early middlegame positions minus all pieces.

We can start the ZOOM evaluation here by removing the pieces from the board, then we can quickly see the finer points of this position. For White, we can see a general flow towards the kingside. We can envision White playing f5, and/or plans involved in attacking the weak f6 and h6 squares. We can see pawn advances h4-h5 or even g4-g5 look attractive. For Black, we can see a general flow is towards the queenside. We can see that d4 is a nicely controlled square especially if Black has bishop on g7. The pawn storm b5-b4 looks good attacking White's pawn chain base at c2, maybe an open c-file would be great.

Next, add the kings back to the board (White on g1 and Black on g8) and we can conclude that White has an attacking position (advances towards the opponent's king) and Black will play for positional gains (no direct attack on the king). It becomes clearer that, for example, if White plays a4 to stop b5, then he's most likely playing on the wrong side of the board and potentially helping Black in opening a file. And in turn, if Black plays e5 then there's the additional risk it helps White play f5 and attack the f6 square. Or if Black trades off the king bishop, then there's the risk f6 and h6 will become critical weaknesses.

By applying this technique to any opening, you can break down the position into its finer details and decide if you like the opening, the defense, or possibly neither.

I might add although the ZOOM evaluation technique works best in the opening, but you can also use it in middlegame as well. Next time you are lost for a plan in a middlegame position, envision the board without pieces, and things might become clearer.

[7 ... Bd7 8 Nc3 Qb6 9 Kh1 0-0-0 10 e5 dxe5 11 fxe5 Ng4 12 Nd5 Qa5 13 Nxe7+ Kc7 14 Qxa5+ Nxa5 15 Bd2 Nc6 16 Nxc6 Bxc6 17 Bf4 Rhe8 18 Ng5 Nxe5 19 Nxf7 Rd7 20 Bg4 Rde7 21 Rae1 Kb6 22 Nxe5 Bxe5 23 Bxe5 Rxe5 24 Rxe5 Rxe5 25 Kg1 Re7 26 g3 h5 27 Bd1 Be8 28 Rf6+ Kb5 29 Kf2 g5 30 c4+ Ka5 31 Rf5 b6 32 Rxg5 Rh7 33 a3 Ka6 34 Bf3 Bf7 35 b4 cxb4 36 axb4 Rh6 37 Re5 Rh7 38 Re7 1-0, Hayward Keith -Lipshultz Eugene, Postal, APCT 83R4, 1983]

[7 ... Bd7 8 Nc3 Nd4 9 Bd1 Bc6 10 Kh1 Nxf3 11 Bxf3 Qd7 12 e5 dxe5 13 fxe5 Nd5 14 Bd2 0-0 15 Qe2 Nxc3 16 Bxc3 Bxf3 17 Rxf3 b5 18 b3 Rac8 19 Raf1 e6 20 h4 h5 21 g4 hxg4 22 Rg3 Qd5+ 23 Kh2 c4 24 bxc4 bxc4 25 d4 f5 26 exf6 Bxf6 27 Qxg4 Rc7 28 Bb4 Rff7 29 Bc3 Bxh4 30 Rgf3 Bg5 31 Kg3 Rxf3+ 32 Rxf3 Rf7 33 Rxf7 Kxf7 34 Qf3+ Qxf3+ 35 Kxf3 Bf6 36 Ke4 Ke7 37 Bb4+ Kd7 38 d5 exd5+ 39 Kxd5 c3 40 Bc5 a6 41 Bf2 g5 42 Bg3 g4 43 Ke4 Kc6 44 Kf5 Bd4 45 Kxg4 Kb5 46 Kf5 Bc5 1/2-1/2, Hayward Keith (2365) - Rasmussen Barry (2285), St Paul MN, USA-Manitoba Match, 1991]

[I was fishing, drifting, over-extending with 18 Bg4. Better is 18 Rad1, where I'd like to think the weak squares around Black's king could tell. However, in that position Black's queen on d4 is quite strong.]

[7 ... Bg4 8 Nc3 (BT) Nd4 9 Nxd4 cxd4 10 Nd1 Bd7 11 c3 dxc3 12 Nxc3 Qb6+ 13 Kh1 Bc6 14 Bf3 Nd7 15 Qe2 0-0 16 Be3 Bd4 17 Bxd4 Qxd4 18 Bg4 e6 19 Rad1 Rae8 20 Qd2 f5 21 Bh3 Nf6 22 Qc2 b5 23 Ne2 Qb6 24 Rc1 Bb7 25 Ng3 Re7 26 Qb3 Nd7 27 Qd1 b4 28 Qe2 Rfe8 29 Rfd1 Nc5 30 e5 dxe5 31 fxe5 Rd7 32 Qf2 Nxd3 0-1, Hayward Keith - Rohricht Wayne, Postal, APCT Q99, 1986] [continued on page 174]

[7 ... Bg4 8 Kh1 Bxf3 9 Bxf3 Nd4 10 Bd1 Qc7 11 c3 Ne6 12 a4 0-0 13 Nd2 a6 14 Nf3 b5 15 f5 Nd8 16 axb5 Qb7 17 bxa6 Rxa6 18 Rxa6 Qxa6 19 Bc2 Nc6 20 h3 Qb6 21 fxg6 hxg6 22 Qh4 Qb7 23 Ng5 Rd8 24 Bd1 Ne5 25 d4 Nd3 26 Be3 Qxb2 27 dxc5 Qxc3 28 cxd6 Rxd6 29 Be2 Nc5 30 Bf4 e5 31 Bh2 Qd4 32 Bg1 Qc3 33 Qf2 Ne6 34 Nxe6 Rxe6 eventually 1-0, Hayward Keith (2380) -Buland Roger, Bloomington MN, Region 6, 1990]

8 Nc3 Rb8

[8 ... a6 9 a4 b6 10 Kh1 Rb8 11 Be3 b5 12 axb5 axb5 13 Bg1 b4 14 Nd1 Bd7 15 Qh4 Ra8 16 Rxa8 Qxa8 17 e5 Nd5 18 exd6 exd6 19 Ng5 h6 20 Ne4 Nd4 21 Bxd4 cxd4 22 Nxd6 Qc6 23 Nc4 b3 24 cxb3 Qb5 25 Bf3 Be6 26 Nf2 1/2-1/2, Hayward Keith (2315) - Hood Andrew (2145), Haltom TX, GFWCC, 1995]

[8 ... a6 9 Kh1 b5 10 Be3 Ng4 11 Bg1 e5 12 h3 Nh6 13 fxe5 Nxe5 14 Nxe5 Bxe5 15 Be3 Kg7 16 Qd2 Ng8 17 d4 cxd4 18 Bxd4 Bb7 19 Nd5 Bxd5 20 exd5 f5 21 a4 Qd7 22 axb5 axb5 23 Qb4 Nf6 24 Bb5 1-0, Hayward Keith -Rudy Vance, Postal APCT 85 RTC3 May-Dec85]

[8 ... Nd4 9 Bd1 Rb8 10 a4 Ne8 11 Kh1 b6 12 Nxd4 cxd4 13 Ne2 e5 14 c3 d5 15 fxe5 dxc3 16 Nxc3 dxe4 17 Qxe4 Bf5 18 Rxf5 gxf5 19 Qxf5 Qd4 20 Bf4 Nc7 21 Bf3 Ne6 22 Be4 Rfd8 23 Qxh7+ Kf8 24 Bg3 Rbc8 25 Rf1 Rd7 26 Qh5 a6 27 h3 Rcc7 28 Bf5 Re7 29 Bh4 Re8 30 Bg6 Nf4 31 Qg4 Bxe5 32 Be4 Nxd3 33 Nd5 Nf2+ 34 Bxf2 Qxf2 35 Bd3 Qd2 36 Nxc7 Bxc7 37 Qc4 Re7 38 Bg6 Qd7 39 Bh5 a5 40 Kg1 Be5 41 Rd1 Qf5 42 Qg4 Qxg4 43 Bxg4 Bxb2 44 Kf2 Re4 45 Bd7 Rb4 46 Bc6 Ke7 47 Kf3 Rc4 48 Bb5 Rd4 49 Re1+ Kf6 50 g4 Rb4 51 h4 Rb3+ 52 Re3 Rxe3+ 53 Kxe3 Kg7 54 Ke4 f6 1/2-1/2, Hayward Keith - Fershtman Peter, Bloomington MN, Budget Paper 4, 1991]

[8 ... Nd4 9 Bd1 Nxf3+ 10 Bxf3 Rb8 11 a4 a6 12 a5 b5 13 axb6 Qxb6 14 Kh1 Be6 15 h3 c4 16 d4 Ne8 17 d5 Bc8 18 Nd1 Nc7 19 c3 e6 20 Be3 Qb5 21 dxe6 Bxe6 22 Bd4 Bxd4 23 cxd4 d5 24 f5 dxe4 25 Bxe4 Bd5 26 Nc3 Qd7 27 Qh4 Bb7 28 Bxb7 Rxb7 29 Ne4 Ne8 30 Nc5 Qb5 31 Nxb7 Qxb7 32 Rf2 Nd6 33 f6 Ne8 34 Re1 Qb4 35 Rfe2 Nd6 36 Re5 Qd2 37 d5 Rb8 38 Qg3 h6 39 Re6 Rd8 40 Rxd6 Rxd6 41 Re8+ 1-0, Hayward Keith - Storbakken Al, Minneapolis MN, TCCL, 1992]

[8 ... Nd4 9 Bd1 Bg4 10 Nxd4 cxd4 11 Ne2 Rc8 12 c3 Bxe2 13 Bxe2 dxc3 14 bxc3 Nxe4 15 dxe4 Bxc3 16 Bd2 Qb6+ 17 Kh1 Bxa1 18 Qxa1 Rc2 19 Qe1 Qb2 20 Bc1 Rxc1 21 Qxc1 Qxe2 22 f5 Qxe4 23 h3 b5 24 Qh6 Rc8 25 fxg6 fxg6 0-1, Hayward Keith -Jones Craig, Postal, ICCF 9USCCC, 1991]

[8 ... Bg4 9 Kh1 a6 10 Be3 Qc7 11 a4 Nb4 12 Rc1 d5 13 e5 Nd7 14 d4 Bf5 15 Qd2 e6 16 h3 f6 17 g4 Bxc2 18 Rxc2 Nxc2 19 Qxc2 fxe5 20 fxe5 cxd4 21 Bxd4 Nxe5 22 Nxe5 Rxf1+ 23 Bxf1 Bxe5 24 Qd3 Rf8 25 Bg2 Rf4 26 Be3 Rb4 27 Nxd5 exd5 28 Bxd5+ Kg7 29 b3 Qd7 30 Kg2 Rd4 0-1, Hayward Keith -Buckley Dave, Postal, APCT 88RS3, 1990]

[8 ... Bg4 9 Kh1 (BT) Bxf3 10 Bxf3 Nd4 11 Bd1 b5 12 Ne2 Nxe2 13 Bxe2 a5 14 Bf3 Rb8 15 a3 Nd7 16 c3 b4 17 axb4 axb4 18 Be3 bxc3 19 bxc3 Qc7 20 d4 cxd4 21 cxd4 Rfc8 22 Rc1 Qa7 23 e5 Rxc1 24 Qxc1 Qa6 25 h3 h5 26 Rf2 Rc8 27 Rc2 Rxc2 28 Qxc2 dxe5 29 dxe5 e6 30 Qd1 Nf8 31 Kh2 Bh6 32 Be4 Qc4 33 Qd3 Qa4 34 g4 hxg4 35 hxg4 Qa2+ 36 Kg3 Bg7 37 Bd4 Qa4 38 Kf3 Qb4 39 Qc3 Qxc3+ 40 Bxc3 Nd7 41 Bc6 Nf8 42 Ke4 Nh7 43 Bb4 Bf8 44 Bd6 f5+ 45 Kf3 Kf7 46 g5 Bg7 47 Ke3 Bf8 48 Kd4 Be7 49 Kc5 Bd8 50 Kb5 Nf8 51 Ka6 Nh7 52 Bb4 Be7 53 Bd2 Bc5 54 Kb7 Ke7 55 Bb5 Nf8 56 Kc6 Ba3 57 Be3 Nd7 58 Ba4 Bb4 59 Bc1 Nf8 60 Kb5 Be1 1/2-1/2, Hayward Keith - Gustafson Dale, Bloomington MN, Budget Paper, 1988]

[8 ... Bg4 9 Kh1 (BT) Bxf3 10 Bxf3 Nd4 11 Bd1 e6 12 Ne2 b5 13 c3 Nc6 14 Ng3 a5 15 Bf3 b4 16 e5 Nd5 17 c4 Nde7 18 exd6 Qxd6 19 Ne4 Qxd3 20 Nxc5 Qxc4 21 Nd7 Nd4 22 Bxa8 Rxa8 23 Nb6 Qc6 24 Nxa8 Nc2 25 Qd1 Nxa1 26 Qd8+ Bf8 27 Nb6 Nc2 28 Nd7 Qc8 29 Qxc8 Nxc8 30 Nxf8 Kxf8 31 Bd2 Nd6 32 Rc1 Nd4 33 Be3 N4b5 34 Rc6 Ke7 35 Ra6 Nc4 36 Bc5+ Kd7 37 b3 Nc7 38 Ra7 Nb2 39 Bb6 1-0, Hayward Keith (2275) - Vandivier Van (1965), Roseville MN, Kingsmen Chp, 1988]

[8 ... Bg4 9 h3 Bxf3 10 Bxf3 Nd4 11 Bd1 b5 12 Ne2 Nd7 13 Ng3 b4 14 Kh1 e6 15 c3 bxc3 16 bxc3 Nc6 17 Bd2 Qa5 18 Bb3 Nb6 19 Rc1 Qa6 20 Qe2 Rac8 21 Qf3 c4 22 dxc4 Nxc4 23 Be1 N6a5 24 Bc2 Qb6 25 f5 Qe3 26 Rd1 Qxf3 27 Rxf3 Rb8 28 fxe6 fxe6 29 Rxf8+ Rxf8 30 Bb3 Rb8 31 Rb1 Kf7 32 Ne2 Ke7 33 Nd4 e5 34 Bh4+ Bf6 35 Bxf6+ Kxf6 36 Nf3 Ke7 37 Kg1 Na3 38 Rb2 N3c4 39 Rb1 Na3 40 Rc1 Nxb3 41 axb3 Rxb3 42 Nd2 Rb2 43 Ra1 Nb5 44 Nf3 Rc2 45 Ra5 Nc7 46 Rxa7 Rxc3 47 Ng5 h6 48 Nf3 Kd7 49 Kf2 Kc8 50 Nh4 g5 51 Nf5 Kb8 52 Ra2 Rc6 53 Rb2+ Ka7 54 Ne7 Rb6 55 Nc8+ 1-0, Hayward Keith (2300) - Probasco Robert (2135), Dallas TX, DCC, 1995]

9 Qh4

[9 Kh1 b5 10 a3 Bg4 11 Be3 Nd7 12 h3 Bxf3 13 Bxf3 Nd4 14 Bd1 a5 15 f5 e6 16 fxe6 fxe6 17 Rxf8+ Nxf8 18 Rb1 b4 19 axb4 axb4 20 Ne2 Nxe2 21 Bxe2 Nd7 22 c3 bxc3 23 bxc3 Rxb1 24 Qxb1 Bxc3 25 Qb3 Qf6 26 Qb7 Qf7 27 Qc7 Be5 28 g4 Nf8 29 Qd8 Bf4 30 Bg1 Be5 31 Be3 Qf6 32 Qe8 Qh4 0-1, Hayward Keith - Curry Robert, Postal, APCT 88RF2, 1994]

9 ... b5 10 Bd2 b4 11 Nd1 e6 12 Ne3 Nd7 13 Qxd8 Rxd8 14 Rab1 Nb6 15 Kh1 Na4 16 Nd1 a5 17 h3 d5 18 e5 f6 19 exf6 Bxf6 20 Re1 Nd4 21 Nxd4 Bxd4 22 Bf3 c4 23 Be3 Bxe3 24 Rxe3 b3 25 cxb3 cxb3 26 Ra1 bxa2 27 Rxa2 Rb4 28 g3 Bd7 29 d4 Rdb8 30 Rea3 Rxd4 31 b3 Nc5 32 Rxa5 Nxb3 33 Ra7 Bb5 34 Nf2 h5 35 Bd1 Nc5 36 Be2 Bxe2 37 Rxe2 h4 38 Kg2 hxg3 39 Kxg3 Rf8 40 Rc7 Rc4 41 Kg2 Rfxf4 42 Ng4 Nd3 43 Nh6+ Kf8 44 Rh7 Rfe4 45 Ra2 Ra4 46 Rc2 Ne1+ 0-1, Hayward Keith - Michelman Peter, Postal, ICCF 10USCCC, 1994

Sad to end the article with two losses, but they were both strong players. For those of you like numbers, this article (both parts, starting from the key position) was a complete game extract from my ChessBase database, no games left out. I won 16, lost 5, and drew 8, which equates to a 69% winning. I probably have a few more games to add to my database, but I think this is a good representation of what you might see in this opening line and some of the results you might get. There is plenty of unexplored territory here. Good Chess!!