Atomic Chess Openings - The Wild, Wild West

As with all other games - it takes some time and study to develop optimal moves. The nascent days after the discovery of some wholly new game is among the brightest of all the days in that game's history. People are enjoying themselves, playing the game and discovering thrilling new combinations and features for the very first time. Anything and everything is free game until otherwise learned to be wrong. Basically, it would be like the wild, wild West of American lore. And atomic was definitely the flashy new kid on the block. People could play without knowing any theory whatsoever and still enjoy the game - but as time progressed, things obviously became known and theory was developed. The more time that passes, the harder it gets to play certain games as strategies are discovered and moves are proven to be unsound or outright losing moves.

Atomic was added to the German Internet Chess Server and as such, the earliest recorded games of atomic chess can be found on this server. I've been fortunate to discover a few of the earliest known games of atomic from their archived games and from my personal archives. I'd definitely define this period of opening theory as being the time between 27 November 1995 (when atomic was added to GICS) to 07 November 1996 when Pfiffigunde completed the first major revision of the Atomix opening book. That's a period of nearly a full year for opening theory to gestate and spread throughout this small community of atomic chess players.

I only have 27 atomic chess games from the entirety of the Wild, Wild West era. The earliest game I have is esha(2291) versus JoelH(1990) on Tuesday, March 26, 1996 - 10:36 GMT. This marks the earliest recorded atomic game that I know of. The first series that I have on record would be JoelH versus battle (6 games on April 2, 1996, JoelH won the series 4-2).

April 3, 2009: tipau sent me a couple of comments about part of this article, so with apologies to ErrantFischer (Chris Ferrante), I've ganked his wonderful concept with Gnejs' comments on Top 10 Ways to tell you have a bad bughouse partner (a classic bughouse article, found here). Behold the

icon! Click on those to read his comments.

esha (2291) vs. JoelH (1990) --- Tue Mar 26 1996, 10:36 GMT Rated Atomic match, initial time: 2 minutes, increment: 12 seconds. Move esha JoelH ---- ---------------- ---------------- 1. Nf3 (0:04) f6 (0:06) 2. e3 (0:02) d6 (0:02) 3. Ng5 (0:10) fxg5 (0:07) 4. Qh5+ (0:02) g6 (0:01) 5. Bc4 (0:02) gxh5 (0:14) 6. Bf7+ (0:04) Kd7 (0:03) 7. Nc3 (0:07) c6 (0:06) 8. Ne4 (0:13) d5 (0:03) 9. Nc5+ (0:07) Kd6 (0:04) 10. Bxd5 (0:03) {Black checkmated} 1-0	FEN: rnbq1bnr/pp2pB1p/2pk4/2Np4/8/4P3/PPPP1PPP/R1B1K2R Final position before 10. Bxd5 {Atomic-explosion}
FEN: rnbqkbnr/pppp2pp/5p2/4p3/8/4PN2/PPPP1PPP/RNBQKB1R Position after 2. ... e5 This is a rare position today, you'd almost never see it if it wasn't for some experimentation by players. And this was in 1996, so 3.Ng5 was an entirely acceptable move. And then the game morphs into a Vlasov opening based game somehow. White was able to win in the end using breakthrough techniques to get his rooks through to explode Black's king. However, the quality of play found in this game isn't up to par by modern standards.	JoelH (1984) vs. JohnLennon (2180) --- Tue Mar 26 1996, 15:03 GMT Rated Atomic match, initial time: 5 minutes, increment: 0 seconds. Move JoelH JohnLennon ---- ---------------- ---------------- 1. Nf3 (0:04) f6 (0:07) 2. e3 (0:02) e5 (0:08) 3. Ng5 (0:07) Bb4 (0:41) 4. c3 (0:05) f5 (0:18) 5. Nf7 (0:04) Qh4 (0:12) 6. g3 (0:05) Qh5 (0:09) 7. Qxh5 (0:13) Nf6 (0:17) 8. f3 (0:08) Ba5 (0:23) 9. b4 (0:15) Bb6 (0:02) 10. Na3 (0:08) Nc6 (0:13) 11. Nb5 (0:04) Nxb4 (0:02) 12. Ba3 (0:06) Bc5 (0:05) 13. Rb1 (0:05) b6 (0:12) 14. Bb5 (0:05) c6 (0:01) 15. Bxc6 (0:03) Ba6 (0:04) 16. Nd6+ (0:16) Kd8 (0:06) 17. Nb7+ (0:13) Ke8 (0:04) 18. Nd6+ (0:03) Kd8 (0:07) 19. Nf7+ (0:04) Ke8 (0:01) 20. Nxh8 (0:05) Bd3 (0:13) 21. Rb4 (0:09) d5 (0:06) 22. h4 (0:07) h5 (0:04) 23. Rb2 (0:12) b5 (0:04) 24. Bd6 (0:08) Nd7 (0:11) 25. Kf2 (0:12) Be2 (0:01) 26. f4 (0:03) e4 (0:08) 27. Rhb1 (0:07) Nf6 (0:02) 28. Bc5 (0:24) Ng4+ (0:02) 29. Kg1 (0:01) Nf2 (0:06) 30. Bxa7 (0:04) Nh3+ (0:13) 31. Kh2 (0:06) Bf3 (0:03) 32. Rb3 (0:11) Nf2 (0:08) 33. Ra3 (0:09) Ng4+ (0:08) 34. Kg1 (0:02) Bg2 (0:07) 35. Ra8+ (0:04) Kd7 (0:09) 36. Rd8+ (0:06) Kc7 (0:02) 37. Rb3 (0:03) b4 (0:16) 38. Rb1 (0:03) Nh2 (0:05) 39. cxb4 (0:03) Nf3+ (0:02) 40. Kf2 (0:13) Ne1 (0:02) 41. Rb7+ (0:03) Kc6 (0:01) 42. Rd6+ (0:03) Kc5 (0:01) 43. Rxd5 (0:02) {Black checkmated} 1-0
JoelH (1961) vs. battle (2003) --- Tue Apr 2 1996, 11:15 GMT Rated Atomic match, initial time: 5 minutes, increment: 0 seconds. Move JoelH battle ---- ---------------- ---------------- 1. Nf3 (0:03) f6 (0:02) 2. e3 (0:16) d6 (0:03) 3. Ng5 (0:12) fxg5 (0:05) 4. Qh5+ (0:03) g6 (0:02) 5. Bc4 (0:04) e6 (0:09) 6. Qf3 (0:04) Nf6 (0:07) 7. Bxe6 (0:02) Qf6 (0:08) 8. Qxf6 (0:07) Bg7 (0:03) 9. c3 (0:02) O-O (0:06) 10. f3 (0:02) Na6 (0:05) 11. b4 (0:10) b5 (0:08) 12. O-O (0:07) Be5 (0:18) 13. g3 (0:03) Bh3 (0:02) 14. Re1 (0:06) Rxf3 (0:24) 15. Re2 (0:35) Rf8 (0:01) {White resigned} 0-1	FEN: 5rk1/p1p4p/n2p2p1/1p2b3/1P6/2P1P1Pb/P2PR2P/RNB3K1 Final position - White resigns as he cannot avoid mate
FEN: rn1qkbnr/ppp1p1pp/5p2/7Q/2B5/4P3/PPPP1PPP/RNB1K2R Final position - White missed Black's explosive Qxd2, a fatal error	battle (2010) vs. JoelH (1953) --- Tue Apr 2 1996, 11:21 GMT Rated Atomic match, initial time: 5 minutes, increment: 0 seconds. Move battle JoelH ---- ---------------- ---------------- 1. Nf3 (0:03) f6 (0:02) 2. e3 (0:02) d6 (0:02) 3. Bc4 (0:07) Be6 (0:13) 4. Ne5 (0:16) dxe5 (0:11) 5. Qh5+ (0:18) Qxd2 (0:13) {White checkmated} 0-1
JoelH (1964) vs. battle (2001) --- Tue Apr 2 1996, 11:24 GMT Rated Atomic match, initial time: 5 minutes, increment: 0 seconds. Move JoelH battle ---- ---------------- ---------------- 1. Nf3 (0:05) f6 (0:03) 2. Nd4 (0:03) Nh6 (0:13) 3. h3 (0:06) c6 (0:06) 4. e4 (0:03) e5 (0:20) 5. Nf5 (0:33) Nxf5 (0:21) 6. Bc4 (0:25) d5 (0:05) 7. Bb3 (0:12) Bb4 (0:07) 8. c3 (0:05) Bxc3 (0:01) 9. Qh5+ (0:10) g6 (0:02) 10. Qh6 (0:01) dxe4 (0:01) 11. d3 (0:05) Qd4 (0:31) 12. Be3 (0:06) Qh4 (0:04) 13. g3 (0:18) Qh5 (0:14) 14. Qf8+ (0:11) {Black resigned} 1-0	FEN: rnb1k2r/pp5p/2p2ppQ/4p3/7q/3PB1PP/PP3P2/RN2K2 Final "real" position - it appears Black slipped on Qxh6 but White shouldn't have played 11.d3
FEN: rnbqk1nr/pppp4/4pp2/7p/8/4P3/PPQP1PPP/RNB1K2R A promising opening to explore in the modern day! (Position after 7.Qc2) FEN: 7k/7P/3p4/3Pp3/4Pp2/5P2/p7/K7 White wins due to use of the opposition (but a poorly played game by both sides) Position after 30. Ka1	battle (1993) vs. JoelH (1974) --- Tue Apr 2 1996, 11:30 GMT Rated Atomic match, initial time: 5 minutes, increment: 0 seconds. Move battle JoelH ---- ---------------- ---------------- 1. Nf3 (0:02) f6 (0:02) 2. e3 (0:01) e6 (0:02) 3. Bd3 (0:31) g6 (0:08) 4. Nh4 (0:05) Bb4 (0:06) 5. c3 (0:02) Bxc3 (0:20) 6. Nxg6 (0:01) h5 (0:05) 7. Qc2 (0:05) f5 (0:09) 8. Qxc7 (0:03) Nf6 (0:05) 9. f3 (0:10) Rc8 (0:15) 10. Nc3 (0:04) Nd5 (0:03) 11. Nxd5 (0:04) Rc2 (0:04) 12. Kf1 (0:04) Rxb2 (0:03) 13. Ke2 (0:06) f4 (0:13) 14. e4 (0:02) O-O (0:06) 15. Rc1 (0:21) Rc8 (0:22) 16. Rc5 (0:10) Rxc5 (0:15) 17. g4 (0:07) hxg4 (0:04) 18. h4 (0:02) a5 (0:02) 19. Kd3 (0:10) b5 (0:02) 20. Kc2 (0:02) b4 (0:05) 21. a3 (0:04) bxa3 (0:14) 22. h5 (0:06) a4 (0:06) 23. Kb2 (0:07) a3+ (0:01) 24. Ka2 (0:01) Kh7 (0:03) 25. h6 (0:04) e5 (0:08) 26. d4 (1:00) d6 (0:32) 27. d5 (0:04) Kg8 (0:09) 28. h7+ (0:05) Kh8 (0:03) 29. Kb1 (0:03) a2+ (0:08) 30. Ka1 (0:02) Kg7 (0:02) 31. h8=Q+ (0:03) Kg6 (0:02) 32. Qf6+ (0:02) Kh5 (0:01) 33. Qg5+ (0:01) {Black checkmated} 1-0
JoelH (1966) vs. battle (2000) --- Tue Apr 2 1996, 11:39 GMT Rated Atomic match, initial time: 5 minutes, increment: 0 seconds. Move JoelH battle ---- ---------------- ---------------- 1. Nf3 (0:02) f6 (0:01) 2. e3 (0:02) d6 (0:02) 3. Bc4 (0:02) d5 (0:07) 4. Bd3 (0:17) d4 (0:27) 5. Bxh7 (0:05) Bg4 (0:08) 6. d3 (0:18) dxe3 (0:39) 7. f3 (0:07) Qd4 (0:39) 8. Be3 (0:41) Qe5 (0:41) 9. fxg4 (0:18) Qf5 (0:13) 10. Qh5+ (0:08) Qxh5 (0:30) 11. Bc5 (0:06) {Black resigned} 1-0	FEN: rn2kb2/ppp1p1p1/5p2/2B5/8/3P4/PPP3PP/RN2K2R Black resigned as he can't avoid Bxe7 explosion (e6 or e5 results in Bxf8 explosion) This game illustrates possibly the turning point in the development of a standard modern atomic opening today from the Mr Pink Opening (1.Nf3 f6 2.e3 d6) - which is almost never played anymore in favor of the "Atomic Attack - Modern Defense" (1.Nf3 f6 2.e3 d5!) which turns off the early Bc4 move that had become a standard in the early days of atomic games as can be seen in some of the other games from 1996. d5 shuts down Bc4 and limits White's options, a necessity for Black.
FEN: rnbqk2r/pp4pp/2pppp1n/4N3/8/1QN1P2P/PP1P1PP1/R1B1K2R Position after 8.Qb3 It appears that we can see the nascent development of the opening theory known as "The Hook" as Leonard Blackburn (Rekursiv) has named it, in this game. After 7.Ne4, Black chose to play 7. ... d6 rather than play fxe5 even though in modern games, you'd see fxe5 played in this sort of position.	battle (1992) vs. JoelH (1975) --- Tue Apr 2 1996, 11:45 GMT Rated Atomic match, initial time: 5 minutes, increment: 0 seconds. Move battle JoelH ---- ---------------- ---------------- 1. Nf3 (0:02) f6 (0:02) 2. e3 (0:10) e6 (0:02) 3. Bd3 (0:07) Bb4 (0:05) 4. c3 (0:06) Bxc3 (0:06) 5. Nc3 (0:37) Nh6 (0:09) 6. h3 (0:14) c6 (0:10) 7. Ne4 (0:24) d6 (0:43) 8. Qb3 (0:37) Ng4 (0:21) 9. hxg4 (0:02) h5 (0:08) 10. Qd3 (0:34) Qa5 (0:05) 11. Qc3 (0:09) Qa4 (0:25) 12. b3 (0:14) Qd4 (0:22) 13. Qxd4 (0:08) e5 (0:08) 14. Ba3 (0:16) c5 (0:12) 15. d4 (0:03) exd4 (0:11) 16. e4 (0:07) Be6 (0:06) 17. e5 (0:09) Bxb3 (0:08) 18. exd6 (0:04) O-O (0:03) 19. O-O-O (0:11) Rd8 (0:26) 20. Rd7 (0:36) Rxd7 (0:03) 21. Re1 (0:03) Nc6 (0:18) 22. Re6 (0:01) Re8 (0:05) 23. Rd6 (0:02) g5 (0:07) 24. Rd7 (0:02) Rd8 (0:03) {White ran out of time} 0-1
JoelH (1987) vs. esha (2299) --- Tue Mar 26 1996, 10:42 GMT Rated Atomic match, initial time: 2 minutes, increment: 12 seconds. Move JoelH esha ---- ---------------- ---------------- 1. Nf3 (0:03) f6 (0:02) 2. e3 (0:02) e6 (0:06) 3. Bc4 (0:24) d5 (0:10) 4. Bb5+ (0:32) c6 (0:04) 5. Nc3 (0:09) Bb4 (0:07) 6. a3 (0:29) Nh6 (0:19) 7. g4 (0:21) d4 (0:24) 8. Ba6 (0:24) dxe3 (0:29) 9. d4 (0:04) Qd5 (0:09) 10. Qe2 (0:32) Qg2 (0:41) 11. Kd1 (0:09) Nxa6 (0:18) 12. axb4 (0:47) Qxf2 (0:31) 13. Bxh6 (0:05) O-O (0:15) 14. h4 (0:03) e5 (0:05) 15. Re1 (0:08) Rd8 (0:11) 16. Re3 (0:06) exd4+ (0:03) {White resigned} 0-1	FEN: r1br2k1/pp4pp/2p2p2/4p3/3P2PP/8/1PP5/R2KR3 Final position before 16.Re3 forces the Black win White is in a hopeless position as esha tore apart JoelH's defenses, with the only possible error being what to do after 10. ... Qg2! White didn't help his case though, by accelerating Black's development with the useless opening moves of 3.Bc4 and 4.Bb5+. White never recovered and Black crushed him.
FEN: rnbqkb1r/ppppp1pp/5p2/8/5P1N/3P4/PPP1PnPP/RNB Position after 4. ... Nf2 This game illustrates very well what can happen when one player has no idea whatsoever about basic opening principles. Unfortunately, in this case, it's connex. The man programmed atomic chess for us, but he has no concept of the opening principles used in atomic chess. Black absolutely destroys White after White threw away his advantage with 2.Nh4??.	connex (1428) vs. eardrum (1830) --- Sun Mar 31 1996, 4:39 GMT Rated Atomic match, initial time: 5 minutes, increment: 0 seconds. Move connex eardrum ---- ---------------- ---------------- 1. Nf3 (0:02) f6 (0:03) 2. Nh4 (0:02) Nh6 (0:03) 3. d3 (0:05) Ng4 (0:07) 4. f4 (0:10) Nf2 (0:03) 5. Qd2 (0:07) Nxd3 (0:02) 6. Nf5 (0:03) e6 (0:06) 7. Ne7 (0:02) Na6 (0:10) 8. e3 (0:09) c6 (0:06) 9. Bxa6 (0:03) Qa5+ (0:04) 10. b4 (0:02) Qh5 (0:06) 11. g4 (0:03) Qh4+ (0:03) 12. Kf1 (0:37) Qf2+ (0:04) {White checkmated} 0-1
Atomix (1853) vs. connex (1418) --- Sun Apr 14 1996, 0:59 GMT Rated Atomic match, initial time: 2 minutes, increment: 12 seconds. Move Atomix connex ---- ---------------- ---------------- 1. Nf3 (0:00) f6 (0:22) 2. e3 (0:00) Nc6 (0:16) 3. Ng5 (0:09) fxg5 (0:21) 4. Qh5+ (0:12) g6 (0:06) 5. Qd5 (0:03) d6 (0:17) 6. Qf7+ (0:01) Kd7 (0:12) 7. Qxe7 (0:00) {Black checkmated} 1-0	FEN: r1bqkbnr/ppppp1pp/2n2p2/6N1/8/4P3/PPPP1PPP/RNBQKB1R Position after 3.Ng5 As we can see here, Atomix(C) is playing with a very rough opening book but it plays well enough with its rudimentary opening book. 3.Ng5 doesn't force a mate but the far superior 3.Ne5! does force a mate, mainly because Black has to take the knight or get blown up by Nxd7 (d6 or d5 falls to Nd7, Nxf8). It's rather cool to see this development in opening theory from ground zero (April 1996) to the modern day concepts that we take for granted. It took years to discover that Ne5 was superior to Ng5 in this position.

There are so many games that I had to split the section into two parts. This gives us a good start on the development of atomic theory. Some of the ideas contained just in the games above illustrate the development of specific openings but also give us insight into how atomic play has developed with time. Let's head over to Part 2.

Minor point: 1.Nf3 f6 2.Nh4, isn't so bad is it? Despite how it turned out I thought 2...Nh6 was a bigger mistake as White could/should play 3.Ng6 and be clearly better. After 2...d5 3.Nf5 Bxf5 4.d4 = although of course White's thrown away any initiative.