ECO A02 · Bird Opening

Bird Opening: Hobbs-Zilbermints Gambit

1. f4 h6 2. Nf3 g5

abcdefgh87654321
White to move. The arrow shows Stockfish’s best move.
Best move

3. e4+0.76

White is slightly better. Stockfish 18, depth 18.

Analyze this position

In the Bird Opening: Hobbs-Zilbermints Gambit (A02), reached after 1. f4 h6 2. Nf3 g5, Stockfish 18 recommends 3. e4 for White. White is slightly better (+0.76).

Top engine moves

  1. +0.763. e4 g4 4. Ne5 h5 5. d4 d6 6. Nc4 e6 7. Nc3 Bg7
  2. +0.483. d4 g4 4. Nfd2 d5 5. e4 dxe4 6. Nxe4 f5 7. Ng3 Nf6
  3. +0.323. fxg5 hxg5 4. Nxg5 d5 5. e4 Nc6 6. d4 dxe4 7. c3 Bh6

Frequently asked questions

What is the best move in the Bird Opening: Hobbs-Zilbermints Gambit?
After 1. f4 h6 2. Nf3 g5, Stockfish 18 at depth 18 recommends 3. e4 for White, continuing g4 4. Ne5 h5 5. d4 d6 6. Nc4 e6 7. Nc3 Bg7. White is slightly better (+0.76). The next best moves are 3. d4 (+0.48) and 3. fxg5 (+0.32).
Is the Bird Opening: Hobbs-Zilbermints Gambit a good opening?
Stockfish rates the position at +0.76: white is slightly better. Evaluations this early in the game are small, so practical results depend far more on knowing the plans and typical structures than on the engine's number.
What is the ECO code of the Bird Opening: Hobbs-Zilbermints Gambit?
A02. ECO codes classify chess openings from A00 to E99; A is the volume for flank openings.

Opening names from the Lichess opening book (CC0). Pieces by Colin M.L. Burnett (GPLv2+).