ECO A02 · Bird Opening

Bird Opening: Horsefly Defense

1. f4 Nh6

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

2. e4+0.17

The position is roughly equal. Stockfish 18, depth 18.

Analyze this position

In the Bird Opening: Horsefly Defense (A02), reached after 1. f4 Nh6, Stockfish 18 recommends 2. e4 for White. The position is roughly equal (+0.17).

Top engine moves

  1. +0.172. e4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Be7 5. d4 O-O 6. e5 c5
  2. +0.022. d4 d5 3. Nf3 Bg4 4. Ne5 e6 5. Nxg4 Nxg4 6. e4 h5
  3. +0.012. Nf3 d5 3. d4 c5 4. Nc3 Nc6 5. dxc5 d4 6. Na4 Qa5+

Frequently asked questions

What is the best move in the Bird Opening: Horsefly Defense?
After 1. f4 Nh6, Stockfish 18 at depth 18 recommends 2. e4 for White, continuing e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Be7 5. d4 O-O 6. e5 c5. The position is roughly equal (+0.17). The next best moves are 2. d4 (+0.02) and 2. Nf3 (+0.01).
Is the Bird Opening: Horsefly Defense a good opening?
Stockfish rates the position at +0.17: the position is roughly equal. 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: Horsefly Defense?
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+).