1.g4 d5 2.Bg2 Bxg4 3.c4 d4 opens the Grob's Attack: Romford Counter-Gambit, ECO A00. With 23,073 games on record, the patterns below come from the largest practical sample available.
History and Notable Players
It arises from the Grob's Attack: Fritz Gambit.
Move Diversity and Theory Depth
Move choice is far from uniform in the Grob's Attack: Romford Counter-Gambit. At 1200 Elo (3,328 games), the top reply is Bxb7, played 86.5% of the time. One other move takes at least 5% of games, and the top three moves account for 97.3% of games. Entropy: 0.82. By 2500 (100 games), Bxb7 dominates at 92% of replies; one other move reaches 5% and the top three moves account for 100% of games. Entropy drops to 0.48.
Common Mistakes
- Neglecting development — Extra pawn moves in the opening are tempting, especially when you "know the moves". Developing a piece each turn is the simple correction.
- Overextending the attack — Gambits look like permission to throw everything forward. They aren't — every attacking move should improve a piece. Random checks and threats burn the initiative once they fail to coordinate.
Practice on Chessiverse
Ready to try the Grob's Attack: Romford Counter-Gambit against a bot? Pick an opponent at your level and play a game.
