Sokolsky Opening (Polish)
Initial Moves: 1.b4
Strategic Summary & Main Idea
The Sokolsky Opening, also known as the Polish or the Orangutan, starts with 1.b4: the pawn gains queenside space and opens the long diagonal for the b2 bishop, at the price of being unprotected from move one. The measurement places the opening a little below equality, at −0.13 after 1.b4. The most played reply, 1...e5, which wins the pawn with ...Bxb4, measures −0.31 after development. The costliest mistake, however, is Black's: in the same line, 3...Nc6? loses the rook to 4.Bxg7 and measures +7.50.
The pawn structure this opening produces
The Sokolsky is a flank opening in which White does not contest the centre with pawns in the first moves. The b4 pawn has two roles: gaining queenside space and freeing b2 for the bishop, which aims at e5 and g7 along the long diagonal. The structural consequence is that White has no support for the b4 pawn, and Black's replies split between attacking it and ignoring it. Against 1...e5, the b2 bishop attacks the pawn, Black defends it with the bishop and takes b4, and the game opens with White regaining the pawn on e5; the resulting structure leaves White without a b-pawn and with an active bishop, and Black with quick development. Against 1...d5 or 1...Nf6, White pushes b5, plays e3 and c4 and builds a Réti structure with the b-pawn already advanced. Against 1...c6, Black prepares ...a5 or ...Qb6 to punish the pawn, and White answers with a3 or b5. In every version, the a1-h8 diagonal is the axis: whoever controls it decides whether the b4 pawn was an investment or a weakness.
Typical Plans for White
- Develop the bishop to b2 on move two and press e5 and g7 along the long diagonal
- Against 1...e5, regain the pawn with Bxe5 after ...Bxb4 and continue with c4, Nf3 and e3
- Against 1...d5 and 1...Nf6, push b5 and set up e3, c4 and Nf3
- Against 1...c6, defend the pawn with a3 or push b5 before ...a5
- Do not play e4 as a gambit against 2...f6: 3.e4 Bxb4 4.Bc4 Nc6 5.f4 measures −0.67
Typical Plans for Black
- Answer 1...e5, take the pawn with ...Bxb4 and develop quickly with ...Nf6 and ...O-O
- Protect g7 before moving the b8 knight: 3...Nc6? loses the rook to Bxg7
- Close the long diagonal with ...f6 or ...d5, which neutralises the b2 bishop
- Against b5, attack the advanced pawn with ...a6 or ...c6 when White cannot hold it
- Play ...d5 and ...Bf5 for a solid structure and wait for White's queenside play
Main Variations of the Sokolsky Opening (Polish)
| Variation | Move Sequence | Evaluation | Style / Characteristic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main Line (1...e5 2.Bb2 Bxb4) | 1.b4 e5 2.Bb2 Bxb4 3.Bxe5 Nf6 4.c4 O-O 5.Nf3 d5 |
−0.31 | Black takes the pawn and develops; the most played reply |
| 1...e5 2.a3 | 1.b4 e5 2.a3 d5 3.Bb2 Bd6 |
−0.36 | White defends the pawn instead of developing, and loses a little more |
| 1...e5 2.Bb2 f6 | 1.b4 e5 2.Bb2 f6 3.b5 d5 4.e3 Be6 |
0.00 | The f6 pawn closes the long diagonal; equality |
| 1...d5 | 1.b4 d5 2.Bb2 Nf6 3.e3 Bf5 4.a3 e6 5.Nf3 Nbd7 6.c4 |
+0.01 | A Réti structure with the b-pawn advanced; the most balanced position in the entry |
| 1...Nf6 | 1.b4 Nf6 2.Bb2 e6 3.b5 d5 4.e3 |
−0.16 | The knight covers e4 and White pushes b5 |
| 1...c6 with ...a5 | 1.b4 c6 2.Bb2 a5 3.b5 cxb5 4.e4 |
−0.24 | Black attacks the pawn, and White returns it for e4 |
| 1...c6 with ...Qb6 | 1.b4 c6 2.Bb2 Qb6 3.a3 a5 |
+0.17 | The queen comes out early to attack b4; the highest White evaluation in the entry |
Evaluations measured by us with Stockfish 19, depth 22, on 15/09/2026.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Sokolsky Opening good?
It is playable, but without an edge: 1.b4 measures −0.13. Against the most solid replies, such as 1...d5 (+0.01) or 1...e5 2.Bb2 f6 (0.00), the position is balanced; against 1...e5 with ...Bxb4, Black is slightly better (−0.31). What it buys is a little-studied game and the long diagonal.
What is the best reply to 1.b4?
By the measurement, 1...e5 with 2.Bb2 Bxb4 3.Bxe5 Nf6, which measures −0.31 after 4.c4 O-O 5.Nf3 d5. Black gains developing time and the b2 bishop loses its target on e5. The condition is covering g7 before developing the b8 knight.
Why does 3...Nc6 lose in the Sokolsky?
Because the e5 bishop attacks g7, and the knight on c6, although it attacks the bishop, does not defend the pawn: 4.Bxg7 escapes by capturing. After 4.Bxg7, the h8 rook is attacked with no way out, and the position measures +7.50. The correct move is 3...Nf6, which covers g7 and develops at the same time.
Common Mistakes & Where Most Amateurs Go Wrong
- 01 Developing with 3...Nc6? in the main line. The knight attacks the bishop but does not defend g7, and 4.Bxg7 attacks the h8 rook, which has nowhere to go: the position goes from −0.31 to +7.50. The line:
1.b4 e5 2.Bb2 Bxb4 3.Bxe5 Nc6+7.50 - 02 Trying a gambit with 3.e4 against 2...f6. The b4 pawn falls to 3...Bxb4, the f6 pawn closes the b2 bishop's diagonal, and after 4.Bc4 Nc6 5.f4 White is still a pawn down and without the diagonal that justified 1.b4: −0.67. The line:
1.b4 e5 2.Bb2 f6 3.e4 Bxb4 4.Bc4 Nc6 5.f4−0.67
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