The opening move, 1.f3, is one most Black players would welcomed, if for no other reason that he (or she) might secretly wish for 1.f3 e5! 2.g4?? and 2…Qh4mate.
In fact, this opening almost always leads to a lost game for White.
Almost!
Gedult-Seligann
Blitz Game
Paris, 1966
1.f3 f5 2.e4 fxe4 3.Nc3 exf3 4.Nxf3 Nf6 5.Bc4 e6 6.O-O d5 7.Bb3 c6 8.d4 Bd6 9.Bg5 O-O 10.Ne5 Nbd7 11.Qe1 Nb6?! 12.Ng4! Qe7 13.Nxf6+ gxf6 14.Bh6 Rf7 15.Qh4 e5? 16.Ne4! dxe4 17.Rxf6! Nd5 18.Qg5+ Kh8 19.Rxf7 Qxf7 20.Bxd5 cxd5 21.Qd8+ Bf8 22.Rf1 1-0
Gedult-Selmar
Paris, 1966
1.f3 c5 2.e4 (An unusual way of reaching a Sicilian.) 2…g6 3.d4 cxd4 4.c3 dxc3 5.Nxc3 Bg7 6.Bf4 Qa5 7.Qb3 Nc6 8.O-O-O Nf6 9.Nb5 d6 10.Rxd6?! exd6 (a6) 11.Nxd6+ Kd7 12.Qxf7+ Ne7 13.Bb5+ Kd8 14.Qe8+ Rxe8 15.Nf7mate 1-0
Gedult-Melchior
Trouville, 1968
1.f3 f5 2.e4 fxe4 3.Nc3 exf3 4.Nxf3 Nf6 5.Bc4 d5 6.Bb3 Bg4 7.O-O d4 8.Ne5! Bh5 9.Qxh5+ Nxh5 10.Bf7mate 1-0
CHESS 4.6-Nigel Short
Match, 1978
[For the last game of this match Short had the opportunity to decide what would be the computer’s first move. It didn’t help.]
1.f3 e5 2.Nc3 d5 3.d4 exd4 4.Qxd4 Be6 5.Qa4+ Nd7 6.Be3 c5 7.Bf4 a6 8.Bg3 b5 9.Qf4 Ngf6 10.e3 b4 11.Nce2 Be7 12.Qc7 O-O 13.Qxd8 Rfxd8 14.a3 a5 15.axb4 axb4 16.Rxa8 Rxa8 17.Nc1 Ra1 18.Kd2 c4 19.Nge2 Nc5 20.Nd4 c3+ 21.bxc3 bxc3+ 22.Kd1 Na4 23.Bb5 Ba3 24.Ndb3 Nb2+ 25.Ke2 Nc4 26.Nxa1 1-0
Crawford-Black
corres., 1995
1.f3 d5 2.g3 e6 3.Nh3 c5 4.Nf2 Bd6 5.Bg2 Nf6 6.O-O O-O 7.c3 e5 8.Na3 a6 9.Nc2 Nc6 10.e4 d4 11.d3 b5 12.cxd4 Kh8 13.dxe5 Bxe5 14.f4 Bd4 15.e5 Bxf2+ 16.Rfxf2 Nd5 17.Ne3 Nce7 18.Rc2 Bb7 19.Rxc5 Nxe3 20.Bxe3 Bxg2 21.Kxg2 Nf5 22.Bf2 g6 23.d4 h5 24.d5 h4 25.g4 h3+ 26.Kxh3 Nh6 27.d6 Kg7 28.Bh4 Qd7 29.Rc7 Qe6 30.d7 Rh8 31.Bf6+ Kh7 32.f5 gxf5 33.Bxh8 fxg4+ 34.Kg2 Rd8 35.Bf6 Nf5 36.Qd3 Kh6 37.Bxd8 1-0
The Gambit Chess Player 