table of content:

Preface
1. Introduction
2. plans, tasks and perils of the opening-period
3. Main-Opening-moves

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Preface

What do you have in mind, when you read “Opening-Theory”? A compendium, which  lists, registers and specifies all opening-moves? Or maybe all reasonable opening-moves ? Probably we have to disappoint you: This is not the aim of this Opening-Theory, rather it’s the aim of the Abalone-Evolution. Maybe in 20 years the Abalone-Evolution has developed a quite complete compendium,  but in the current days this is not our aim.
In fact, the aim of this Opening-Theory is to list, register and specify some strong main-variants. Therefore this is  a presentation of  3-5 strong moves per move and there is an argumentation, why these moves are strong moves - but its is not a complete compendium.
This Theory is restrained on these moves, because this is a fruitful way to test these variants. And it is your task and the task of the Abalone-Evolution to test this moves in practice and maybe to confirm or to disprove this moves.
This will be, maybe, a first step to express the practice-knowledge – developed by the past Abalone-Evolution -  which was until the present more or less unexpressed.
Therfore it the first step to bequeath this knowledge in a manner of a chronicle – in contrary  to the past manner: only by experience and practice.  



Introduction:

Belgium-Daisy is a established starting-position on the Netabalone-server. It is frequently played and it’s a favoured starting-position of some very good players (Compare: http://148009.aceboard.net/148009-519-1555-0-Standard-Variation.htm#vb)

The opening is similar to German-Daisy and Domination: a battle for the centre and advantage and a battle for survival. In standard and the standard-related openings it is very disparate: black gets the centre and most of the time both players get a stable block. And in standard there are very often the identical two blocks after the opening, although the player played first different moves. But in the Belgium-Daisy-Opening we have to investigate the opening from the first move, because with every move the situation becomes different.

First we want to present you in a general some main-tasks and main-perils of the opening-period (I.) Then we will present some first moves of several Opening-Systems (II.) of the Belgium-Daisy-Opening.
After this Introduction, we will study each System separately.  

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I. Main- tasks and Main-perils in the opening

1. Centre and Edge: "Unite or not unite", that’s the decisive question.




A short dynamic analysis  will be sufficient for this example to get a first overlook.

This is a example, which illustrates, how important is the centre and the survival-battle in the Belgium-Daisy-Opening. In all standard-related games, you move also from the beginning to the centre, but in Belgium Daisy – similar to Domination and German-Daisy – there are very dangerous and decisive consequences for the game. If you don’t get the centre in standard-related openings, then there is still most of the time a major-block. But in Belgium-Daisy one of the worst consequences is, that your marbles are still split into two groups in two edges and the opponent gets a large and dominant centre.
If you regard the second image (2) then you recognise the move a1a2b1 (2.-3.). - instead of blocking the g6. Therefore White is playing g3g4 (3.-4.). In this manner black is losing the centre from move to move and White extent its dominance. The climax and the turning-point is the image 6. There is a fragmentation of the blacks’ marbles and White got a dominant centre. In 7. and 8. White is attacking one black group on the edge and its pretty an endgame-prison and finished.      

This is also an example, that the game can lead from the opening to the first transitional phase into a real-endgame, without any middle-game-problem.  

2 Beispiel ...





Summery:

The centre is important from the beginning.
You have to avoid to remain split in the two Daisy-groups, except the association between the opponents marbles through the centre is very rare, because then you still have chances to get counterattack.
You should try to unite the two groups in the centre, but you don’t have to unite all marbles. A first aim is to unite sufficient marbles to get a major-group and a minor-group.
If you only attack with one group, then there is the peril, that your second group will be attacked on the edge.
Usually the white-task, to unite marbles, is more difficult than the black, since black is one move ahead. But there are many chances to get "a asymmetrical balance" for White.  

--Last edited by SilverSurfer on 2005-11-11 01:14:49 --

Belgium Daisy Main-opening-Systems

Belgium-Daisy ist eine im Vergleich zu Standard oder anderen Frontal-Aufstellungen sehr anspruchsvolle Startaufstellung. Vor allem zu Beginn erfordert sie ein sehr aktives und dominantes Spiel und es enstehen zumeist recht schnell komplexe Stellungen.  
Diese Startaufstellung erfordert deshalb unterschiedliche Spielfähigkeiten eines Spielers, denn das einfach Block-Spiel, das in der Standard-Aufstellung schon recht effektiv zu  Erfolgen führen kann, ist hier nicht möglich.

Die folgenden drei Züge (A.-C.) sind die meistgespielten und vermutlich die stärksten Anfangszüge. Die unterschiedlichen STellungen, die hierdurch eingeleitet werden bezeichne ich deshalb als drei unterschiedliche "Hauptsysteme".



Es sind jedoch auch andere, vielleicht auf den ersten Blick nicht  intuitiv evident erscheinende Züge möglich:

 


1. G4g5     1. b1c2   1. b2c2  

--Last edited by SilverSurfer on 2005-11-11 00:53:54 --

General Theory:

Introduction

1. descrïption, comprehension, explanation, appraisement