The Mieses Opening: Myers Spike Attack

With 2.g4, you immediately claim space on the kingside and try to seize control of the f5-square. The idea is to follow up with Bg2, putting pressure along the long diagonal, and eventually support your pawns with moves like h3 and a slow, building attack. However, you are playing a slightly worse position from the start — Stockfish gives -0.79, a clear edge for Black. That means you are worse, and you need to play accurately to avoid letting Black's natural development (such as d5 followed by Bg2, Nc6, and h3) give them a comfortable game. Your compensation comes from the fact that many opponents are unfamiliar with the position and will misreact.

The most common move by far is Bg7, appearing in 1,756 of the 2,237 games recorded. White scores 45.1% against it — about what you would expect given the evaluation. Other popular responses include d6 (101 games, White scores 43.6%) and d5 (81 games, White scores 46.9%). Notice that Black's best engine move is actually d5 — when they play it, Black scores well, but they rarely do. The less common replies like Nf6 (48 games) give you particular trouble: White scores only 33.3% against it, so be careful if Black develops the knight to f6 early.

The statistics flag one clear inaccuracy: b6 (55 games). When Black plays b6, they lose roughly 0.9 pawns compared to the better move d5. White scores a respectable 52.7% against b6 — the highest winning percentage against any of the common replies. If your opponent tries b6 (preparing Bb7), you can feel confident that you have dodged the most critical line. Use the extra tempo to continue your plan: develop the bishop to g2, and keep an eye on the centre. Remember, though, b6 remains rare — only 55 games — so do not count on facing it often.

When Stockfish gets the white side, it recommends d5 as Black's best reply — but since you are White, that tells you what Black should do. After d5, the engine's suggested continuation is: d5, Bg2, Nc6, h3. Notice that Black immediately claims central space with d5, develops naturally, and leaves your g4 pawn somewhat loose. Your job in this line is to keep your pawn structure flexible, avoid overextending, and look for chances to strike back in the centre once Black's pieces are committed. If Black does not play d5 — and most of the time they do not — you have more room to manoeuvre.