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[FEN "rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR/8/8/8 w - - 0 1"]

I was planning to play white against the computer, starting with the positional advantage as shown above. I don't know how to set up the game yet with my chess apps, but I am hoping to win with fewer and fewer moves if I keep playing with the same opening. What first move would you recommend?

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My computer likes the cowardly Kd3 putting the king safe, which made me laugh. It's second favourite move was d6 which has more of a point - fight for the center and let the bishop see the f7 pawn directly. Also after d6 then Qd5 would threaten mate on f7.

To my carbon-based eye h6 looks attractive. The cunning point is that the white queen eyes the unprotected black rook on h8. Pawns on e5 and g7 are the only things blocking the queen's gaze. The idea of h6 is to tempt black into playing gxh6.

Here are some sample lines (but check with the computer as the position is very complicated and the silicon monster sees a lot further and a lot clearer than me).

[fen "rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR/8/8/8 w - - 0 1"]

1. h6 g6 (1...gxh6 2. d6 {trying to set up the mating threat Nd5, NXc7#} e6 {stopping that plan} 3. Nd5! {anyway!} exd5+ 4. Qxd5 {threatening mate on f7. Stopping it will cost black the queen}) 2. fxg6 hxg6 (2...fxg6 3. e6 {and the rook is lost}) 3. d6 e6 {and white is close to threatening mate with Nf6. Maybe first shift the black knight on g8 with h7.}
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  • 1 Kd3 may be better it looks. Black is almost in Zugzwang!
    – Noam D. Elkies
    Commented Mar 9, 2021 at 21:24
  • In the "main line" after 1 h6 g6 2 fxg6 hxg6 White can already win a piece with 3 h7. After the further 3 d6 e6, your suggestion 4 h7 again wins that Knight -- you write "shift the black knight" but where can it go? After 4 . . . f5+ 5 exf6 ep, same question, and now instead of the follow-up Nf6+ White has the new possibilty of going for Ne5 and f7#.
    – Noam D. Elkies
    Commented Mar 10, 2021 at 3:08
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    Methinks that the White space advantage (save from the fact that the king can run into the botany) is less relevant here. More relevant is that a clash is imminent due to the armies being very close, and the starting tempo for White now is near to decisive. Just for fun, I put into the lichess engine - I would instinctively go for d6, Stockfish loves h6.
    – Hauke Reddmann
    Commented Mar 11, 2021 at 16:25
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    Another fun thing: Put the white officers on the 4th and the pawns on the 3rd. Although this looks dangerous for Black, the white bishops ogling f7 and c7, White is already lost - f5+ followed by d5 exposes his king too much. So much for space advantage...
    – Hauke Reddmann
    Commented Mar 11, 2021 at 16:37

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