New openings for the Modern Variant

The British Openings

Contents
Report on Britain
Opening Statistics
  • Modern Games in Progress
  • Finished Games
  • Openings List
  • Channel Crossing, Atlantic Variant
  • IRA Attack
  • Rule Britannia
  • Spanish Fly
  • Back to the main article

    Report on Britain

    Number of wins:0
    Number of 3-way draws:1
    Number of 4-way draws:2
    Number of 5-way draws:1
    Number of eliminations:16

    Most Used Opening:Mornor, Irish Variant28 times
    Second Most Used Opening:Channel Crossing, Irish Variant12 times

    Though Britain has not had any wins until now, it is also not the least successful power in Modern. That title belongs to Germany and Ukraine. Britain also has a chance of winning in a few games and will surely get more draws in the near future. An interesting thing is that Britain has never built in Gibraltar in any of the finished games, but it has managed to do so in at least 3 games currently being played - gun1994, modsquad and frontlin. These are 3 of the current games in which Britain is doing best.

    The opening situation for Britain is quit clear-cut, with over 75% of games using one of the two most popular. The fact that Britain did not use these openings in any of the 3 games it managed to build in Gibraltar may be telling.


    Opening Statistics

    Here is an updated list of games and openings used by Britain:

    Modern Games in Progress

    GameOpening UsedYear# SCsPlacement
    MilanMornor (Irish V)2013251st tied
    ModsquadSpanish Fly2008172nd
    Gun1994Channel Crossing (Irish V)2007162nd
    Norm7Mornor (Irish V)200082nd
    Modt97aMornor (Irish V)200192nd tied
    Asterix Le GauloisIRA Attack199542nd tied
    HryvnaGibraltar Sidestep199542nd tied
    RenardChannel Crossing (Irish V)199542nd tied
    Taunt3Mornor (Irish V)200183rd
    Modern5Mornor (Irish V)199873rd tied
    FrontlinMornor (Atlantic V)2002124th
    Norm11Mornor (Irish V)199974th
    Euro97Mornor (Irish V)199774th tied
    MilosMornor (Irish V)199874th tied
    ModernGibraltar Sidestep200085th
    ModgameChannel Crossing (Irish V)199975th
    SpadesChannel Crossing (Irish V)200265th
    OoChannel Crossing (Irish V)199965th tied
    SardMornor (Irish V)200866th
    Modhof96Mornor (Irish V)199956th
    PerotMornor (Irish V)200626th
    Spring96Channel Crossing (Irish V)199966th tied
    Modt97bMornor (Irish V)199956th tied
    HamburgMornor (Irish V)200137th
    Izmir2Channel Crossing (Irish V)200158th
    EricChannel Crossing (Irish V)199758th tied
    NorwayMornor (Irish V)199658th tied
    Academy4Mornor (Atlantic V)2009-elim.
    AuroraMornor (Irish V)2006-elim.
    DetailsRule Britannia2014-elim.
    Euro96Mornor (Irish V)2006-elim.
    GdanskMornor (Irish V) 2010-elim.
    Minsk Mornor (Irish V)2014-elim.
    NatoMornor (Irish V)2006-elim.
    OdessaMornor (Irish V)2019-elim.
    ThisthatMornor (Irish V)2004-elim.

    Finished Games

    GameOpening UsedYear# SCsPlacement
    BlitzzMornor (Irish V)BEP 2017271st
    LyonChannel Crossing (Irish V)BPST 2011192nd
    KatrasChannel Crossing (Atlantic V)BIPT 2012114th
    BuchananMornor (Irish V)BEPSU 202254th tied
    Day2dayGibraltar SidestepR 200735th
    LiarliarThe RockT 200793rd
    Lie2meChannel Crossing (Irish V)T 2007152nd
    SevilleMornor (Irish V)I 2014103rd
    SpartikuMornor (Irish V)P 200416th
    CairoMornor (Atlantic V)SPIT 2010-elim.
    DesireMornor (Irish V)GSTU 2008-elim.
    DespairMornor (Irish V)FIR 2012-elim.
    DickensChannel Crossing (Irish V)EFG 2015-elim.
    Euro95House of LordsERT 2023-elim.
    IzmirChannel Crossing (Irish V)EIS 2005-elim.
    RostovMornor (Irish V)I 2015-elim.

    Openings List

    You can read about British openings in my previous article on Britain, Modern English. Of those, the Andalusian Defense and the North Sea Fork have yet to be used. Openings not mentioned in the article are given below.

    Channel Crossing, Atlantic Variant

    Britain: Fleet Liverpool -> North Atlantic Ocean.
    Britain: Fleet Edinburgh -> North Sea.
    Britain: Fleet London -> English Channel.
    Britain: Fleet Gibraltar -> South Atlantic Ocean.

    Essentially the same as the Channel Crossing, Irish Variant, discussed in the original article. Liverpool moves to the North Atlantic instead of the Irish Sea. This allows Britain to forego Ireland in 1995 and move to the Norwegian Sea to put extra pressure on Scandinavia should Russia move to block Britain from taking Norway.

    IRA Attack

    Britain: Fleet Liverpool HOLD.
    Britain: Fleet Edinburgh -> Norwegian Sea.
    Britain: Fleet London -> North Sea.
    Britain: Fleet Gibraltar -> Straits of Gibraltar.

    The IRA attacks and manages to sabotage the British fleet in Liverpool? Why else would Britain not take Ireland in 1995? In any case, Ireland will still be British, and though this will slow Britain down, the damage caused wont be permanent. Maybe Britain can bargain for both Belgium and Norway since he wont be getting Ireland? Maybe his neighbours will consider him more fallible and thus less dangerous to ally with? A good diplomat can turn anything into an advantage.

    Rule Britannia

    Britain: Fleet Liverpool -> Irish Sea.
    Britain: Fleet Edinburgh -> North Sea.
    Britain: Fleet London -> English Channel.
    Britain: Fleet Gibraltar HOLD.

    Unlike the Spanish Fly, this is a blatant attempt by Britain to keep Gibraltar. The Channel fleet will almost surely go south the Mid-Atlantic to provide support. If Spain doesn't move Barcelona to Andalusia, then Gibraltar will remain British. Britain however will almost surely not be able to build there in 1995, making the position quite vulnerable in 1996. If Spain does move to Andalusia however, the Rock will be lost, and Britain wont even get Morocco as compensation...

    Spanish Fly

    Britain: Fleet Liverpool -> Irish Sea.
    Britain: Fleet Edinburgh -> North Sea.
    Britain: Fleet London -> English Channel.
    Britain: Fleet Gibraltar -> Straits of Gibraltar.

    "An insect, also called blister brittle. When dried and powdered, the Spanish fly has long been used as blistering agent or irritant, but also as an aphrodisiac, or love potion". - C.H. Curran, Collier's Encyclopedia.

    With the opening move of Gibraltar to the Straits of Gibraltar instead of the South Atlantic, the British can pursue an alliance with Spain. The moves to the Channel and the North Sea could well ensure that France cannot take Belgium. Spain and Britain can then take on France full-force starting in 1996.

    Instead of the love potion, the Spanish Fly opening can be used as an irritant towards Spain. Straits of Gibraltar could move back to Gibraltar, bouncing a now trusting Spain and allowing a British build there. The English Channel fleet, instead of going for Belgium, can also be sent south to the Mid-Atlantic to help protect Morocco and the South Atlantic, while applying pressure on Portugal. If the Gibraltar maneuver works and Britain builds a fleet in the South, Spain will be in real trouble.


    Bac
kBack to the main article

    Vincent Mous
    (vim2@rocketmail.com)

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