The benefits of b3 in antichess

First of all, let me state that I have next to nonexistent opening knowledge in antichess. All my memorized moves were found by trial and error, sometimes trying a weird stockfish move - only to lose even more quickly since I mostly don't understand what the move achieves. So please forgive me, if I don't use possibly established names for lines, or contradict existing knowledge (but you may of course correct me if you like).

That out of the way, let's get into my favorite opening!

With this post I would like to convince you that this opening allows you to comfortably play oppenents above your rating and also to quickly beat lower rated players.*
To spoil the punchline right away: The biggest advantage in comparison to 1. e3 is of course, that people play less frequently against 1. b3, thus, don't always know the correct responses by memory.
Admittedly, it is not the rarest of openings, but rare enough to make a difference. Add in the fact that many b3-players play dubious 2nd or 3rd moves**, I think that studying responses to 1. b3 has a terrible cost-benefit-ratio for high-level players.

To explain what 1. b3 offers to me, in contrast to countless other different first moves that are also less common, it is best to show some lines and concepts (also some opening traps).

1. b3 ... 2. e3

There are a few exceptions, but the by far most common second move for white is 2. e3. I've heard people complain that the b3 opening is simply a slower version of e3. Maybe, they're right!
But I'd argue that this is exactly the reason to play it. Antichess is not about giving away as many of your pieces as quickly as possible - but to build a setup from which you can attack your opponent in such a way that he has to take all your pieces at once. All of us experienced it as beginners countless times: One of our pawns remains and subsequently collects the oppenent's whole army. Most beginners and intermediates wholeheartedly enter middlegames and endgames that seem great when you count the pieces, but are simply lost due to the lack of options.
With that in mind, it is reasonable to assume that playing a calm and collected opening helps us to enter an at least playable middlegame. And only then are we able to train it. We won't get better at middlegames when we only play already lost positions.
So, 1. b3 ... 2. e3 is just a slow version of 1. e3. But didn't we want to avoid the vast knowledge our oppenent has in responding to 1. e3? Yes, and we still do. Many aspects might be similar to the main lines of 1. e3, but having played b3 beforehand gives this slight imbalance which - in a chaotic game as antichess is one - is sometimes enough to render an otherwise good move losing!

A great example might be a beginner's favorite (I believe it is called suicide opening?)

This is maybe more convincing

When facing stronger oppenents we will usually see 1. ... e6, which is stockfish' choice as well. Let's get over the most common lines and begin with my absolute favorite trap (cause it let me win against some of the best players of the game):

Black doesn't have to play 5. ... Bb5.

Here are some other lines. Though not as exciting, we usually get a middle game out of it, which is the main goal as we stated before. More importently, if you play this all the time, you know the tricks and dangers of the middlegame position, your opponent most likely doesn't.

Unfortunately, if your oppenents know what they are doing they can always force you to go into queen races. Just try to avoid them against lower rated players.

Since I can't cover everything (firstly, I know only little, and secondly, i haven't put everything I know or believe to know into words yet) I think it is best to show the three exceptions where I don't play 2. e3.

1. b3 c5 2. b4

This is to me the most challenging line right now as it often results in queen races.

1. b3 b5 2. a4

That line results either in a slow and calm opening (only cautious queen side advances) or a fast transition into the middle-/endgame.

1. b3 g6 2. Ba3

I play 2. Ba3 in case 1. ... g5 as well. There is a small trap to avoid!

There are, of course, many other first moves from black. Feel free to find out on your own which are losing on the spot and why. There are also countless lines for black, I just don't know yet how to play against, simply 'cause they are played so rarely and I didn't study them. (I mostly get thrashed then).

In summery, I think that 1. b3 helps you to throw your opponents out of their knowledge right away, maybe even tricks them into play similarly as against 1. e3. Thus, we are able to implicitly learn some 1. e3 theory and don't get beaten out of the opening by more experienced players. Further, it offers lots of ways to get a game going and surely there are some nice traps.

To be honest, this post secretly aims to make my life as a b3-player (even) harder! The more people play it with white, the better the black responses become and the more I have to learn.

Thanks for reading this, if you did, and please, never play 1. b3 e6 2. b4 Bxb4 3. Bb2!!***

* No guarantees, of course. Otherwise antichess would be no fun.
** Not to judge anyones gambits. I myself play lots of dubious moves.
*** I regard this as an insult. (ok, now I judged your gambit)