"[1] The opening takes its name from Swiss IM Henri Grob (1904–1974) who analysed it extensively and played hundreds of correspondence games with it.

White has three main plans: to support the g4-pawn with h3; pressure against d5 or on the h1–a8 diagonal, preventing Black from playing ...Bxg4 (e.g. 1.g4 d5 2.Bg2 Bxg4 3.c4, exploiting the pin against the b7-pawn); or advancing the h-pawn in a kingside attack.

[3] The Grob was also forced upon Anatoly Karpov by former Soviet premier Mikhail Gorbachev in a friendly match against Susan Polgar in Lindsborg, Kansas 2005.

Good responses would be 2.Bg2 (dominating the light-squared centre diagonal) or 2.c4, the English Variation, preparing Nc3 to solidify White's control of d5.

A Black counter-setup might be 1...d5, 2...e5, and 3...c6 (these moves may be played in any order), which, if used in conjunction with an eventual ...e4, negates White's king bishop's influence over the centre.

IM Richard Palliser advocates instead the classical setup 1...d5, 2...e5, 3...Nc6, on the grounds that White is more likely to be familiar with the "reversed French" lines after 3...c6 4.d4 e4 5.c4 etc.

Due to the unusual pawn structure White attains by playing g4 and c4 so early in the game, there is frequently little advantage to castling.

Due to White's overextended Queen and general lack of coordination, Black retains a potentially decisive advantage.

[11] 1.Na3: Durkin 1.a3: Anderssen 1.b3: Nimzowitsch-Larsen 1.Nc3: Dunst 1.c3: Saragossa 1.d3: Mieses 1.e3: Van 't Kruijs 1.Nf3: Zukertort 1.f3: Barnes 1.g3: Benko 1.Nh3: Amar 1.h3: Clemenz