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s

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Hi everyone,

I've posted a few questions on openings and received great advice from all of you, but I've decided that it's time to go back to basics with openings. I discovered chess about 2 1/2 years ago, and I was hooked. Being a bibliophile, I bought many books on strategy, tactics and openings. I never really understood the recommendation that beginners play e4 to learn about tactics and open games; I figured that if you understand your opening it doesn't really matter what you play (as long as it's reasonably respectable). Well, after learning a lot about chess but not improving measurably, I have seen the importance of understanding the classical openings (which I had largely ignored). When I play them, it seems that my knowledge of strategy pays off, and I have started beating higher ranked players.

I've decided to go back to basics by answering 1.e4 with 1...e5 and 1.d4 with 1...d5. My study focus will be primarily tactics and endgames, and I will learn openings as they arise rather than waste time studying lines that I never face. I probably should have been doing this for the last couple of years, but hey, I thought I knew better :-).

So, I'm trying to put together a respectable repertoire, and I wanted to see if any of you have opinions on the suitability of the following lines for someone at my rather basic level:

1. As white - 1.e4
a. vs. 1...c5 - open Sicilian (gotta learn it sometime!)
b. vs. 1...e6 - Tarrasch (I like my pawn structure to be solid)
c. vs. 1...c6 - Advance with Nf3. Develop and use my space advantage

2. As black vs. d4 - QGD Tartakower (also against English and Reti)

3. As black vs. e4 - Berlin vs. the Lopez, Giuoco Piano vs Bc4, and I'll have to learn a line for the King's Gambit, Four Knights, etc.

Do these openings seems appropriate for someone who wants to wipe the slate clean and really begin to understand chess?

Thanks and happy St. Patrick's Day,

Scott

A

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Everthing looks fine except for the Berlin. I'd think the Open or Closed Ruy Lopez is much more classical. Also you'll have to learn a line against Evans Gambit when playing GP.

T

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You might find this FREE software useful for building a repertoire:
http://www.chesspositiontrainer.com/cpt/index.aspx

T

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Originally posted by Akashic
. Also you'll have to learn a line against Evans Gambit when playing GP.
And for the Four Knights he will have to learn what to do against the Halloween Attack. 🙄

G

Cincinnati, USA

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Originally posted by smrex13

2. As black vs. d4 - QGD Tartakower (also against English and Reti)
The QGD will work against the English and Reti only if white co-operates by playing an early d4. You will have to learn another line against both of these, but you won't see them all that often, so you can probably wait until you actually get one of those openings. That's the nice thing about correspondence chess - you can learn something about the opening as you play, instead of stumbling into a losing game in the first few moves.

murrow
penguinpuffin

finsbury

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could one of you recommend a good book on openings?
a book where you can look up openings / different lines?

G

Cincinnati, USA

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Originally posted by murrow

could one of you recommend a good book on openings?
a book where you can look up openings / different lines?
Either Modern Chess Openings (14th edition) or Nunn's Chess Openings will give you a fairly complete overview of all the standard openings, and most of the playable non-standard openings. These books are primarily tables of moves, with the authors' evaluations at the end of lines. MCO has a little more verbal explanation of the openings, but not much. I use NCO to look up lines in openings that I'm not familiar with.

Two MAJOR notes of caution: The first is that you are not going to be able to learn an opening just by playing lines from either book. Unless you are master level, you will need to find other sources to explain what's actually going on in your opening. The second is that both books were published in 1999. Six years is a very long time in modern chess; many lines that are being played today aren't in either book, or are badly incomplete if they are there.

a

Cyberspace

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Originally posted by THUDandBLUNDER
And for the Four Knights he will have to learn what to do against the Halloween Attack. 🙄
Halloween Attack?Can someone please explain?

buffalobill
Major Bone

On yer tail ...

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Originally posted by smrex13
3. As black vs. e4 - Berlin vs. the Lopez, Giuoco Piano vs Bc4, and I'll have to learn a line for the King's Gambit, Four Knights, etc.

Do these openings seems appropriate for someone who wants to wipe the slate clean and really begin to understand chess?
It all depends if you like open or closed. As black. the Petroff suits my standard and style of play:
1. d4 e4 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 Pd6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. Pd4

A

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Halloween Attack is : 1. e4 e5 2. nf3 nc6 3. nc3 nf6 4. Nxe!?

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