11 Dec '09 17:31>
Originally posted by heinzkatI don't think it changes, if I am reading the question correctly. For instance, a number of people will avoid Alekhine's by playing 2. Nc3. GMs on the black side respond to this in different ways. Kengis himself often responded with 2. ... d5, with sharp and unusual play if white pushes with 3. e5.
You can do that for your "favorite" lines. But how about the lines that you have to know about, their essentials, i.e. if you want to play the Najdorf as Black, you have to know something about 3. Bb5+ regardless, you can't go around that...?
I have also seen GM Ivanchuk play 2. ... e5, transposing into a Vienna, and on the site I have been playing 2. ... d6, transposing into the Pirc.
In other words, the GMs who play your opening also have to deal with the "side" variations, and you can learn much by seeing how they respond.
As I have gotten older, I have started opting for lines that have similar thematic play, even if they are not the theoretically best. I aim for familiar positions and piece placements, so it will be easier for me to recall over the board, and simpler to identify the salient strategic and tactical features.
Paul