I am starting to prepare for an OTB tournament. I play the Qd6 scandanavian against e4, grunfeld against d4 and also the english. I also have the book beating the anti kings indian by Gallagher.
I just want some simple lines to play against 1. b3, b4, f4, g4. Normally I would just go into a KID type position of some sort, but I think that lets my opponent off the hook to easily. Any advice?
Thanks
I would stick with what you know best - fianchettoed bishops are usually a sensible way of meeting the flank openings which invariably leave the long diagonals open.
A slightly different approach is to try and stake a claim in the centre with e5 and d5 but you have to be slightly careful that these pawns do not become targets.
Don't try and refute an offbeat opening tatically the chances are your
opponent will know all the tricks.
Just play sensible developing chess safe in the knowledge that it is
an offbeat opening for a reason (it's most likely crap).
Don't worry at all about what your opponent may open with - forget it.
Get your head right. Let them worry about what you are going to do.
Originally posted by RabbitColdHow far away is the tournament? If it's near you're probably not advised to be rush-learning something. From Gambit may be a 'good' opening but if you mess it up because you don't know it well enough you could get into trouble. Stick to what you already know as perviously advised.
I just want some simple lines to play against 1. b3, b4, f4, g4. Normally I would just go into a KID type position of some sort, but I think that lets my opponent off the hook to easily. Any advice?
Thanks
If it's a bit further away you might want to investigate some lines more deeply - but probably just remembering basic opening principles and applying them will see you through. As GP says, off-beat openings for a reason.
btw: you may be interested to know that in 25+ years of OTB chess I've faced the moves you give precisely twice in serious tournament play (with maybe a couple more if we included rapid play events).
Assuming my experience is in anyway representative you wouldn't want to be wasting too much time on these systems.