How I used to win against 1.e4

I haven't played 'over the board' for about 15 years, but I did play a fair bit for a couple of years. I was entering my games into a database and saw that my record with Black was better than with White.
So I broke it down by opening and discovered to my shock that my win rate with the Caro-Kann was over 90%!

I usually played c5 or e5 against 1.e4, but sometimes I'd be down to play a league match and just wasn't in the right frame of mind or was tired or something and so I'd turn up and play with the intent not to lose - as not turning up would lose by default and I couldn't do that to the other guys. Half a point is better than zero.
So I'd play the Caro-Kann against 1.e4 and won almost every time.
The grades of my opponents were similar to those I normally played, so it wasn't me outgrading them every time. And now I think back to those games a few of them stand out as I recall noticing my opponent was really annoyed. One in particular went into a fury and kept slamming the pieces onto the board on his move, despite several warnings.

I now realise it was outrage that I'd played the Caro-Kann! How dare I play such a boring opening against them! Obviously I needed to be crushed and so they'd play in a fury and self-destruct.

There isn't really a point to this post - just an interesting observation.

great,now everybody's going to play the caro 😞

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 de 4. Bc4! Nf6 5. f3 and you have a Blackmar.

Originally posted by cabandmush
I haven't played 'over the board' for about 15 years, but I did play a fair bit for a couple of years. I was entering my games into a database and saw that my record with Black was better than with White.
So I broke it down by opening and discovered to my shock that my win rate with the Caro-Kann was over 90%!

I usually played c5 or e5 against 1.e4, b ...[text shortened]... truct.

There isn't really a point to this post - just an interesting observation.

Yeah, the Caro-Kann is the refutation of 1. e4. That's why 1. e4 hasn't been played since the 1930's.

Originally posted by ChessPraxis
Yeah, the Caro-Kann is the refutation of 1. e4. That's why 1. e4 hasn't been played since the 1930's.

Moves 1.d4 and 1.e4 remain the most used first move for white. And are the best two for winning as white. The post-modern stuff can give strong play, but it is really more of a fad for most.

Originally posted by moon1969
Moves 1.d4 and 1.e4 remain the most used first move for white. And are the best two for winning as white. The post-modern stuff can give strong play, but it is really more of a fad for most.

No way! Move the centre pawns? What kind of crazy Hypermodernism is this?

Originally posted by moon1969
Moves 1.d4 and 1.e4 remain the most used first move for white. And are the best two for winning as white. The post-modern stuff can give strong play, but it is really more of a fad for most.

Most-used does not equal best two for winning as white, but the opinion of what to play for a win will depend on the player, statistics favoring 1. Nf3 and 1. g3 over 1. e4 notwithstanding.

I remember that when Kasparov absolutely had to play for a win in the 24th game of his WC match with Karpov in Seville just to tie the match and keep his title, he played 1. c4 and went in to a Reti opening.