Looking for an opening to learn.

Hey all. I'm looking for an opening to study but don't really know which one.

I want to find one that suits my style of play. I like to play for closed positions and prefer positional chess rather than wide open games. Petrosian is my favorite player of all time! (at least from the little I know of the chess greats!)

What openings did he favor to reach the positional games he loved so much?

I dont really have much experience with openings,and when I do lose its generally because I fouled up the opening.

So anyones suggestions would be helpful and appreciated.

Look at chessgames.com

You can look up your favorite player and then cross-reference him against the openings he used.

I think he played English a lot.. but if you want to play english you must also know the queen's/king's indian since they are hard to avoid.

Dossier

Tigran V Petrosian

WCH, GM
1929 - 1984


Armenia

2069 games in 'My Big 2003'

Repertoire - White

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.Nc3 Bb7 5.a3 d5 62%, 2641 13 games
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.e3 Bb7 5.Bd3 75%, 2695 14 games
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3 Bb7 5.Bg2 Be7 6.0-0 0-0 7.Nc3 Ne4 50%, 2626 15 games
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 Be7 5.Bg5 0-0 6.e3 h6 7.Bh4 47%, 2550 16 games
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 Be7 5.Bg5 h6 50%, 2576 14 games
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 c6 5.e3 Nbd7 77%, 2722 13 games
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 c5 5.e3 Nc6 57%, 2602 15 games
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Bg5 69%, 2699 18 games
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Bb4+ 65%, 2676 13 games
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e3 0-0 5.Bd3 c5 68%, 2760 11 games
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Bg5 86%, 2922 11 games
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Bg5 63%, 2633 12 games
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.f3 0-0 6.Be3 92%, 2963 19 games
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Be2 0-0 6.Nf3 e5 7.d5 77%, 2606 26 games
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.Nf3 d5 76%, 2752 19 games
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.g3 63%, 2563 12 games
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 d6 3.Nc3 81%, 2678 16 games
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 88%, 2827 13 games
1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.Bg5 78%, 2740 18 games
1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 d5 3.c4 dxc4 4.e3 58%, 2684 12 games
1.d4 e6 2.e4 d5 64%, 2717 11 games
1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 e6 3.Nf3 c5 4.g3 67%, 2668 12 games
1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 g6 3.Nf3 73%, 2703 11 games
1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 e5 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.g3 69%, 2717 16 games
1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 c5 3.Nf3 Nc6 73%, 2780 11 games
1.c4 g6 2.e4 73%, 2689 13 games
1.c4 c6 73%, 2748 11 games
1.Nf3 Nf6 2.g3 g6 73%, 2707 13 games
1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 57%, 2613 14 games
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 68%, 2658 14 games
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 76%, 21 games

Repertoire - Black

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 70%, 2724 20 games
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e6 68%, 2602 25 games
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Nc6 73%, 2645 13 games
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bb5+ 54%, 2582 12 games
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 b6 64%, 2627 14 games
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 64%, 2619 14 games
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 dxe4 5.Nxe4 55%, 2642 11 games
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 c5 4.exd5 Qxd5 5.Ngf3 cxd4 6.Bc4 Qd6 7.0-0 53%, 2563 15 games
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 c5 4.Ngf3 50%, 2510 17 games
1.e4 e6 2.d3 58%, 2625 12 games
1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Bf5 5.Ng3 Bg6 50%, 2495 22 games
1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Nd7 52%, 2625 20 games
1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 cxd5 4.c4 Nf6 5.Nc3 54%, 2559 13 games
1.e4 c6 2.Nc3 d5 3.Nf3 Bg4 4.h3 Bxf3 5.Qxf3 68%, 14 games
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 d6 50%, 2606 15 games
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 0-0 39%, 2470 14 games
1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 65%, 2641 20 games
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e3 0-0 5.Bd3 d5 6.Nf3 c5 7.0-0 42%, 2485 19 games
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Nf3 Be7 5.Bg5 47%, 2565 18 games
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3 Bb7 5.Bg2 Be7 6.0-0 0-0 7.Nc3 Ne4 50%, 2579 18 games
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Bb4+ 4.Bd2 Qe7 46%, 2576 14 games
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.f3 69%, 2570 16 games
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 64%, 2465 21 games
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 d6 3.Nc3 e5 62%, 13 games
1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 d5 3.c4 dxc4 4.e3 e6 5.Bxc4 c5 6.0-0 a6 52%, 2521 21 games
1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 d5 3.c4 c6 61%, 2644 18 games
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Be7 43%, 2550 14 games
1.c4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.Nc3 32%, 2470 17 games
1.c4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 55%, 2544 11 games
1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 e5 59%, 2661 11 games

Originally posted by Teshuvah
Hey all. I'm looking for an opening to study but don't really know which one.

I want to find one that suits my style of play. I like to play for closed positions and prefer positional chess rather than wide open games. Petrosian is my favorite player of all time! (at least from the little I know of the chess greats!)

What openings did he favor to rea ...[text shortened]... y because I fouled up the opening.

So anyones suggestions would be helpful and appreciated.

with your specifications, I say, the French vs e4.

vs, d4 I would say that you could also play 1. ...e6. if 2. e4 the d5 is the French again. If 2. c4, then just play the QGD with 2. ...d5.

vs. 1. c4...how about e6 again? 2. d4 d5 is the Queen's Gambit Declined again. Otherwise, you can just play into mainline Reti.

as white...hmm well I heard somewhere that the 1. c4 English, Accelerated Fianchetto Variation with 2. g3 is relatively easy to learn. With 1. d4 you'll end up facing the Indian Defenses (including my favorite, the King's Indian) and the Grunfeld, so you may want to avoid these by playing 1. c4 and delaying d2-d4 when met with 1. ...Nf6


on that topic...I'm a bit unsure if I'm a more positional or tactical player...
I'm an e4 player who plays the KID vs d4, but at the same time, the positional Accelerated Dragon vs e4...

Originally posted by YUG0slav
with your specifications, I say, the French vs e4.

vs, d4 I would say that you could also play 1. ...e6. if 2. e4 the d5 is the French again. If 2. c4, then just play the QGD with 2. ...d5.

vs. 1. c4...how about e6 again? 2. d4 d5 is the Queen's Gambit Declined again. Otherwise, you can just play into mainline Reti.

as white...hmm well I heard ...[text shortened]... d, so you may want to avoid these by playing 1. c4 and delaying d2-d4 when met with 1. ...Nf6

Yeah, those seem like good enough choices.

I used to play the English (Please...don't bring back those memories again. 😕) and I think the easiest thing for white is to aim for a Botvinnik Formation, things are pretty solid - you can pump out about 8 moves real fast, and you don't have to worry about the KID or Grunfeld (which is so much better than the KID 😛). However, you will have to deal with a hole on d4.

Originally posted by cmsMaster
Yeah, those seem like good enough choices.

I used to play the English (Please...don't bring back those memories again. 😕) and I think the easiest thing for white is to aim for a Botvinnik Formation, things are pretty solid - you can pump out about 8 moves real fast, and you don't have to worry about the KID or Grunfeld (which is so much better than the KID 😛). However, you will have to deal with a hole on d4.

that d4 hole is the reason I gave up on the Botvinnik within a week

the problem with choosing 1. d4, besides the Indian defenses, is where do you go after d5? the Queen's Gambit? 2. ...dxc4, ok now what do you do, this game's suddenly a bit more open than you wanted. 2. e6, ok I recommended this for you as black, then there's 2. c6. Ugh, now you've got to learn Slav and Semi-Slav! AND THIS IS WITHOUT INCLUDING THE INDIAN DEFENSES!

1. e4 players have to know lines vs e5, c5, d5, e6, c6, g6, d6, and to a lesser degree Nf6 (you don't see b6 and Nc6 very often) I bypass half of those with the KIA...but that's a bit offtopic.

1. d4 players just have to worry about d5 and Nf6 (and to a lesser degree, the immediate 1. ...c5 I don't say e6 it just transposes to a QGD or Indian defense) right...? Well...from Nf6 stems a flurry of Indian defenses and d5 2. c4 leads to all sorts of theory.

1. c4 players...WHO EVEN KNOWS ABOUT C4 LINES ANYWAYS?

i suppose that you could play the Colle after 1. ...d5 if you want to play d4, but that still leaves the King's Indian to deal with. I suppose that you could play the Reversed London System there.

Originally posted by YUG0slav
that d4 hole is the reason I gave up on the Botvinnik within a week

the problem with choosing 1. d4, besides the Indian defenses, is where do you go after d5? the Queen's Gambit? 2. ...dxc4, ok now what do you do, this game's suddenly a bit more open than you wanted. 2. e6, ok I recommended this for you as black, then there's 2. c6. Ugh, now you've g ...[text shortened]... 's Indian to deal with. I suppose that you could play the Reversed London System there.

The hole's a pain, but it can be dealt with, and you don't have to worry about the theory that 1.d4 creates.

I think Weyerstrass uses the Botvinnik.

Originally posted by YUG0slav
that d4 hole is the reason I gave up on the Botvinnik within a week

the problem with choosing 1. d4, besides the Indian defenses, is where do you go after d5? the Queen's Gambit? 2. ...dxc4, ok now what do you do, this game's suddenly a bit more open than you wanted. 2. e6, ok I recommended this for you as black, then there's 2. c6. Ugh, now you've g ...[text shortened]... 's Indian to deal with. I suppose that you could play the Reversed London System there.

Don't suggest that, the Colle is super-lame - you're supposed to discourage that crap.

Originally posted by cmsMaster
Don't suggest that, the Colle is super-lame - you're supposed to discourage that crap.

well I would discourage it to a tactical player, but not a positional one.

the Colle is a relatively simple system that's good for amateurs, the guy's 1300! I suggested the Colle System so he can cut down on studying openings and spend more time on Tactics, Endgames, etc.

Originally posted by YUG0slav
well I would discourage it to a tactical player, but not a positional one.

the Colle is a relatively simple system that's good for amateurs, the guy's 1300! I suggested the Colle System so he can cut down on studying openings and spend more time on Tactics, Endgames, etc.

No, the Colle's just lame - and it's about the most boring opening in the world.

Anyhow, Weyerstrass does use the Botvinnik...

Game 2209263

Originally posted by YUG0slav
the Colle is a relatively simple system that's good for amateurs, the guy's 1300! I suggested the Colle System so he can cut down on studying openings and spend more time on Tactics, Endgames, etc.

A 1300 player in my club played the Colle exclusively until I played 3...h6 against him. Now he varies his openings and is 1500.

Thanks guys.

I'm going to jump on the sicilian najdorf I think.


Got to learn at least one opening inside and out before my days expire!

Originally posted by Teshuvah
Thanks guys.

I'm going to jump on the sicilian najdorf I think.


Got to learn at least one opening inside and out before my days expire!

Lame.

Najdorf - agh, I've already refuted that sht man.

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6?! 6.Rg1 1-0

The Najdorf is not a closed game and highly tactical - completely opposite to your initial requirements.

If you want a closed positional game I would look at the French. If you must play a sicilian I would recommend starting with one of the less "fashionable" lines as the more well known ones require learning reames of theory because you screw up once in the Najdorf (especially on line) and you WILL lose.