Originally posted by !~TONY~!Oh dear! oh dear! must I prove another point! My results with the Morra include wins against players rated significantly higher than you. What more can one do to prove an opening works other than win with it so I will play you it, if you dare!
I don't care what your results are to be honest. My results AGAINST the Smith Morra score about the same. Rahim understates it in my opinion. If Black knows what he's doing, White should be worse.
1 edit
Originally posted by Dragon FireYes.
Your comments apply to any opening. If black knows what he is doing he should achieve equality.
... but at our level black often does not know what he is doing and the statistics seem to point out that black fares comparatively badly against the K G and (in my case anyway) against the Morra Gambit even when rated equal to or slightly better than me.
...[text shortened]... s better against 2000+ players and only lose when I get out played in the middle game or ending.
This is a CC site though. People have access to opening db's, tree's, books etc... It's one thing playing them OTB but something very different playing them CC.
I noticed that a lot of player at our level on here don't care much. Maybe I care way to much, Probably do. I take it very seriously and spend time when I need to. It's not uncommon for me to spend over 30 min on a single move on here. I know a lot of you spend 1-2 minutes and then move on. I don't.
I have read a very basic opening book on the sicilian in Jan and Feb this year. This was my first opening book I ever read. It wasn't to detailed, 170 pages, had a few games of each opening in the sicilian and some comments. Very very basic stuff. I took all the info from the book and stored it in my chess program.
So my opinion is that the Morra, Grand Prix, KG are okay for black to face. I know what to do when I see them on here since I have resources to use and I don't think they are great. Yes if you don't know what you are doing, you will be crushed like a bug, but I do know what i'm doing 🙂
That's why i'm here. To learn my openings better and hopefully remeber then in my otb games.
Originally posted by Dragon FireMaybe that's because you are the better player?
Oh dear! oh dear! must I prove another point! My results with the Morra include wins against players rated significantly higher than you. What more can one do to prove an opening works other than win with it so I will play you it, if you dare!
Maybe that master instinct is coming back? Could it be, could it be, Perhaps 🙂
Originally posted by cmsMasterI liked your analysis but, deliberately, I only read it after I moved. I still think this line (KG Qh4+) as played by me is better for white but I must admit it is not significantly better as I expected and I am left to win in the middle game.
Nobody liked my awesome analysis?
Oh well, I actually really enjoyed it and I learned which line to play against this pesky defense.
🙂
Originally posted by RahimKI don't use an opening database so not relevant!
1. I'm not going through my games one by one. I can import them from Rhp into fritz and let it do that for me but I don't care much about it. Those numbers don't mean anything to me.
2.Those 10 losses were when I first started here. I was playing like garabage, then I started playing seriously like I do in OTB and hence the rise. My last lost which isn't d ...[text shortened]... most of the time black doesn't know what he is doing and doesn't play the best moves.
2 edits
Originally posted by RahimKI will use opening books. I find that, being forced to read through various lines and transpositions, these give me a better overall understanding of the position and the tactical and strategic ideas than a database and I understand, learn, and absorb more than from a database. I am currently working on Kings Gambit, Morra Gambit, Benoni and Ruy Lopez Open in this way. These 4 openings give me everything I need for 80%+ of the games I will ever play here or OTB.
You don't but others do.
Just know that if we do every play, I will be using an opening db. You probably are better then me in chess and might even win but it won't be because of the opening. 🙂
Having said that I get caught out from time to time when my opponents, using databases, find a more modern (better) line than I have so I have considered aquiring a DB to supplement but not replace the books.
What never ceases to amaze me, however, is how perfectly some of them play the opening and then when we enter the middle game fall totally to pieces with the most elementary of errors.
Of course you can always get players out of their database early on by playing moves like a3, b3, g3 or h3 at a key moment, ensuring of course that it is sound in the context of the position.
Originally posted by Dragon FireI don't have any chess books. I always borrowed the books from our chess club and after a couple of months returned them.
I will use opening books. I find that, being forced to read through various lines and transpositions, these give me a better overall understanding of the position and the tactical and strategic ideas than a database and I understand, learn, and absorb more than from a database. I am currently working on Kings Gambit, Morra Gambit, Benoni and Ruy Lopez Op ...[text shortened]... 3, g3 or h3 at a key moment, ensuring of course that it is sound in the context of the position.
Hence I only have access to online material. I'm trying to learn my openings in a similar way to you but using online db's and then figuring out why the moves are played. You could help me out a lot you know with all those books of yours 🙂
I'm currently working on 1.e4 d6 responses, then 1.e4 g6 , 1.e4 Nf6 and finally 1.e4 e5 and then I will be set. Then I gotta figure out the ideas behind every opening and by then I should be getting close to 2000 🙂
I use bookup to do this. It's a great program. I enter in the moves and when I have time I go to the chess club, grab a specific opening book and write down the ideas behind those moves for later reference. It takes a lot of time but I don't have money for that many books.
Originally posted by RahimKA single good opening book like Batsford Modern Chess Openings or Nunns version gives a good overview. I have recently purchased both of these as my old books started letting me down when my opponents here came up with new innovations.
I don't have any chess books. I always borrowed the books from our chess club and after a couple of months returned them.
Hence I only have access to online material. I'm trying to learn my openings in a similar way to you but using online db's and then figuring out why the moves are played. You could help me out a lot you know with all those books of you ...[text shortened]... es for later reference. It takes a lot of time but I don't have money for that many books.
On my favorite openings I also have specialised books hence I have some on the Benoni, Kings Gambit, Ruy Lopez Open and Morra Gambit although all of these are from the '80s. By playing the KG and MG I only need to focus on one line from c5 or e5 responses to e4. I realise that perhaps the Ruy Lopez or alternative Sicilian lines may be better in theory for white but by avoiding them I don't need to learn so much and at our level most players flounder against better prepared players in these openings.
I similarly try and play more forcing lines as black to restrict my theory.
Originally posted by Dragon FireThose opening books you mentioned. All those those big fat boring ones? With pages and pages of variation and lines and very little comments?
A single good opening book like Batsford Modern Chess Openings or Nunns version gives a good overview. I have recently purchased both of these as my old books started letting me down when my opponents here came up with new innovations.
On my favorite openings I also have specialised books hence I have some on the Benoni, Kings Gambit, Ruy Lopez Open a ...[text shortened]... these openings.
I similarly try and play more forcing lines as black to restrict my theory.
I like the wordy books. I only read one real opening book and that was the Starting Out Series one.
Those are great books to read, very basic but easy to read and understand.
Have a look inside and tell me that isn't the best opening book 🙂 Yes it's very simple but look how great it is!
http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/1857442490/ref=sib_dp_pt/104-4677546-3381567#reader-link
Should be fine for a 1800 player or so.
Originally posted by RahimKSeems a reasonable general book on the Sicilian but by restricting myself to the Morra I am avoiding all these lines.
Those opening books you mentioned. All those those big fat boring ones? With pages and pages of variation and lines and very little comments?
I like the wordy books. I only read one real opening book and that was the Starting Out Series one.
Those are great books to read, very basic but easy to read and understand.
Have a look inside and tell me tha ...[text shortened]... 42490/ref=sib_dp_pt/104-4677546-3381567#reader-link
Should be fine for a 1800 player or so.
However, I do like the dragon. I used to play it and if truth be known I probably got better results than from the M G but the M G often has the benefit of unsettling my stronger OTB opponents (i.e. those rated 2000+ ELO OTB)
Take this all you strange opening lovers!
Just as a boy becomes a man when he walks around his first puddle, chessplayers reach maturity when they are willing to play normal positions that arise from normal openings rather than the oddball stuff designed to trick your opponent early on or force the pace from the outset.
Nigel
Davies
🙂
Originally posted by Dragon Firehttp://www.chessgames.com/perl/explorer?node=1170773&move=4.5&moves=e4.c5.d4.cxd4.c3.dxc3.Nxc3&nodes=21720.32033.38142.38143.1038331.1170772.1170773
Seems a reasonable general book on the Sicilian but by restricting myself to the Morra I am avoiding all these lines.
However, I do like the dragon. I used to play it and if truth be known I probably got better results than from the M G but the M G often has the benefit of unsettling my stronger OTB opponents (i.e. those rated 2000+ ELO OTB)
Black looks like he is doing just fine. I guess it depends on what your chess goal is.
Against stronger players you want to play good solid opening right? 2000+
Now if you goal is to get over 2000 and play strong players why not start learning these earlier openings before you get to 2000?
I like the Evan's gambit and 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 leads to exciting games but I switched to Ruy because at the top level good luck with those openings. It's fun crushing people with the evan's gambit and other stuff but it will only take you so far.
Originally posted by RahimKNo! My goal is to get good enough so that my team does not get relegated from division 1 in the Portsmouth League starting October, after we won division 2 last year.
http://www.chessgames.com/perl/explorer?node=1170773&move=4.5&moves=e4.c5.d4.cxd4.c3.dxc3.Nxc3&nodes=21720.32033.38142.38143.1038331.1170772.1170773
Black looks like he is doing just fine. I guess it depends on what your chess goal is.
Against stronger players you want to play good solid opening right? 2000+
Now if you goal is to get over 2000 and ...[text shortened]... fun crushing people with the evan's gambit and other stuff but it will only take you so far.
No more noble than that I am afraid as I am too old to burden myself by learning a lot of new stuff! If I can play at 1900 OTB we will achieve this.