Hi everyone,
I'm new to chessatwork, but I've learned a lot from browsing, and I was hoping to tap into your expertise and experience. I've been playing chess casually for about two years, and a bit more seriously the last 12 months or so. I've experimented with many of the main openings, but I'm now ready to choose my openings and begin to prepare for tournament play. It seems a daunting task. I have narrowed my choices down to a few, and I'm about ready to just put them in a hat and draw, but I wanted to see if anyone had any thoughts on the following openings. I'd hate to choose an opening only to find out a year later that it really doesn't give me the type of advantage it should.
1. Black vs. 1e4. Either Caro Kann or French. I really think I'm going to choose the Caro Kann. My only fear is that it is too passive, as some authors have mentioned. Does anyone have an opinion on this?
1. Black vs. 1d4. I know the Nimzo/Queens Indian combo is popular at the highest levels, but this seems to be doubling the workload in terms of opening preparation, as there is a huge body of theory with both. What do you think of the Nimzo/Bogo Indian combination? Is this significantly worse than the Nimzo/QID combo?
Or, instead of letting black decide which defense I'll play, I could go with the QGD (Tartakower) which I can use against 1.d4 regardless of which knight comes out on move 3, and I like the solid position that the Tartakower gives. Does this seem like a reasonable alternative? I've also considered the Slav instead of the QGD. Any opinions?
3. White. I was set on 1.c4 2.c4 to play queens gambit positions, but someone turned me on to the English. According to some, one doesn't have to prepare for many of the queen pawn defenses, and the English player would still be on sound theoretical ground that his opponent might not be as familiar with. Do you see any disadvantage to going with the English over the queen's gambit.
I appreciate any advice you can give me. Thank you so much for your time.
Sincerely,
Scott Rex
There are far too many choices for your opponent to throw at you. Saying you only want two variations on a certain opening isnt wise. In a single move your opponent will destroy all that time you spent on that one line. It is best to familiarize yourself with as much as you can, Rather than spending hours behind a book and a board studying opening it is best to first cram as much ches as you can. The openings/variations will become second nature, you wont have to sit and ponder, "Do I want to defend with the Pirc? Or perhaps accept his gambit?"..etc.. It has been my experience ( and I trained with a master for almost a year) that simply playing th game until you know it inside out then moving onto more theory and set opening is key. These GrandMasters we see think entirely different than us. They know exactly how their game will go if they go a certain way, that's just an example of the kind of understanding we can only hope for. But, as you said you want to go to tournament play, this arena of play makes the game 50x more challenging/difficult. OTB play when you have a man staring you down with his evil eyes yet seemingly blank stare will throw any newcomer off his guard. So rather than get caought up in what variation you are going to run, just play smart chess. The rest will come in time, unless you want to become a slave to theory so early in your career.
Enjoy
I appreciate your response, and I certainly understand that attempting to memorize hundreds of variations is unproductive at my level. However, doesn't the new player need some idea of the opening he is going to play? I realize that you can't get the opening line you want all the time, but it seems that if you play, for example, the French against e4, you at least have some foundation for dealing with variations within and deviations from that particular opening. So, if the opponent opens 1.e4, what would be your advice? Just try different openings, the Sicilian in one game, then the French, then the Caro Kann? Or just respond in a way that I think controls the center and helps develop my pieces without any reference to what opening it might be? Thanks again for your advice.
Scott
Originally posted by smrex13I am a "new player" in the sense that I had not played in decades before finding this site. What I am doing is taking notes on the openings used in some of the public games available at RHP, particularly when both players have high ratings. The downside to doing it that way is I don't have any deep understanding of what the good and bad aspects of an opening might be, so once my opponent makes a move that isn't in my notes, I feel like a motherless child or something. 😕
... doesn't the new player need some idea of the opening he is going to play?...
If you had been playing for only two years there is a progression that needs to happen. First of all you need to appreciate the open games and learn to defend against the Spanish, Vienna, King's Gambit, Bishop's opening, Scotch etc. If you don't do this you will be missing out on important themes of chess as outlined by the classics. In that regard I can only recommend "Masters of the Chessboard" by Reti which have complete games and outlines of the ideas of the openings instead of memorizing variations. Once you have had exposure to the open games you can move towards the semi-open games starting either with the Caro Kahn or the French. These openings have very static pawn structures that can be handled proficiently by a tyro (I am a tyro, btw) I am afraid of playing the Sicilian myself as Black but eventually I will have to incorporate it to my repertoire (My repertoire consists of the French as Black against 1.e4 and I only started playing it after 5 years of playing 1...e5 against 1.e4) Against 1.d4 become acquainted with the queen's gambit ortodox variation and study the games b/w Kasparov and Smislov candidates match (Long time ago) where many interesting ideas where explored... In fact, I played some of the openings by using those games alone to guide me... Learn the themes of the minority attack by reading Pachman's strategy book... Once the queen's gambit is second nature to you learn the Nimzo and the Bogoljubow defence (The themes are very similar...)
I have played the Caro-Kann Defense in my beginner times because it's strategy level isn't as deep as some other openings. My experience is that black may get a passive middle game, but at many times a better endgame due to his good pawn structure.
For the english, my comment is that black has a good chance to make it very tactical for him with the Reversed Sicillian line (1. ...e5). If he succeeds, White has a good chance to lose his first move advantage.
I like to have a repertoire consisting of one or more predictable, solid openings and one shock weapon, for use against people who you suspect are unbooked, in blitz, etc. etc. One must also have plans against the most comment replies that take you out of your intended opening -- ie. if your main rep. as white is a double e4 opening, one must surely have something prepared for the sicilian.
So personally, I tend to use the KG as white, with occasional use of the Bird as a shock weapon, Alekhine's as black against e4, though I'm trying to learn the pelikan sicilian as an alternative, with the latvian gambit as a shock weapon, the dutch as black against d4, with the albin as a shock weapon... the dutch can also be used against c4. Etc. etc. Against everything else, just follow general principles.
obviously, you can tell that I like sharp games. If you don't, you might have a totally different rep. Ie. caro as black against e4, with occasional use of the scandinavian or alekhines, slav against d4 with occasional use of some indian thing, etc.
Originally posted by smrex13I would be happy to play you a couple of games to experience my opening. It's effective for an average player. This will propel you to understand deepr into the your choice opening repertoire in the future. It's the Center counter gambit and the Gruenfeld Openings.
Hi everyone,
I'm new to chessatwork, but I've learned a lot from browsing, and I was hoping to tap into your expertise and experience. I've been playing chess casually for about two years, and a bit more seriously the last 12 months or so. I've experimented with many of the main openings, but I'm now ready to choose my openings and begin to prepare ...[text shortened]... iate any advice you can give me. Thank you so much for your time.
Sincerely,
Scott Rex