Opening repertoire - most common opening variat...

I started to play chess seriously about year ago. I always played e4 as white (switching to italian or ruy lopez) and e5 as black. Recently I purchased a few good chess books (Silman's books, Chernev's Logical chess) and decided to learn well Queen pawn opening and English opening as white, and sicilian only as black. I want to get familiar with other openings which I don't play too, so I can reply to my opponents in the best possible way.

What are your favorite and most common lines in following openings;


1. King pawn opening (defences e5, sicilian, french, Caro Kann)
2. Queen pawn opening (defences d5, Nimzo, what else is common??! Benoni?)
3. English opening (something like reversed sicilian is common ????)


I would appreciate if we could systematically put together a few of all most common openings, defences, variations...
I don't know where to start 🙂

In all honesty, you can expect everything but the most retarded gambits and grobs to be played against you. I could list what I play against most often, but it would probably be senseless. I would advise just to dip into each opening system and get a feel for what you are doing. Then focus on what you know your going to play, that is, if you know your opponent well.

Here is what I most play against, if it helps...

Against 1. e4:
Sicilian, e5, French

Against 1. d4
King's, Nimzo, Queen's Indians, Benko

Against 1. c4
Anything goes (i.e. most people have no flippin clue what they are doing, so they will try transposing to d-pawn defences.)

Originally posted by Zander 88
In all honesty, you can expect everything but the most retarded gambits and grobs to be played against you. I could list what I play against most often, but it would probably be senseless. I would advise just to dip into each opening system and get a feel for what you are doing. Then focus on what you know your going to play, that is, if you know your oppo le have no flippin clue what they are doing, so they will try transposing to d-pawn defences.)

Unless you are playing me when you can expect

Kings Gambit;
Morra Gambit;
Grob.

When I am white because I am retarded.

As black you can expect expect Benoni / Queens Indian against 1.d4;
Open against Ruy Lopez;
2 Knights;

Anything sharp and scary against the rest. Sometimes I even play 1. ... g5 against anything!

Originally posted by ivan2908
I started to play chess seriously about year ago. I always played e4 as white (switching to italian or ruy lopez) and e5 as black. Recently I purchased a few good chess books (Silman's books, Chernev's Logical chess) and decided to learn well Queen pawn opening and English opening as white, and sicilian only as black. I want to get familiar with other openi ...[text shortened]... a few of all most common openings, defences, variations...
I don't know where to start 🙂

Re: 3. English opening (something like reversed sicilian is common ????)

Yes, this is the most common. However, it is typically more of a reversed closed sicillian since white now has an extra move (that doesn't mean it has to be so, that is simply common). You may also play the dutch or any of the indian systems (kings, queens, nimzo/bogo) against this. Within the 1... e5 lines, there are a few variants mainly revolving around weather you play c6 and d5 or you play a reversed gran prix (2... f5) or if you bring your knights to the sixth your dark square bishop can go to c5, b4 e7 or even be fianchettoed.

In the symetric game, There are lots of variations, the Double Fianchetto Defense, Rubinstein and Hedgehog all spring to mind. There are more variats based on white playing an early d4 too but I don't know their names.


Kings Pawn, after 1. e4 against the french 3. Nc3 with 5. Bd2 against the winawer and the alekhine (?) gambit ( 3... Nf6, Bg5, Be7, e5, Nbd7, h4!?) against the classical.

Against 1 .. d5 I play mainlines and will try to transpose into a panov attack (against the caro kahn) if they play 2... Nf6

Against the sicillian, I play the open game, including the freak attack 6. Rg1 against the najdorf, the Yugoslav against the dragon etc.

After 1. e4 e5 I play the Petrov (2. Nf3 Nf6).

I don't play 1. d4 but I do play the benko gambit and nimzo indian with the black pieces.

Knowing all the openings is generally worthless, just choose 1 defense to each common play as white and you are set. In a year, add another if you are bored.

lol, I'm even lazier!

1. e4

e5 4 Knights Game (4. g3)
e6 King's Indian Attack
c5 King's Indian Attack
c6 King's Indian Attack (aka Carokann Breyer Variation)
I pretty much never see Nf6, d6, and g6

Black...
1. e4 c5 Sicilian Defence Accelerated Dragon
1. d4 Nf6 King's Indian Defence
1. c4 Nf6 King's Indian Defence
1. Nf3 Nf6 King's Indian Defence

Originally posted by YUG0slav
lol, I'm even lazier!

1. e4

e5 4 Knights Game (4. g3)
e6 King's Indian Attack
c5 King's Indian Attack
c6 King's Indian Attack (aka Carokann Breyer Variation)
I pretty much never see Nf6, d6, and g6

Black...
1. e4 c5 Sicilian Defence Accelerated Dragon
1. d4 Nf6 King's Indian Defence
1. c4 Nf6 King's Indian Defence
1. Nf3 Nf6 King's Indian Defence

1.e4

1...e5 KG, sometimes Ruy
1...c5 Open (9.O-O-O Yugoslav, English/Freak, Keres, Sozin)
1...c6 Advanced
1...e6 Adcanced
1...d6 Austrian/150
1...Nf6 Modern


Black:
1.e4

Sicilian Dragon - Solits, Pirc, (1...Nf6, 1...e5, and 1...d5 in blitz).

1.d4

Modern Benoni, Budapest Gambit

Benoni now huh...how long's that been going on?

i use to prefer e4 and hated d4 and c4 openings. i was just ignorant and didn't like them because i wasn't familiar with them. c4 looks to be for players that are 1600 and above. people below it have trouble with its complex pawn play. i'd suggest starting with e4 working your way to d4 then c4.

as black. if e4 is played i play c5 immediatley, if d4 played Nf6 hoping for kings indian. but i will play other openings depending on my mood. as white i am switching to c4 but e4 i dont mind either.

Originally posted by YUG0slav
Benoni now huh...how long's that been going on?

Week and a half. 😕

But I enjoy it.

Originally posted by cmsMaster
Week and a half. 😕

But I enjoy it.

I find the Benoni suits my style of play which is for sharp, aggressive, tactical openings. I guess as a fellow KG player it should suit your style also.

Much like I sometimes miss things in a KGA (usually by blitzing games) and find myself in all sorts of trouble I get the same in the Benoni where a little carelessness results in you being steamrolled by whites c,d and e pawns. Both openings are tactically complex and you need to know the book lines well or take time over your moves.