I've been playing just about every opening throughout my "career",switching back and forth all the time with a few pet lines which I played more regular.It's been fun and intresting and OTB it makes me very hard to prepare for,but it also resulted in me knowing a bit about every opening but none of them really well.Now I've decided to compile a repertoire and stick with it.I could use some help here.Have a look and make some suggestions/recommendations.Thanks 🙂
White:
1.e4,e5 2.Nc3 -> aiming for vienna gambit
,c5 2.Nf3,d6 3.Bb5
,Nc6 3.Bb5
,e6 guess I'll have to learn the shevshnikov 😞
,e6 2.d4,d5 3.exd5 probably a bit tame,maybe the tarrasch is better but I don't really understand that.Don't even mention the other lines LOL
,d5 2.exd5 -> need to learn a response to both Qxd5 and Nf6
,Nf6 2.e5,Nd5 3.d4,d6 4.Nf3 the classical variation.I believe this is toughest on Black.
,c6 I have no idea yet.Recommendations are welcome 🙂
,d6 same as with c6
Black:
1.e4,Nc6 I'd prefer e5 but that means preparing for a wealth of responses + I could end up facing my beloved vienna gambit.Don't fancy that.
1.d4,Nf6 2.c4,e6 3.Nc3,Bb4 Nimzo-Indian
2.Nf3,e6 3.c4,Bb4+ Bogo-Indian
2.other,I'll just wing it 😛
1.Nf3,need recommendations
1.c4,Nf6 and go for the e6-Bb4 setup if allowed.Could use recommendations here as well 🙂
Originally posted by GorgarOpponents:
I've been playing just about every opening throughout my "career",switching back and forth all the time with a few pet lines which I played more regular.It's been fun and intresting and OTB it makes me very hard to prepare for,but it also resulted in me knowing a bit about every opening but none of them really well.Now I've decided to compile a repertoire and ...[text shortened]... ,Nf6 and go for the e6-Bb4 setup if allowed.Could use recommendations here as well 🙂
What kind of opponents do you usually play? If they are over 1800 I would imagine that 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.f4 d5 asks for trouble as well as 1.e4 Nc6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3. Against lower rated opponent they seem to be good choices.
White:
1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Bc4 try to postpone f4 against 1800+
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 does not neccesarily lead to svechnikov(e5)
1. e4 c6 If you like to have an isolated pawn, play the panov, If you like to play with pawns, play e5, if you like to play< with pieces, play the exchange, if you like to draw, play Nc3
1. e4 d6 Whatever setup you like against g6
Black:
1. e4 e5 against 1800+. You can prepare against them thanks to databases😉
1.Nf3 Nf6 since you like Nf6
1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 e5 followed by Bb4
Originally posted by jfkjmhI usually play people between 1700-1900 with the occasional 2000+,but nevermind the opponents.The repertoire should be solid enough to face even the strongest players.I agree 2...,Nc6 isn't the best of choices but the problem with 2...,e5 is not aquiring the info,but the work/time needed to get to know everything well enough to hold my own.Not to mention remembering all of it!Though I suppose it's better to put in a bit more time and effort than to settle for a slightly inferior opening choice.
Opponents:
What kind of opponents do you usually play? If they are over 1800 I would imagine that 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.f4 d5 asks for trouble as well as 1.e4 Nc6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3. Against lower rated opponent they seem to be good choices.
White:
1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Bc4 try to postpone f4 against 1800+
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 does not neccesarily lead to svechnikov(e ...[text shortened]... inst them thanks to databases😉
1.Nf3 Nf6 since you like Nf6
1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 e5 followed by Bb4
Thanks for the summary on the caro.I'll play the exchange then 🙂
it's much more expansive, i'll simplify the repertoire a bit to only go around 3-4 moves each
White
1. e4
...e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3
d5 3. exd5
Bg5 3. Nf3
2.Nc3 Nf6 3. Bg5
d6 3. d4
Nc6 3. Nxe5
...c5 2.Nf3 d6 3. d4
Nc6 3. d4
e6 3. d4 (after crying)
...e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nc6 4. e5
Bb4 4. e5
d3 d5 3. Nd2
...c6 2. Nc3 d5 3. Nf3
d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. c4
...Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. c4 Nb6 5. f4
...d5 2.exd5
d4 exd4 3. Nc3
e6 3. Nc3 Nc6 4. e5
Bb4 4. e5
c6 3. exd5 cxd5 4. c4
will add 2. d6 and 2. g6 as well as the black side when i have a chance
I recommend playing "systems" with Black that result in similar pawn structures regardless of whether White opens with 1 e4, 1 d4, 1 Nf3, or 1 c4.
For example you can combine the Caro-Kann (1 e4 c6 2 d4 d5) with the Slav (1 d4 d5 2 c4 c6).
Another example is to combine the French (1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5) with the Tartakower (1 d4 d5 2 c4 e6)
You might want to couple the Pirc (1 e4 d6 2 d4 Nf6 3 Nc3 g6) with the King's Indian (1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 g6)
There are also single defenses that can be played against anything that White throws at you, e.g. The Modern (1...g6), the Owen's Defense (1...b6) or even (1...Nc6 [which you already play versus 1 e4, I noticed]).
There are a lot of "painting by numbers" openings available to White, like the London System (1 d4 2 Nf3 3 Bf4), the King's Indian Attack ( 1 Nf3 2 g3 3 Bg2), and the Torre Attack (1 d4 2 Nf3 3 Bg5).
In his excellent primer "Chess the Easy Way", Reuben Fine recommends sticking with one set of openings. As he said in the book: "a rolling chess stone gathers no points."