Playing vs. Stronger players

Hey, me again with a new question.
Now this one is not about opening or anything, it's more about game strategy.
So, that's the thing.
I play in a chess club in my city, and started getting strong players to play with me lately.
Now they might not be strong to you but they're stronger then me.
Now I know that in a "regular" game, my opponent will win at a rate of 80-70%.
So, I was thinking
Should I try to play "crazy" opening moves, or unused opening moves, with ideas behind them, with chances of leading my opponent to a mistake, or just stick with the old more "Relexed" game.

If going for the "crazy" one, please leave opening moves recommended to get a complicated situation that might give me chances.

P.s I love playing with pawns. I would rather having 3 pawns together on the attack line then a bishop and a knight.
(Just in case that helps you recommending an opening)


Thanks ahead.

I think it might depend on if your opponent knows what he is doing.

If an opponent is beating you without thinking more or less and playing autopilot but still easily winning then i would recommend playing crazy so his autopilot wont work.

However playing normal orthodox stuff is super good against folks who dont know it since then you get a good position plus your opponent wont know what they are doing.

Hi,

I've thought a lot a bout this subject. Here Chess has a lot to learn from Poker:
Against a weaker player in Poker you want to grind him down with +EV (Positive Expected Value) decisions. Against better players you want to do the opposite, and rather increase the variance with pre-flop pots.

At non-GM/IM level chess is like poker a “Battler of Mistakes”. Hence you should not advocate the “Optimal Play” (assuming that your opponent is making the best move), but rather opt for the “Maximal Play” exploiting the expected mistakes by your opponent.

So, in my view, when playing better chess players, get them out of book into tactical positions, where if they make a mistake, it is likely to be fatal. Instead of trying to outplay their deep end-games or try and out smart them in pawn structures.
Reg, Paul

pawns are fun. Game 6496389 Game 6402192

Depends...

I've recently joined a new club after over two years of only playing internet chess.

Last night I was chucked in the deep end playing board 5 for the first team against a player rated 156 ECF (about 1850, so ~300 points more than me). He played 1. d4 and I played a solid KID, fianchettoing both bishops and allowing him the pawn centre.

I was never really under threat in the whole game and after a brief flurry of exchanges he offered a draw at move 23.

So you could play 'crazy' openings, and it might win you some games, but it may not actually improve your chess. Also, eventually the players at your club will get used to your style, at which point you'll suffer.

You should play what you know best. If your opponents are more skilled and experienced than you it is likely that they will take far greater advantage of unusual positions that you will.

Originally posted by Lidan
Hey, me again with a new question.
Now this one is not about opening or anything, it's more about game strategy.
So, that's the thing.
I play in a chess club in my city, and started getting strong players to play with me lately.
Now they might not be strong to you but they're stronger then me.
Now I know that in a "regular" game, my opponent will win at a ...[text shortened]... d a knight.
(Just in case that helps you recommending an opening)


Thanks ahead.

The best advice I've heard on this one is - play what you are most comfortable with. If you like tactical melees, go for gambits and tactical melees. If you like endgames, play really solidly, try to trade queens quickly and try to get to the endgame. Etc.

There are strong players who are weak tactically and some strong players are terrible endgame players. If you find one whose weaknesses match your strength, you might have a decent chance.

This came up in a book I was reading recently, an autobiography of Charles Babbage, the Victorian engineer who designed and partially built a couple of mechanical 'computers': he says that when playing against good players, "if I played any of the ordinary openings, such as are found in the books, I was sure to be beaten. The only way in which I had a chance of winning, was by making early in the game a move so bad that it had not been mentioned in any treatise."

play the openings you know, play the style of play that you normally play. You will learn many new things about your chosen opening and new positional and tactical ideas(You will lose no matter what type of chess you play-if you didn't then you aren't really a worst player)

"Always play the best move." Lasker

Originally posted by caissad4
"Always play the best move." Lasker

Originally posted by untergang
Depends...

I've recently joined a new club after over two years of only playing internet chess.

Last night I was chucked in the deep end playing board 5 for the first team against a player rated 156 ECF (about 1850, so ~300 points more than me). He played 1. d4 and I played a solid KID, fianchettoing both bishops and allowing him the pawn centre.
...[text shortened]... entually the players at your club will get used to your style, at which point you'll suffer.

Originally posted by vipiu
this is outdated, not a good advice

Originally posted by heinzkat
How can you disapprove of such an advice?