After 12 months membership and 780 games (32 in progress) I have, with tremendous effort, learnt a lot about my choosen openings, I have played some good games and made some bad blunders and I have succeeded in punching above my OTB grade of 1885.
But what I have done little of is analyse my games to find the mistakes and improve.
So it is now time to move to phase 2. No new games except for tournaments I am already in and the seige games and for the next 3 months my task will be to transfer all those 780 games into a DB (OK not all - I will omit any resigned or timed out in the early stages as they are worthless) and analyse them all with Fritz. The hope is that this will improve my play in the lines played repeatedly over the last 12 months.
Then it is time to start with some new lines and play another 700 games over the next 12 months. What should those lines be? I don't know but last year I tried Kings Gambit, Morra Gambit, French Advance, Panov Attack as white and Modern Benoni, Queens Indian, 2 Knights, Ruy Lopez Open as black plus of course the odd Grob.
I want the lines to contrast sharply with the lines I played this year. Maybe I should open d4 (which I have hardly ever done) and respond to 1. e4 with the Pirc or Scotch or even Sicilian.
What I want from you experts is your ideas. I have played many of you and you know my style. What contrasting openings should I try over the next 12 months?
Originally posted by Dragon FireLatvian Gambit 😉
After 12 months membership and 780 games (32 in progress) I have, with tremendous effort, learnt a lot about my choosen openings, I have played some good games and made some bad blunders and I have succeeded in punching above my OTB grade of 1885.
But what I have done little of is analyse my games to find the mistakes and improve.
So it is now time ...[text shortened]... y of you and you know my style. What contrasting openings should I try over the next 12 months?
Originally posted by Dragon FireI'd say we've got similar styles, right? Copy me a little.
After 12 months membership and 780 games (32 in progress) I have, with tremendous effort, learnt a lot about my choosen openings, I have played some good games and made some bad blunders and I have succeeded in punching above my OTB grade of 1885.
But what I have done little of is analyse my games to find the mistakes and improve.
So it is now time ...[text shortened]... y of you and you know my style. What contrasting openings should I try over the next 12 months?
White:
1.d4 (!~Tony~! suggested Play the Queens Gambit, which I picked up on CB CD instead of the book version which he has) It's excellent, the lines are sharp, exciting, and solid. Definitely worth picking up and playing.
You will of course have to find replies to 1...Nf6 - You could always try the Trompowsky, but I've always played 2.c4 and entered into the KID/Grunfeld/Modern Benoni, etc.
Black:
vs. 1.e4: Sicilian Dragon, or since you've already shown interest, the Pirc. Both are logical and strong choices.
vs. 1.d4: KID, it's got a new life, and it's pretty theoretical, but it's definitely your style. Or try out the Semi-Slav, it's as reliable as you can get, but again theoretical.
correct me if i am wrong.......you just said..."i am going to go over my games and find out what i did wrong.......then i am going to switch my openings entirely and play 700 more games".....
Why not find out what you did wrong and improve on those lines and keep playing those lines?
just my 2 cents......
Originally posted by chessisvanityBecause he wants some change.
correct me if i am wrong.......you just said..."i am going to go over my games and find out what i did wrong.......then i am going to switch my openings entirely and play 700 more games".....
Why not find out what you did wrong and improve on those lines and keep playing those lines?
just my 2 cents......
Originally posted by chessisvanityThen I can apply what I have learnt to my OTB play as this was always my objective.
correct me if i am wrong.......you just said..."i am going to go over my games and find out what i did wrong.......then i am going to switch my openings entirely and play 700 more games".....
Why not find out what you did wrong and improve on those lines and keep playing those lines?
just my 2 cents......
Originally posted by MoneyMa ...[text shortened]... and it doesn't seem like you've improved much over the last year either, about 50 points
My OTB rating did not improve much last year as only 4 times did I face openings I had practiced here. Those 4 results were all good for me, a win as black with a Ruy Lopez Open against a 2075, a win with a Grob against a 2175 and draws with a Benoni (black) and Kings Gambit against 2050s but after those 4 games I played an assortment of openings I had not practiced with dismal results.
So I need to iron out the rough spots on last years openings and use them OTB where ever possible whilst I work on new ones. The trouble is OTB I played only 30 games (including Rapidplay) last year so (evidence of) improvement tends to be very slow.
My "improvement" here is actually about 150 - 200 rating points. I reached a plateau at about 1850-1900 that I've only been able to improve upon with tremendous effort. My latest rise of 50 points is due to time outs.
To be honest DF I used to play lots of different openings OTB which stood me in good stead as I was unpredictable and did okay against 1600/1700 players. But when I was playing players above 1800 I found my limited knowledge was not quite sufficient. I believe it takes a long long time to master an opening.
To cut a long story short I suggest you don't play completely new openings but vary what you play within the particular openings you a comfortable in.(e.g instead of playing Bc5 in the Scotch play Nf6, or instead of playing the Zaitsev Spanish play the Open Spanish)
Over the last 3/4 yers OTB I have found i haven't become bored playing same old stuff over and over but I hav found I have increased my knowledge of openings I already play and my rating/confidence has increased with that!
Originally posted by Dragon FireTo minimise duplication, as white you could try the Ruy Lopez with 5.d4. As black, Budapest Gambit and a Sicilian.
After 12 months membership and 780 games (32 in progress) I have, with tremendous effort, learnt a lot about my choosen openings, I have played some good games and made some bad blunders and I have succeeded in punching above my OTB grade of 1885.
But what I have done little of is analyse my games to find the mistakes and improve.
So it is now time ...[text shortened]... y of you and you know my style. What contrasting openings should I try over the next 12 months?