Ten worse opening for white, small analysis:

YouTube

Anyone have any others? I never heard of #3 before.

Originally posted by sonhouse
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-D2v_rS30E

Anyone have any others? I never heard of #3 before.

Is 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.c4 really that bad? I'd rather play that than 1.a3.

Originally posted by SwissGambit
Is 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.c4 really that bad? I'd rather play that than 1.a3.

3.c4 blocks the natural squares for the bishop and creates an outpost for black. Black has the option of a later c6, so the control the pawns exert over d5 is contested. I'd say it's far worse than 1.a3, which gives up nothing more than a tempo.

Originally posted by sonhouse
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-D2v_rS30E

Anyone have any others? I never heard of #3 before.

I never heard of that Konstantinopolsky Opening either. This guy is evaluating the openings based on the win/loss/draw percentage of some database of games, which certainly can't include every chess game ever played. It all depends on the follow-up moves as to how bad an opening turns out.

The worst opening followup move that was ever actually played against me was in Gedult's opening. It goes like this:

1.f3 and I replied with a normal move 1...e5 then he played 2.g4?? A Horrible Move. However, some people like this opening because it can lead into the Hammerschlag (Fried fox/Pork chop opening) after 2.Kf2, which still looks pretty bad to me. They think it is good for blitz games.

I don't really see why the Dresden opening should be rated the worst of White's openings.

The Instructor

Originally posted by DeepThought
3.c4 blocks the natural squares for the bishop and creates an outpost for black. Black has the option of a later c6, so the control the pawns exert over d5 is contested. I'd say it's far worse than 1.a3, which gives up nothing more than a tempo.

I don't like the opening either, but it can be setup similar to a Botvinnik English with d3, g3, Bg2 etc.

Originally posted by SwissGambit
I don't like the opening either, but it can be setup similar to a Botvinnik English with d3, g3, Bg2 etc.

Yes, that reminds me that robbie carrobie had a thread on a similar setup on his thread "annotated game". His King Knight came to e2 instead of f3 in his game.

The Instructor

If a good player knows of the weakness he has created with a
so called dodgy opening move then it can work in his favour.

Somebody had better PM Apawnocalypse that this pawn formation...


...is bad. He plays as White 1.e4 e5 2.c4 on a regular basis.
Nf3 and Nc6 usually make a quick appearaance.

His games under 30 moves with this opening formation (results after that are not really the opening.)
= Played 18. Won 18.

Not a set up I'd play, mainly for the reasons given above, given a choice I'd prefer 1.a3,
it's more flexible and play it as Black. A Latvian reversed with a pawn on a3 can't be bad.......
Actually there is one line in the Latvian where the King runs to a6 and is
theorectically safe.

With the pawn on a3 this line is out but Black can avoid it.

A Pirc reversed would be OK, Black has no Bb4+ in the White f4 lines.
The more I think about it the more I like 1.a3. (best answer is 1..a6!) 🙂

Originally posted by greenpawn34
If a good player knows of the weakness he has created with a
so called dodgy opening move then it can work in his favour.

Somebody had better PM Apawnocalypse that this pawn formation...

[fen]rnbqkbnr/pppp1ppp/8/4p3/2P1P3/8/PP1P1PPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - 0 1[/fen]
...is bad. He plays as White 1.e4 e5 2.c4 on a regular basis.
Nf3 and Nc6 usually mak ...[text shortened]... White f4 lines.
The more I think about it the more I like 1.a3. (best answer is 1..a6!) 🙂

I think 1...e5 is always best for Black, if it can be played without being captured. 1.a3 just seems to make the opening too easy for Black.

The Instructor

Originally posted by sonhouse
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-D2v_rS30E

Anyone have any others? I never heard of #3 before.

Seriously???
It comes before #4 and right after #2. 😕

Originally posted by RJHinds
I never heard of that Konstantinopolsky Opening either. This guy is evaluating the openings based on the win/loss/draw percentage of some database of games, which certainly can't include every chess game ever played. It all depends on the follow-up moves as to how bad an opening turns out.

The worst opening followup move that was ever actually played ag see why the Dresden opening should be rated the worst of White's openings.

The Instructor

Years ago someone was playing that opening online (1.f3 e5 2. Kf2) and beating grand masters with it. Rumor had it that it was Bobby Fischer.

Originally posted by woodypusher
Years ago someone was playing that opening online (1.f3 e5 2. Kf2) and beating grand masters with it. Rumor had it that it was Bobby Fischer.

Well if it were Bobby Fischer, I would not doubt he could get away with it, especially if they were online blitz games.

The Instructor

1 f4, always thought that's bad from the word go

Originally posted by e4chris
1 f4, always thought that's bad from the word go

2 thumbs down meh - i'm deeply unimpressed with some of you folks analysis - i'm not that good at chess but its easy to win on this site way to easy....

Here's a totally lost opening for white - it should loose every time - played on here - I won though.