What is your favourite opening?

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What is your favourite opening?

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1GaryPatella
ag. 24, 2012, 3:02 pm

Some people in chess develop a strong attachment to a particular opening. In many of these cases, the opening tends to be something outside of the main lines, and that aspect as an offbeat opening seems to have a certain appeal. In my case, I love playing the Jaenisch Gambit (Schliemann Defense).

Does anyone have any openings that they love to play?

2BruceCoulson
ag. 24, 2012, 4:08 pm

King's Gambit

3Benoni
ag. 25, 2012, 11:16 am

Another for the King's Gambit. Quality Chess will be releasing a book shortly by John Shaw. I also like the Albin's Counter Gambit.

4GaryPatella
ag. 25, 2012, 8:47 pm

I just hope that the book on the King's Gambit is actually released eventually. I've been waiting on it for about two years. Originally it was going to be by Jan Pinski, then they stopped the project. They decided to do it again, this time with John Shaw writing it. But that was about a year ago, and it still isn't out. I'm getting skeptical.

5Benoni
Editat: ag. 27, 2012, 7:39 am

I share your frustration Gary but it would appear things are now at an advanced stage. On the Quality Chess website there is now a downloadable extract with an expected release date of November.

6GaryPatella
ag. 27, 2012, 11:21 am

That's good news. Once an expected release date is given, that's usually a sign that the book will be finished.

I remember my disappointment when the book Attacking Repertoire for Black by Sam Collins was announced, and I kept waiting and waiting until I realized it's never happening. I'm glad that things appear to be different with the King's Gambit. Although I don't play the King's Gambit myself, I am an avid player of 1...e5 against 1. e4, so I have to be prepared.

7ThrillerFan
set. 24, 2012, 4:11 pm

There isn't just one opening I play, but my favorites would include:

As White:
- Gligoric King's Indian (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 O-O 6.Be2 e5 7.Be3)
- Shirov Gambit in the Semi-Slav (1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 e6 5.e3 Nbd7 6.Qc2 Bd6 7.g4)
- Veresov, Trompowski, and Torre Attacks (London and Colle stink)

As Black:
- Modern Defense (without ...c5)
- Sniper (Modern with ...c5)
- Nimzo-Indian
- King's Gambit (Yes, I have no respect for White's game, and tend to win every time I face it)
- French MacCutcheon

8GoodKnight
Editat: des. 6, 2012, 5:25 am

I am a member of the Internet Chess Club.

My favourite openings for white are the Scotch, the English, facing up to the Petroff, the Bb5 attack against the Sicilian and the Marocksy Bind. I relish playing against the Alekhine and the Caro-Kann. Against the French I rather like the Tarrasch.

Occasionally I will mix things up a bit by playing the Polish 1. b4! or some variation thereof. Just for the hell of it.

My favourite openings for Black include the Queen's Gambit Accepted, the Tarrasch, the Nimzo-Indian, the Leningrad Dutch.

Against 1. e4 I prefer the Spanish Archangel or happily accepting the King's Gambit. I've also been known to play the Sicilian Two Knight's Defence and the Paulsen, as well as the French.

9ThrillerFan
des. 6, 2012, 11:52 am

GoodKnight, what's your handle on ICC? Mine is Flanker. My ratings on there are about 300 points lower than my Over the Board rating.

I see we seem to differ in style drastically as White, but have a lot in common as Black.

I've altered my repertoire a little since the post from September. I've played the Tarrasch quite a bit, and like the Nimzo, QGD, Slav, etc. Classical Defenses (i.e. NOT the Leningrad Dutch). Against e4, been playing 1...e5 as of late.

White, however, 1.d4, all the way!

You might like how I blew out a 2153 player last night (Game in 90 Minutes) in a USCF rated game at the club. I've got Black in the following Vienna Gambit:

1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.f4 exf4 4.d4 Qh4+ 5.Ke2 d6 6.Nf3 Bg4 7.Bxf4 Bxf3+ 8.Kxf3 g5 9.Bg3 g4+ 10.Ke3 Bh6+ 11.Ke2 Qh5 12.Ke1 O-O-O 13.Be2 f5 14.Rf1 Nge7 15.exf5 Rhe8! 16.h3 Nxf5 17.hxg4 Qxg4 18.Bf2 Ng3 19.Qd3 Nxe2! 20.Nxe2 Nb4! 21.Qf3 Qxf3 22.gxf3 Nxc2+ and I'll spare you the other 42 moves. White just wouldn't resign, and Black won on move 64.

10GoodKnight
des. 6, 2012, 5:52 pm

ThrillerFan, my handle is musician. I have only played 3 minute and 5 minute chess on ICC in an effort to improve my rapid play. I have thrown away too many good positions over the board in tourneys due to time trouble.

I don't like 1. d4 as I think it more often leads to some very boring positions compared to 1. e4. I should qualify that, however, by saying that the King's Indian, the Benoni and some lines of the Gruenfeld can be very sharp. If I knew someone was to play the Benoni against me, I will play White. The King's Indian, however, is a hard nut to crack against a theoretically knowledgeable opponent. I like to play against the Gruenfeld by adopting the Russian Qb3 set-up, but don't trust my knowledge of theory in that opening.

The Leningrad Dutch is not a regular opening of mine, but I use it in over the board tourneys as a surprise weapon. You may be surprised at how many White players don't know what to do against it.

I'm currently looking at the QGD and the Slav. I've neglected them up to now because they look so slow and boring. But they are relatively safe and reliable.

My ICC rating has improved in the rapids. My 5 minute rating hovers around 1900 and my 3 minute rating around 1600. Not too bad for a notoriously slow player.

You should be pleased with your win in the Vienna Gambit, although I'm surprised that someone rated 2153 would be dumb enough to try it.

BTW, I notice that you are American. My wife and I are travelling to the US sometime next year for a holiday. I hope to get a few games in Central Park, New York, as well as visit some very active and historic chess clubs. At this stage, we'll be visiting SF, New York, Boston, rural Mass., Washington DC, and maybe Chicago. We may also do a quick detour to Austin and San Antonio in Texas. Austin the is "Sister-city" to my hometown here in Australia!

11ThrillerFan
des. 7, 2012, 11:18 am

These 2 games ought to reverse your thought process. The link is to a Queen's Gambit Declined with lots of tactics and traps. The game below is a Nimzo-Indian. Both are wins for White, and especially the 19th move of the game below, it's full of tactics and complicated combinations:

Queen's Gambit: http://www.charlottechess.com/games2/1116.htm

Nimzo-Indian

Skyland XXXIX, Round 4
W: Patrick McCartney (2048)
B: Shawn Pealer (2165)

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e3 b6 5.Nge2 Bb7 6.a3 Be7 7.Nf4 O-O 8.Bd3 d6 9.O-O Nbd7 10.d5 e5 11.Nfe2 a5 12.Ng3 Nc5 13.b3 Ne8 14.Bb2 g6 15.f4 f5 16.Bc2 Nf6 17.Nb5 Ng4 18.Qe2 Bf6 19.Bxf5 exf4 20.Bxg4 fxg3 21.hxg3 Bxb2 22.Rxf8+ Qxf8 23.Qxb2 Qe7 24.Re1 c6 25.dxc6 Bxc6 26.Qd4 Nxb3 27.Qxd6 Qxg6 28.Nxd6 Rd8 29.Nc6 Rd2 and Black immediately resigned, 1-0

A few notes:

A) From moves 13 thru 15, Black can consider taking the Bishop on d3, but if he does it too fast, White will just recapture with the Queen, play e4, and create a light-squared wall, pasting Black’s pawns to dark squares, and making his Dark Squared Bishop bad while his Light Squared one would have limited entry points.
B) White’s 18th move is critical. The alternative, 18.Qd2, isn’t as good as it keeps pressure off the Knight, and so he doesn’t have e4 tricks
C) Black’s 18th move is a mistake. It allows White’s brilliant 19th move. Many moves must be considered for Black’s subsequent moves. In addition to the move played in the game, 19…Nh6 and 19…Nxh2 must both be accounted for. 19…gxf5 20.Nxf5 and there is no way to not lose the Knight. The Knight has no safe escape, no way to protect it, outside threats don’t work as 21.Qxg4 is check, and 20…h5 21.h3 and Black has the same issue, so the best he can do is take a pawn for the Knight and be down a pawn. 19…Nxe3 is also a mistake as 20.Qxe3 exf4 21.Be6+ Nxe6 22.Qxe6+ followed by 23.Qe2 and White’s problems are solved as taking the Knight with 23…fxg3 fails to 24.Rxf6! followed by 25.Rf1.
D) In addition to Black’s 19th move issues, Black must also account for possibilities of Nxc7 every move thereafter accounting for deflections of the Queen away from protecting f6, issues on e6, etc.
E) On move 21, Black can’t move his knight, like 21…Nxb3, because he can’t allow White to play 22.Be6+ followed by 23.Rxf6! Rxf6 24.Rf1, winning outright. In addition, along with the continuing tactical issues of Nxc7, Black must also watch out for b4 by White, driving the Knight away, and allowing the Bishop to plant itself on e6, forcing the Black King to the long diagonal, and once again having to deal with Rxf6 tricks. Black must also watch out for the Knight maneuver Nb5-d4-e6, especially if Black has already traded Bishops on b2
F) White’s 22nd move is important. 22.Qxb2 Qe7 gains Black a tempo compared to the actual game.
G) White’s 24th move only works because Black can’t go after the Rook. Black can play 24…Nd3 as long as he retreats the following move to e5, but 24…Nd3 25.Qd4 Nxe1?? Loses outright to 26.Be6+, forcing Black to depart with his Queen as 26…Kf8 27.Qh8 is mate.
I think 24…c6 was a mistake. 24…h5 is better, forcing 25.Be6+. 24…c6 leads to weak pawns on d6 and b6. Black can’t take the Knight on b5 as rather than recapturing, White wins the Rook with Qd5+. And even at the very end, where Black blundered horribly after spending 6 minutes. He clearly saw the threat, but switched his moves when he executed. That said, the b-pawn was going to fall as a result of the threat on e7, and White should still win the endgame being up 2 pawns at that point.

12jimgag
març 30, 2013, 2:26 pm

GoodKnight,
When in New York, don't forget to visit the chess houses on Thompson St in Greenwich village and also Washington Square Park which is famous for outdoor chess.