Favorite Openings...and why?
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Favorite Openings...and why?
I thought it would be kind of neat to have people tell us what their favorite openings were and why they became their favorites...it will be fun and let us into the heads of some of our friends
I will go first!
Well, im a VERY devoted QP player 1.d4 after studying openings and following games, I did not to have to get up on all that Najdorf sicilian theory, ruy lopez and the other open 1...e5 games...So I like the QP much better as White can sometimes control the opening he wants to play or at least stay away from openings he does not want to play!
Now against the E pawn, I play mainly either the caro kann 1...c6 or the Siclian, Sveshnikov or the Kalashnikov variations..they seem to suit me better and I can play for a Win as Black if White isn't sure , the Caro Kann is calmer and I use it to maintain balance and for draws when I feel a need to need one.
Now against the D pawn, Ill use either primarily the Slav Defense or a Grunfeld...and if I'm in a very feisty mood, the Benko can be played. ITs a mood thing
Im a strict 1.d4 2. c4 and 3. Nc3player when allowed, I don't deal in Queen's Indian, Catalan, London, Trompowsky or any of that, to me, nonsense.
NOW that I have told, who will be brave enough to post their stories??
Come on!!
I will go first!
Well, im a VERY devoted QP player 1.d4 after studying openings and following games, I did not to have to get up on all that Najdorf sicilian theory, ruy lopez and the other open 1...e5 games...So I like the QP much better as White can sometimes control the opening he wants to play or at least stay away from openings he does not want to play!
Now against the E pawn, I play mainly either the caro kann 1...c6 or the Siclian, Sveshnikov or the Kalashnikov variations..they seem to suit me better and I can play for a Win as Black if White isn't sure , the Caro Kann is calmer and I use it to maintain balance and for draws when I feel a need to need one.
Now against the D pawn, Ill use either primarily the Slav Defense or a Grunfeld...and if I'm in a very feisty mood, the Benko can be played. ITs a mood thing
Im a strict 1.d4 2. c4 and 3. Nc3player when allowed, I don't deal in Queen's Indian, Catalan, London, Trompowsky or any of that, to me, nonsense.
NOW that I have told, who will be brave enough to post their stories??
Come on!!
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I'm pretty narrow in my own openings as compared to some. As I've said before I have not the memory nor the inclination to memorize a great many variations of openings, so I tend to play the ones I've become comfortable with.
As white, much like Josh, I lean towards the Queen Pawn games a fair deal against stronger opposition. The d4-c4-Nc3 alignment seems sound, and I've had a good bit of success from it.
I also like the English Opening, and the positions arising from it.
I play e4 and the Reti openings at times also. I've been dabbling for the last year on and off with the KIA, but have never really gotten a nice feel for it, and rarely use it.
I've been tempted of late to start trying Bird's Opening , but that hasn't yet happened.
As Black, I'm pretty much a strict Sicilian player against e4. Against d4, I'm very fond of the Modern Defence systems and the Grunfeld. Sometimes, I'll toss in a KID though.
The Caro-Kann and French defences I find very unwieldy, at least for myself. I've never really gotten good positions from them.
Really though, I agree with redketchuplover to a good extent: "I try to find sound moves."
....And such is the game, that the soundest moves are often the hardest to find!
As white, much like Josh, I lean towards the Queen Pawn games a fair deal against stronger opposition. The d4-c4-Nc3 alignment seems sound, and I've had a good bit of success from it.
I also like the English Opening, and the positions arising from it.
I play e4 and the Reti openings at times also. I've been dabbling for the last year on and off with the KIA, but have never really gotten a nice feel for it, and rarely use it.
I've been tempted of late to start trying Bird's Opening , but that hasn't yet happened.
As Black, I'm pretty much a strict Sicilian player against e4. Against d4, I'm very fond of the Modern Defence systems and the Grunfeld. Sometimes, I'll toss in a KID though.
The Caro-Kann and French defences I find very unwieldy, at least for myself. I've never really gotten good positions from them.
Really though, I agree with redketchuplover to a good extent: "I try to find sound moves."
....And such is the game, that the soundest moves are often the hardest to find!
Last edited by cliff on Fri Apr 22, 2011 12:21 am, edited 1 time in total.
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OK...
I enjoy unusual opening moves in regular over-the-board games:
1h3 or 1 a3 wih White. A lot of times I play both to start a game!
1...h6 or 1...a6 with Black regardless of White's opening move. A lot of times I play both to start a game!
I have quite a few games here using this approach also. Leads to enjoyable and less predictable openings.
Throw out those opening books! But, alas once in a while it leads to a regular line...
1h3 or 1 a3 wih White. A lot of times I play both to start a game!
1...h6 or 1...a6 with Black regardless of White's opening move. A lot of times I play both to start a game!
I have quite a few games here using this approach also. Leads to enjoyable and less predictable openings.
Throw out those opening books! But, alas once in a while it leads to a regular line...
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All those are great and Ya what Brian said is also a good consistent way to go as well
I guess we wll like different things from the baroque (1.a3 and 1. h3 to the KIA to the Slav, Grunfeld or Bird!
Thats why I love the game so, Jeff taught me allot about the changing scope and how beautiful a game can bet when u look at it and examine it part by part and its always different because NONE of us think alike, thats my favorite part about the game!
what good for me isnt for u or u like it for different reasons..and we can all agree to disagree OTB and no wars no rage no shootings lol its the best!
I guess we wll like different things from the baroque (1.a3 and 1. h3 to the KIA to the Slav, Grunfeld or Bird!
Thats why I love the game so, Jeff taught me allot about the changing scope and how beautiful a game can bet when u look at it and examine it part by part and its always different because NONE of us think alike, thats my favorite part about the game!
what good for me isnt for u or u like it for different reasons..and we can all agree to disagree OTB and no wars no rage no shootings lol its the best!
You know Josh, you may have come the closest I've ever heard or read to defining the true meaning of the game. Well said, my friend, and thank you. It brightened my day to be reminded just why I love the game so much!iamachessstudent wrote:All those are great and Ya what Brian said is also a good consistent way to go as well
I guess we wll like different things from the baroque (1.a3 and 1. h3 to the KIA to the Slav, Grunfeld or Bird!
Thats why I love the game so, Jeff taught me allot about the changing scope and how beautiful a game can bet when u look at it and examine it part by part and its always different because NONE of us think alike, thats my favorite part about the game!
what good for me isnt for u or u like it for different reasons..and we can all agree to disagree OTB and no wars no rage no shootings lol its the best!
- Cliff
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Hello everyone.New to Net-Chess,but look forward to getting to know you all.Invited in by an old friend I played chess with in school(many,many years ago,lol).
As far as openings go,I absolutely love the Sokolsky(Polish to some) as white.I pretty much play it exclusively unless I'm just in a mood to try something different.I enjoy that it's not so heavily "booked" as many openings & it's often underestimated as well.I'm always happy to take advantage of someone's overconfidence!
For black;against e4 or d4,I play the almost unknown Guatemalan defense(basically 1.e4 b6 2.d4 ba6).Would not claim to be expert with it,but I generally have fun playing it.That is really the best reason I can give as to why I play it.I just enjoy it,which is why I play games in the first place.
Against other white openings,I pretty much just play it by ear.
Hope you all dont mind a Net-Chess noobie tossing in his two cents.Have fun & happy gaming!
As far as openings go,I absolutely love the Sokolsky(Polish to some) as white.I pretty much play it exclusively unless I'm just in a mood to try something different.I enjoy that it's not so heavily "booked" as many openings & it's often underestimated as well.I'm always happy to take advantage of someone's overconfidence!
For black;against e4 or d4,I play the almost unknown Guatemalan defense(basically 1.e4 b6 2.d4 ba6).Would not claim to be expert with it,but I generally have fun playing it.That is really the best reason I can give as to why I play it.I just enjoy it,which is why I play games in the first place.
Against other white openings,I pretty much just play it by ear.
Hope you all dont mind a Net-Chess noobie tossing in his two cents.Have fun & happy gaming!
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I appreciate the welcome.It may take me a while to knock the dust off so to speak,as it's been a few years since I've had the chance to play much.I've had too many distractions to devote the time to it I would have liked.I do look forward to having the chance to start playing again some though & this seems like a nice place to do so.Thanks for the responses & I look forward to meeting you all across the board at some point.
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Forgot to mention,I've also played the Modern Defense a bit in the past...by played,I meant I've been crushed,humiliated & pee'd on while attempting to play it.lol May try to work with it some more,but don't expect too much.
Always willing to expand my opening arsenal...by expand,I meant get beaten in new,interesting ways...
Always willing to expand my opening arsenal...by expand,I meant get beaten in new,interesting ways...