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| ccmcacollister 12/01/2004 00:21:53 [ report this post ] |
 Subject: The opening that baffles and eludes you...Message: Is anyone like me ... that you have a certain opening that just seems to keep itself beyond your grasp? Speaking of your ability (or rather, lack of...) to play it well. Or just understand it properly. And perhaps seems like it becomes all the more elusive aor baffling the more you play it ?! Maybe it puts you on edge, grinding your teeth at times? Any opening you just hate to participate in? Or that you dont mind playing, but it just seems to go awry each and every time ? Or one you must suffer a dead-end love affair with ... because maybe it is slightly unsound or less than adequate but you just cant give it up ... Maybe it just so much fun? Or you've just Got to prove it really should be Okay to play (ala Fischer, taking some losses from sticking to his guns on several lines of play from the Sicilian, the King's Indian, the French ... so it happens to even the best). |
| ccmcacollister 12/01/2004 00:55:25 [ report this post ] | My bafflements include ... Message: a particular line of the Ruy Lopez, and one entire opening system. The first is the Dilworth line of the Open Lopez, where BL sacs a Bishop and Knight on f2 to get the f-pawn and a Rook for it. Which makes a nice and tactical middlegame from it. Yet I find, I cant seem to play EITHER SIDE of this thing and come out alive! Which makes it particularly amusing to me, for I would think I should be able to play One Side or The Other reasonably well. But not so. No discomfort with tactics! (contrare!) , but just this one line. And there is understanding missing for me I think. Which makes This one even stranger feeling, because I think I understand it, and just cant play it anyway! Which is referring to the Kurjatko Gambit. I love this thing! And know when its looking favorable or unfavorable. And yet again, just cannot make a good go of playing it on Either Side! Always seem to end up on the short end, no matter which pieces I have. Can find a way to make it ugly, in either case :) Despite that, I have enjoyed seeing other players games. Seem to know whats going on in them. And feel like the opening is a good one, as gambits go. But prove it? Not by me ! |
| jjw109 12/01/2004 01:29:27 [ report this post ] | Dilworth line Message: Didn't know what it was called, but I played it as black a while back and got destroyed! As my opponent slowly but surely brought his pieces in for the kill, I was left with simply jostling my rooks back and forth. I should have resigned then but I kept hoping.... |
| philaretus 12/01/2004 04:07:07 [ report this post ] | 1.d4 Message: Because I almost always lose against it, I once tried playing it for a time as White, but to no avail. I've come to the conclusion that it involves Chess ideas I shall never succeed in understanding. |
| spurtus 12/01/2004 09:17:11 [ report this post ] | KID - attacking blacks plans early. Message: I dont understand why in the... King's Indian Defense - Averbak Variation ( 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. Be2 Nbd7 ) ====> 6. e5 <==== Is not a book move? I'd love to hear from anybody why this is not recommended? Spurtus. |
| bucklehead 12/01/2004 09:36:53 [ report this post ] | Is it lame to be stumped by the Ruy? Message: Perhaps "stumped" is the wrong word...I tend to play the Ruy Lopez as white, but the more I play/study it, the more I feel lost in the tactical twists and turns. There is simply so much going on here, and my brain is not sophisticated enough to encompass it all. It's a wonder. But I figure I have about 40 years left before my brain starts to go, so perhaps a decade or two of patient study will help me get my sea legs. On the black side, the King's Gambit has always given me the willies. The wide-open, scattered-pawn brawls that seem to result are simply not my cup of tea. I'm a big fan of the open game, mind you, but making a move like ...g5 within the first five moves gives me a lump in the throat. |
| philaretus 12/01/2004 10:45:11 [ report this post ] | spurtus Message: It could be because it loses a pawn. |
| deputy1 12/01/2004 13:00:49 [ report this post ] | Grob Attack 1g5 Message: I cant' play against this particular opening I had 2 games with this opening and lost both. Any Grob player about who could help me? John |
| wschmidt 12/02/2004 15:06:48 [ report this post ] | For me it's Message: the black side of the Smith-Morra Accepted. Forget what the GMs say, I find it intimidating as can be and I think I've lost every one I've played. These days when someone plays c3 to my beloved Sicilian, that sucker can sit there the whole game. I won't accept it. |
| deputy1 12/03/2004 13:39:41 [ report this post ] | Morra Gambit Message: Benko has always advised his pupil white or black to play the Morra Gambit Accepted if you play that variation you could play any Sicilian varaition. I tend to agree with him but there again I am not a Sicilian fan .. John |
| wschmidt 12/06/2004 10:10:53 [ report this post ] | Silman recommends accepting the Morra gambit too.. Message: I clearly don't understand the resulting position though and until I find the time to really study it (and that's way down on my list of chess books to acquire and read) I'll stick with the Declined. I understand the pawn structure better by leaving the pawn tension on the board for awhile. |
| deputy1 12/06/2004 15:23:20 [ report this post ] | 1 d4 Message: my first move is always 1 d4 I can play any opening with this move up to a certain point.. As regards any person opening 1 e4 i always reply e5 or d6 |
| premium_steve 12/06/2004 17:02:15 [ report this post ] | Message: right now i can't think of a really good way to meet the nimzowitzch defense: 1.e4 Nc6 2.d4 d5 so maybe i can try the opening some time as black if i study it well, since such a strong player as myself would now be confused and stumped by it ;) i remember i played a game with you craig, and you used this opening well, i think. |
| jsemmens 12/12/2004 12:43:36 [ report this post ] | Philidor's Defense Message: I can't stand these two openings: 1. e4 e5 2. nf3 d6 and, 1. e4 e5 2. nf3 nc6 3. d4 |
| philaretus 12/12/2004 15:30:12 [ report this post ] | Do you mean.... Message: ....you can't stand them as White or as Black? |
| mctaggart 12/12/2004 17:01:24 [ report this post ] | the Ruy Lopez Message: I remember when I first started to play chess I fell in love with the Ruy Lopez but eventually like Bucklehead I soon got lost in its labyrinth,took some heavy losses and gradually switched over to d4...It also seemed that that was the way that main-line chess was going too,after the passing of players like Fischer,Gligoric,Keres who in my mind were the main proponents of the Ruy Lopez in recent times the opening suffered a decline in popularity. Now if I am correct I have noticed a few more games featuring the Ruy appearing in magazines,so it may be making a comeback. Incidently,I remember reading a book on openings, by Leonard Barden I think where he advised " leave the Ruy Lopez alone .it is too sophisticated for the average player"! Maybe he is right.My most memorable Ruy Lopez,which I can play time and time again is Fischer -Stein from Sousse,anybody agree? |
| jsemmens 12/12/2004 18:33:21 [ report this post ] | Ruy Lopez Message: to philaretus, i mean defending against them as black on the subject of Ruy Lopez, I love that opening, it is my usual opening, although I sometimes use the Queen's Gambit |
| punkusmartyrus 12/14/2004 16:30:42 [ report this post ] | I heart K.I.A Message: I love the Kings Indian Attack (w/ Nd2, not Nc3), but the majority get the better of me w/ it cuz I can't sustain it into the middlegame. Any other K.I.A. lovers wanna help me out or let me view some of your success' w/ it please please please contact me. |
| bucklehead 12/15/2004 07:08:53 [ report this post ] | Just to clarify my position on ol' Ruy... Message: I still play it regularly, but I live somewhat in awe of it. Chess is something like a vast, underexplored wilderness--every day, you may find yourself in a position that has never been played before--complemented by a few areas (such as openings and endgames) which are more like national parks. In these you can either go hiking without assistance and simply drink in the natural beauty (and risk falling into a ravine), or you can get yourself a guidebook at the gift shop and be sure of sampling the best of what the park has to offer. I've been hiking through the backwoods of the Ruy for a while now, armed with an old, dog-eared trail guide, and I've seen some remarkable things. The variety of terrain and the lush vegetation are staggering. Simply put, this opening is pulsing with life, in all its majesty and frailty; and I know that, were I simply dropped in the middle of it without adequate preparation, I could find myself in serious danger in a matter of a few moves. So I have resolved not to turn my back on it, but instead keep peering and poking, making my own notes on the paths I encounter. I respect the Ruy Lopez in a very deep sense, and I know I will never become its master; but if I can steel myself against its dangers and prepare myself for its pitfalls, I may be able to get a better grasp of its mysteries. |
| onlygb 12/21/2004 03:34:36 [ report this post ] | Avoiding Ruy like the plague Message: I began to realize that I was never going to become a quality player if I let people beat me (W or B) with the Ruy. So, I went and started pushing the D pawn for White and played the Sicilian for B. That kept me Ruy free. Then, one day, I realized that I was getting mediocre results from the D pawn openings and that I'm never going to become a quality player until I begin playing E4 on W. Somewhere along the way I tried a hypermodern opening but just got demolished. |
| philaretus 12/21/2004 04:32:10 [ report this post ] | The Ruy Lopez.... Message: .....is an opening for masters. Amateurs should avoid it, especially in correspondence chess, where you're playing against databases. I've never played it as White, but in my early days on Gameknot I had some success as Black with the Berlin Defence, which is a good choice for amateurs, as it's not heavy with theory. But unfortunately, the Berlin Defence is also a tactical minefield, in which you're almost certainly going to be outwitted by a high-rated player, so nowadays I never reply 1...e5. |
| deputy1 12/21/2004 04:42:50 [ report this post ] | Message: Like philartus I never reply 1.e 5 myself I go for 1.d6 or g6 going into the pirc or modern defence systems which suits my style of play I am afraid I might lose my way in complex situations in the RuY Lopez or if Iam giong to play e5 at all I would play n-f6 to n-f3( petrov defence) Any sugestions ? |
| hoss 12/24/2004 13:44:47 [ report this post ] | scary opening Message: I have suffered quite a bit at the hand of the Evans Gambit playing the black pieces. I don't know why I have such trouble with it, but I do. I had a similar bout with the black side of the Ruy Lopez, but after some studing it has become clearer to me. So maybe there's hope because now the Ruy Lopez is my main opening; the exchange as white and the berlin with 4...Nxe4 as black. |
| rose-quarz 1/29/2005 04:11:23 [ report this post ] | 1.e4 & Deputy 1 Message: I stopped playing 1.e4 as I can't play against the Fench Defence and I don't like The Two knights Defence and I do better with the black side of Sicilian then I do with the white. In aswer to Deputy 1's Grob question, Yes I play the Grob to avoid 1.e4 defences. If 1.g4 d5 2.Bg2 Bxg4 is accepting immediate problems. Don't accept the gambit pawn. |
| wellhairedbeast 1/29/2005 06:17:36 [ report this post ] | Message: Hmmmmm 1.g4 d5 2.Bg2 Bxg4 3.c4 That looks very interesting im going to give it a try, it will surprise the opponent and they might not see the mistake of taking the c4 pawn! |
| deputy1 1/29/2005 06:40:32 [ report this post ] | grob Message: i think I might give it d5 if any one plays the grob against me yours John |
| ccmcacollister 1/29/2005 07:49:10 [ report this post ] | ME TOO !~ Message: I used to avoid 1.e4 e5 too, for a different reason than mentioned tho. I like Black in the Ruy, but many people were playing 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 instead, and my 3...Bc5 was just too drawish I thought. So after finally deciding to go with the Two Knight's Defense (3...Nf6) after getting some confidence in the Estrin line with ....b5, it doesnt bother me at all anymore to see 3.Bc4 . Since that can get wildly tactical at times. :) I was wondering, hoss, if you ever tried Lasker's decline line vs the Evan's Gambit, where BL answers WT's d4 with ... Bb6 ? I've heard it called "The Bane of Evan's players". And there Is a little trap where WT must not take the poisoned pawn. I've never caught anyone falling into it, but like the variation as a solid alternative to acceptance. (Hopefully it's not been Busted since i last played it ? !!! :) **** |
| zugzwang85 2/07/2005 13:15:49 [ report this post ] | 1. g4 Message: I used to play the grob all the time in fast games at yahoo. I loved when people would play 1...d5 and accept the gambit. So many players ended up losing there rook. The opening involves playing Bg2, c4, Nc3, and Qb3 all aiming at d5. I first learned about this opening from a USCF rated 2000+ player, Sam Sloan, who uses it from time to time. Many players say the opening is horrible because it severely weakens the kingside but who says you ever have to castle? I stopped playing it cause I found a refutation for the opening involving the pawn moves e5, d5, and c6 which makes the bishop look pathetic... |
| silurasglanis 2/10/2005 16:25:01 [ report this post ] | Message: The opening I hate, just through reading games, as I have never ever played it, is anything where by black plays 1.....e5 to Whites 1 e4. when I am black I hate d4, e3, bd3......Zzzzzzzzzzzzz. Cheers |
| paulberg 2/11/2005 22:55:13 [ report this post ] | Simple Openings for me... Message: Personally, Ruy Lopez was much too complicating for me also. However, I do like the Piano (1e4e5 2Nf3Nc6 3Bc4Bc5) as white. I tended to favor the Sicilian as black merely because most people hate getting 1..c5 to their 1e4. I understood the Sicilian only in the opening and usually got a bit lost in the theory past the opening. I did very well with it until my rating got into the 1600's and then failed miserably. Higher rated players understand the Sicilian all too well and killed me everytime. I still do very well with the Italian Openings as white, but I would like to find an easier alternative to the Sicilian. I need a better black defense. Any suggestions? |
| superblunder 3/30/2005 17:16:08 [ report this post ] | Openings. Message: I love 1.e4 as white. As black I am decided to play the nimzo-indian and queen's indian as I have the best results with these defenses. My big problem for several years now has been what to play against 1.e4!? I have tried the sicilian...good results against patzers, but against tournament players who know the white theory...forget it. I have been playing 1.e4 e5 for awhile now but I really don't like it much, I just play it because it is very sound, classical, centrally oriented chess. My teacher GM Varuzhan Akobian has been playing the french defense for years and wants me to start playing it, but the restricted positions that result for black are not to my liking. I am thinking maybe of starting the caro-kann or just going crazy!!! |
| chuckventimiglia 3/30/2005 18:40:55 [ report this post ] | Any opening or defense..... Message: is a personal thing. I favor 1.e4 as White. I favor 1...e6 in response to that 1.e4. I will try to get a French even when I am playing Black and White plays 1.d4 With 1.d4 I may try 1.d4 e6 and if he plays 2.e4 d5 and voila the French. :-) Seriously I used to play the Sicilian as my main answer to 1.e4 but for the past year I favor the French. As you said the French lines are complicated and lead to unbalanced complicated, cramped positions but they are all playable. When playing the French I hope for my opponent to play 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 If he plays 3.Nc3 I will respond with 3...Bb4 and go into the many Winawer vars. The Ivkov var. of the Winawer 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 Ne7 with this var. if White should play Qg4 then the early knight move to e7 gives Black the option to immediately O-O or to give up his "g" and "h" pawn to counterattack on White's queenside or play Ng6, after 5.Qg4 c5 6.dxc5 Bxc3+ 7.bxc3 Qa5 which is a common position for the French, Black can build a strong attack which is difficult for White to parry unless he knows all the lines. As White and my opponent plays the French I always opt to play 3.Nd2 to avoid the Winawer positions. If I have something out of place above it was because I was having some French wine made in California. :-)) |
| superblunder 3/30/2005 19:17:56 [ report this post ] | thanks chuck! Message: Another strong player recommending the french...hmm may be I SHOULD listen to my Grandmaster teacher! I will look into the winawer lines, as I am very unhappy with 1e4 e5 and the sicilian lately. |
| schnarre 3/31/2005 15:56:27 [ report this post ] | Let's see. Message: I'm probably out of place here, but usually the only time I ever win with 1. e4 is when my opponent plays the French. I often have recommended the Torre Attack for players of 1. d4 as well as for new players to the game (tenacious in attack, solid in defense, flexible & forgiving). I've often ruined Ruy players' plans by playing the St. George (1...a6). As I play 1. a3 as my opening for White, I've faced literally EVERY opening move Black can throw at some point or other (even 1...Nh6 on one occassion) & it's usually held me in good stead. Personally I don't recommend the French at all, except maybe to new players but even then I'd recommend the Caro-Khan or Scandinavian. The Philidor never impresses me: if I can deploy the Queen to d4 within the first 10 moves & come out with a good position, how could anyone have many problems with it? As chuckventimiglia put it, any opening or defense is a personnal thing: one's style of play should guide these choices. |
| giuco_piano_guy 3/31/2005 19:19:41 [ report this post ] | call me stupid... Message: ...but the sicilian defence always kills me. I've studied this opening a lot, but in the game i always go mind-blank and make all the wrong moves. |
| schnarre 4/01/2005 14:48:53 [ report this post ] | EH? Message: How do you normally proceed giuco_piano_guy? |
| oblique 4/01/2005 18:44:42 [ report this post ] | kings gambit and sokolsky Message: as black i have trouble against 1. b4 - i feel i am winning from the start yet i always find myself defending as white i have trouble playing kings gambit - the concept is romantic but it seems unsound |
| paulberg 4/04/2005 05:24:19 [ report this post ] | Sicilian, or what? Message: I still haven't got any suggestions on what to play as black. I love Italian Openings as white, however, I'm getting tired of the Sicilian as black. I don't like the French either.. any suggestions? pauL |
| schnarre 4/04/2005 08:23:32 [ report this post ] | How About......? Message: Say paulberg, do you favour conservative or high-stakes play? If the former, then I recommend the Caro-Kann vs. 1. e4 & a Gruenfeld vs. 1.d4 . If you're an adventurous soul with a flair for the offbeat, I might recommend a Polish Defense (1. d4 b5) or Scandinavian. What other openings besides the Sicilian & French have you tried? |
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