Openings for Intermediate Players
Hi!
When you become more experienced and your level of play has improved to an intemediate level (1100-1699 rating), you may add to your repertoire new openings to have options to choose from depending the oponent, your tournement situation, or just to have fun.
This post is related to my previous one on Openings for Beginners (https://www.chess.com/blog/maafernan/openings-for-beginners) so you might read to have some context.
When you expand your repertoire you learn new positional concepts and tactical motives that help you have a better understanding of the game. But you should chose sound openings, especially as Black. Here my recommendations for an expanded repertoire:
As White:
Still, 1.e4 or 1.d4 will be recommended - keep playing only one of them. Try to select a new variation against each Black's main defenses (1...c5, 1...c6, 1...e5, 1...e6) or study deeper the ones you know already. Avoid flank openings unless you are in the upper intermediate level (1400-1699 rating range) and you are bored of your main opening, in that case I would suggest choosing either 1. Nf3 or 1.c4.
As Black:
Against 1.e4
You could add to your repertoire one of the three highly regarded semi-open defenses: Sicilian, French or Caro-Kann, where you try to fight for the centre in the first moves. The choice is quite personal and perhaps you already play some of them. Try to focus on only one.
In case of the Sicilian , it has so many variations then you should select the one you prefer (Dragon, Najdorf, Sveshnikov, Taimanov, Scheveningen, Kan, Classical...)
Avoid the hypermodern type defenses like Alekhine, Pirc/Modern, Nimzowitsch and Owen, unless you are in the upper intermediate level (1400-1699 rating range).
Against 1.d4
Preferably keep 1...d5 as only reply- the study of the above mentioned Semi-open defenses will take you a lot of time so I would recommend adding one opening to your repertoire at a time. But if you feel like you need to play something else against 1.d4 and you are in the upper intermediate level (1400-1699 rating range), then I would recommend the hypermodern-type defenses: either the Nimzoindian + Queen's Indian defenses, which complement a repertoire depending on White's follow up very well -you should learn one at a time, the King's Indian Defense, or the Gruenfeld Defense. The Dutch Defense could also do. Choice again is a matter of taste.
Against Flank Openings
Preferably meet 1. Nf3 or 1. g3 with 1...d5 and 2...e6
and meet 1. c4 with 1...e6 and 2...d5
Sometimes play will traspose to the Queen's Gambit Declined. If White doesn´t play d4, you can try a similar development of your pieces as you would against it. That is pawns on d5, e6, and b6 (queenside fianchetto), and minor pieces as follows: Nf6, Be7, Bb7, Nbd7, with kingside castling. Or if you are in the upper intermediate level (1400-1699 rating range), and already prepared a hypermodern defense, you could try setting up the same piece scheme. For instance if you chose the King's Indian against 1.d4, you could try ...d6, ...Nf6, ...g6, ...Bg7 and ...0-0
Meet 1. b3, 1. b4,1. Nc3 or 1. f4 with 1...d5
A setup of pawns and pieces similar to the recommendation above will do most of the time.
Learning the mentioned openings in my opinion will be time well spent and a long lasting investment.
If you would like to learn more about openings or improve your play in general, I would be happy to help! Please check my profile, and if you’re interested in lessons, please send me a message, and I will reply with details.
Good luck!
