Grandmaster Openings of present day games..

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brain1960

Could someone explain why now-a-days most of the top level games open with "Queens Pawn" and not "Kings Pawn"?

Have the top players lost the initiative of "fireworks" that erupt in Kings Pawn openings?

Or they just want to get into a more positional play, play safe and drag the game to a win or at least a draw in their favour?

zxb995511

You got the right idea, it's just that K-pwan openings are more tactically complex and often times require extremely acurate play to be able to maintain an edge. In contratst a Q-pawn or 1.c4 opening gives a more stable (albeit more subtle) advantage that can be often pressed into a win and if not a likely draw will ensue. It's more about reliability and the buisness side of the game then style or anything else.

Scarblac

1.e4 is more drawish at top level, because of the Petroff and some other lines.

Scarblac

Let's check the scores of 1.d4 and 1.e4 in the WC since 2000:

Kramnik-Anand: 1.d4 +2 =6 -2, 1.e4 +0 =1 +0 (1.e4 only played when White needed a draw to clinch the title)

Kramnik-Topalov: 1.d4 +6 =7 -2, 1.e4 not played

Kramnik-Leko: 1.d4 +1 =4 -0, 1.e4 +1 =6 -2

Kramnik-Kasparov: +2 =5 -0, 1.e4 +0 =5 -0

 

Totals:

1.d4 +11 =22 -4

1.e4 +1 =12 -2

 

Conclusion: 1.d4 best by test in modern top level chess

Tricklev

Lack of e4? Has no one watched the Corus a group the last weeks? There has been tons of 1. e4 games.

With that said, 1.e4 is not as overly popular in the top as it is among the amateurs, but there's still plenty of 1.e4.