Try doing what you think best suites you as for everyone has different ways of playing
Italian vs Vienna
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There's a lot to be said for the Vienna - many opponents don't know how to meet it, whereas every e5 player has a plan against the Italian.
The Italian with c3 and d3 is positional and difficult. The Vienna is fun, effective, and underrated.
Introduction To The Vienna Game & Gambit...
https://www.chess.com/blog/RussBell/introduction-to-the-vienna-game-gambit
Introduction to The Italian Game & Evans Gambit...
https://www.chess.com/blog/RussBell/introduction-to-the-italian-game
Aug 16, 2022
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#6
Thank you all for the feedback. I decided to go with the Italian, but with more aggressive options. I hope this forum helps someone with similar problem
Aug 16, 2022
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#7
Problem5826 wrote:
The Italian with c3 and d3 is positional and difficult. The Vienna is fun, effective, and underrated.
The Italian with c3/d3 ends up looking a lot like the Lopez but without all that a6, b5 business.
Aug 16, 2022
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#8
Play like 50 games of both.
I vastly prefer the Vienna, but that's because I like imbalanced games.
As a side note, even at 2000 rapid I still get the following position out of most of my games:
It's important to note here that d6 instead of d5 is not neccesarily inferior as some try to claim; d5 is agressive and imbalanced, where as d6 is solid (particularly the line below, which has caused me a ton of troubles).
However, I will say that I can count on a superior position out of the opening maybe 4/5 games with the Vienna. Cannot say the same for the time in which I played the italian. Maybe just my playstyle, but I suspect it's that the Vienna is a better choice for the amateur.
^My record with the Vienna vs my record with the Italian^
Tried it before (preference is usually for the Scotch game). The 2.Nf3 is using the c3 d3 Italian.
100 games is quite an investment (think it's something like 50 hours). Then looked at some positions on chessable. Seemed subtle and difficult. Entire chapters on things like move orders alone.
Aug 16, 2022
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#10
Zakstin wrote:
Hi everyone,
I’m trying to choose what to play against e5 and I’m struggling between these two options. I have tried the Italian and I like the positions, but I struggle against the Petrov and Stafford which Vienna fortunately avoids. What do I think I should opt for?
I’m trying to choose what to play against e5 and I’m struggling between these two options. I have tried the Italian and I like the positions, but I struggle against the Petrov and Stafford which Vienna fortunately avoids. What do I think I should opt for?
I avoid the petroff completely by going for a 4 knights i.e. 3.Nc3
Aug 16, 2022
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#11
Why not 2.Bc4? It often transposes to the Italian and you don't have to deal with the Petroff.
Im sorry, im beginer and i have a cuestion
Aug 17, 2022
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#13
llama36 wrote:
Zakstin wrote:
Hi everyone,
I’m trying to choose what to play against e5 and I’m struggling between these two options. I have tried the Italian and I like the positions, but I struggle against the Petrov and Stafford which Vienna fortunately avoids. What do I think I should opt for?
I’m trying to choose what to play against e5 and I’m struggling between these two options. I have tried the Italian and I like the positions, but I struggle against the Petrov and Stafford which Vienna fortunately avoids. What do I think I should opt for?
I avoid the petroff completely by going for a 4 knights i.e. 3.Nc3
Yeah i thought about it but it's another major opening to learn which doesn't really appeal to me. I'm glad it works for you tho
Aug 17, 2022
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#14
pfren wrote:
If you stuggle against the Stafford, then your problem is not the opening.
Anyway, the Vienna is less work to do, but objectively Black is comfortably equal in the 2...Nf6 3.f4 d5 line, and slightly better in the 2...Nc6 3.f4 exf4 line.
But this hardly matters at your level.
Stafford is a tricky line which Eric Rosen shows on every stream so I guess it is a matter of not knowing the tricks of it. Of course I could spot all of them on the fly, but that's not very realistic. Thank you for the vienna recommendation tho.
Aug 17, 2022
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#15
punter99 wrote:
Why not 2.Bc4? It often transposes to the Italian and you don't have to deal with the Petroff.
Sorry I didn't mention it but in the Italian I was trying to play the Evan's and the most popular move against 2.Bc4 is Nf6 which unfortunetly avoids it. On the other hand it allows you to play the Urusov which looks fun as well.
sooo true. have u seen summa the openings in the 15 min superGM rapid going on right now ?
lol ! MC: 1. a3
Aug 17, 2022
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#17
Eric Rosen is not fool enough to play this rubbish at a regular game. So far, he's playing it in blitz and bullet games, where every sort of nonsense is playable. Not even once in a slow game.
I'm a beginner so for me 15 min is a slow game and majority of games are played in even faster time controls. In them Stafford is a perfectly good weapon (Dubov also played it in a tournament) and for such games I'm looking for a pleasent opening.
I agree though that the opening is not my Biggest problem rn
Italian and Vienna are both fine choices.
Aug 17, 2022
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#20
Zakstin wrote:
I'm a beginner so for me 15 min is a slow game
It's the opposite. A 15 minute game for you is like a 3 minute game for me. As a beginner you need a lot more time to do basic things like checking whether your move is safe and seeing what your opponent's last move threatened.
I’m trying to choose what to play against e5 and I’m struggling between these two options. I have tried the Italian and I like the positions, but I struggle against the Petrov and Stafford which Vienna fortunately avoids. What do I think I should opt for?