definitely Bird's opening, the lasker variation is a killer. Benkos opening (not the gambit) in fact i'll tell you how I play as an intermediate advanced player. ( ELO 1693)
a3. If I ever want to play slow or passive, OR if I want to act as if White is playing with the black pieces. Mengarinis opening is a good way to even out the game into a drawish position, so I dont have to worry if black wants to play for the center.
b4. this is my 3rd most used first move as white. I like to play for long range attack against the diagonals toward Blacks kingside. Also a great way to transition from either d3, g3, or a3 (depending on how black plays) Lastly, It is a great way to weaken blacks kingside if after 1.b4-e5 2.Bb2-f6. there are many traps people fall for all the time with b4
c3. I usually am careful to play this, but in bullet, I play this all the time, it often leads to lots of trades and a more drawish mid game and endgame. usually I end with a draw anyway, but I will occasionally win, so thats why I only sometimes use this.
Nc3. Mostly to get into a Vienna game, or a very strong Richter veresov attack.
f4. My most used opening of all. The Lasker variation is a real killer on blacks king, setting up for long diagonal attacks. In general, I have to be careful if Froms gambit is played. Both sides are at big risk when 1. f4-e5 is played.
g3. just a classic move to quickly develop the kingside bishop. As I also said, I can also use this as a passive way, or to even waste a first move without losing a tempo. after something like 1.g3-c5 is played, I treat it as a sicilian, or as if I was playing with the black pieces.
Show me your pet lines/openings
Rousseau Gambit.
Very strong, powerful, and tricky, and almost no one knows it. If you want to, what would you play here as white? I have lines against almost every common move.
D3 immediately comes to my mind because of the similarity with Schleimann Ruy.
D4 seems more testing.
Yeah, d4 is actually just a direct refutation. However, what Italian main plays d4? That was my reasoning when I played it (1300-1550 ELO bracket), and I only faced d4 once or twice, exf4 was much more common, and I very rarely lost from there
That's the wrong line sea turtle....the SMG master recommends Bg5 when ne7 is played.... it's not refuted by any means....check out the video on YouTube by GM Molton.......drew a game against a 1700fide whose online was 2400 with SMG OTB
i literally said that, and many concider it refuted and black gets a perfectly fine position or better
Does anyone who has a favorite line really care if it's nothing better than equal or even semi-sound( an admittedly odd adjective)?
It's not really refuted..at best black can get equality which he gets anyways in each and every opening
at best black has an edge and wins the game
In TCEC season 15 superfinal, LC0 and Stockfish drew the four Smith Morra matches they played. Sorry, I am siding with out ai overlords in this one.
I actually like the Saragossa as well. It's definitely not objectively best, but it's not just something black can easily punish, and I usually get decent positions out of it.
I also like the Van Geet (1.Nc3), but I don't know if that would be considered objectively bad.
I actually like the Saragossa as well. It's definitely not objectively best, but it's not just something black can easily punish, and I usually get decent positions out of it.
I use this once in a blue moon for a reverse Caro or transposition into London.
I actually like the Saragossa as well. It's definitely not objectively best, but it's not just something black can easily punish, and I usually get decent positions out of it.
I use this once in a blue moon for a reverse Caro or transposition into London.
Yeah, I often do a London setup with it, or bring my bishop to g5.
It's not a clear position in some variations so u cannot really prove anything...but i admit it's not the strongest variation of the anti Sicilians
Its the most fun one though.
I actually like the Saragossa as well. It's definitely not objectively best, but it's not just something black can easily punish, and I usually get decent positions out of it.
I use this once in a blue moon for a reverse Caro or transposition into London.
Wait a minute... Do you like the London now? Because It looks like you used to hate it, judging by the reactions to some of the comments you put here: Why exactly does the London get so much hate? - Chess Forums - Chess.com
I actually like the Saragossa as well. It's definitely not objectively best, but it's not just something black can easily punish, and I usually get decent positions out of it.
I use this once in a blue moon for a reverse Caro or transposition into London.
Wait a minute... Do you like the London now? Because It looks like you used to hate it, judging by the reactions to some of the comments you put here: Why exactly does the London get so much hate? - Chess Forums - Chess.com
I don't know anymore. Ding and Ian showed the world any position can turn into mayhem.
Its more about my incompetence in understanding subtleties in positions that made me get annoyed against openings Such as Caro Kann or London System. I never really had a huge trouble in the opening really, but found them boring to death, until figuring out two can play the game.
Positional games are beautiful in a way I am too dumb to understand, for now.
Wing Gambit, began using to throw off Sicilian players
Wing Gambit is pretty cool. I always come back to this GingerGM masterpiece on it once a month.
I know the Scandinavian has a pretty bad reputation, and GMs rarely play it, but in my opinion, if you know your lines as black, I think it's perfectly playable.
White might get a small advantage in the middlegame, but in my experience many white players don't know how to play the positions correctly since the Scandinavian is rare so they don't study it. And then black equalizes or is already better.
Even if you meet an educated opponent, there is no refutation, so you have at least chances for equality.
But I have to admit I am not using the Scandinavian as a main weapon against 1.e4.
I prefer the Caro Kann.
but still, theres allways the annoying Bg5 and other ideas
Yup, I would prefer Bg5 instead of Be3 in that position.