underrated openings

In your opinion what is the most underrated opening. my vote goes to either the Nimzo-Larsen (1.b3) or the English (1.C4)

plz post

plz

The english is hardly underrated, it's one of the top 5 most popular opening in grandmaster play.

wow didnt know that kool :)

1. e4-e5 2. Ke2. It tends to antecede various tactically rife positions. Examine my games as an example.

The bird's opening 1.f4 is underrated, its a strong opening choice and leads to unbalanced positions

muscalu i agree i have played it several times and it has worked out reasonably well

If I had to pick the most underrated first move?  1.Nc3.

But if I can pick an opening system or variation, a few candidates leap to mind.  The Vienna Game (1.e4 e5 2.Nc3), Bishop's Opening (1.e4 e5 2.Bc4), and Mexican Defense (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 Nc6) are all sound and score well, yet I seldom see anyone playing or talking about them.  I guess it's sexier to play something really glaringly offbeat like Bird's Opening or the Orangutan, rather than something that's just out of style.

Definitely the Mexican defense (also known as the Black Knights Tango). Jeremy Silman has a very nice piece about it (http://www.jeremysilman.com/chess_opng_shrtcts/01_black_knights_tango.html). It goes 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 Nc3!?.

ooh i might try the mexican thx guys :)

I guess Spiffe and I both think highly of the Mexican. I reccomend it

I like Nc3, I was playing my dad earlier this week and despite the fact that he's weaker than I am, I had some initial trouble adapting to the position it lead to.

Also a possibility is 1.a3 with the possibility of transposing into several openings, often reversed ones so you have an extra tempo in hand over the normal variation as black.

Unless I'm being pedantic, that 2...Nc3?! definitely deserves the punctuation. I think I'm being pedantic. Might try that out, after I've got a better feel for the Benoni as a response to d4.

yeah i have seen 1. a3 repeatedly for those who want to do reversed openings.

I think the Chigorin Defense is underrated, or at least I haven't seen anyone mention it much here theory-wise.

Chess is funny sometimes. Like Spiffe said, openings come and go fashion-wise. No doubt, in a few years some top GM will play the Vienna Game or Bishop's Opening and whoosh! Here come the "Win with the Violatile Vienna!" and "Blast 'em with the Bishop's!" books and DVDs. We'll buy the books, watch Roman's Labs on screen, and buy the time we play them our opponents will have seen the "Violate the Vienna with 2...whatever" and humiliate us. A vicious, vicious cycle.

thats depressing and interesting at the same time :P

The Chigorin Dfense is really underrated. I think the Falkbeer counter-gambit is also underrated. 1.e4 e5 2.f4 d5 3.exd5 e4

I think the King's Gambit Bishop's Gambit 1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Bc4 gets my vote as underrated.

fischeryouth,

I really like the Nimzo-Larsen. I think you're right in saying that it's a very underrated opening.

Also, St. George's Defense is VERY UNDERRATED and VERY PLAYABLE: