I'm on Varsity chess in my high school and I'm wondering which opening would be good for me.  I am a pretty good player like 1500 on chess.com and I have tried the scotch and italian and i need something different.  Do you think that something like the Ponziani or a queen pawn opening will be good? If so could you please tell me what to study? thanks

I used to play the Scotch and Italian for high school chess. Then I played the Ponziani and Vienna Game afterwards, but both games felt very limited like the openings before them.

I would recommend starting up either the King's Indian Attack (1. Nf3 variation), or perhaps the Queen's Gambit (1. d4 d5 2. c4). If you have a tournament coming up and need to study fast I would go with the King's Indian Attack. The position is always similar, and the only variations are mainly to defend or exchange pieces.  If you have the time (a week or two) to learn the Queen's Gambit before any major tournaments that might pay off better. The Queen's Gambit is one of those openings you can play for the rest of your career and still face something different (but still sound) due to all the defenses created against it.

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 I really liked the possibilities of the ponziani but when I play on varsity, some opponents play 3. c3 d4 and then my game goes bad.  I would like to play something new like a kings gambit or indian game but my coach tells me that at high school level we shouldnt be doing gambits or anything but e4.  It sucks. 

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o_0?

I LOLed at the ''high school level'' thing. As if people in college had their own level and people past that fit into another level 

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 I say high school level because it isn't very skilled.  Basically people know what they are doing but the games are not close to being a high level of play.  Only like 10% of kids know how to play things like the sicilian and I have seen sad games of low boards not knowing how to get a queen and king checkmate.  Yes some high schoolers suck, some are ok and some are good but none are great.  I want a good uncommon opening that not many people know

1.b3(nimzo larsen attack) is extremely solid with very little trap lines, however, completely unambitous and essentially gives up whites first move advantage. Like you said though, the coach is limiting you to e4, really? I dont know what to say to that

personally i am about a 1430 on this site and i greatly enjoy playing the ponziani due to he many traps that black can fall into. also even if they do play e6 d5 you can just play e4 d4 grabbing lots of center space and bringing them out of their comfort zone forcing them either to trade block or prepre for you take. thus allowing over the boad play that you would most likely win judging by your rating.

p.s. im in high school too :) miner niner.

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I'm a sophomore and I think the Ponziani is pretty good.  Ive tried the scotch, 4 knights, italian, all of those and all the other players in the conference know exactly where to move their pieces and I want something to make them think.

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 sorry but in my area there are not any.  Nobody takes chess very seriously in Wisco

At 'high school level', as you describe it, openings shouldn't matter much. Just get your pieces out and beat them with chess.

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Unless your coach is "unreasonable" by nature, why not try persuading him otherwise. The king's gambit is good. If I were your coach, I'd let you go for it, especially since you mentioned it. The most important thing is to have fun and to play something that suits your nature! Reason with your coach a little ...

Through experience just play the colle if you want a reliable opening but at the same time boring. There is no such thing as high school level as people in that age group can be between 0 and 2700 in rating. Next time just describe it with a rating group.

Hey im 16 and basically in highschool. :D A good opening would be like I say the modern or like fianchettoing your bishop, or the perk etc. Search them up, they're pretty nice.

Playing at the high school level I would do as a couple others have suggested and play Kings Gambit as white.  Not  many on that level will know how to defend it very well and you will go a long way into developing an attacking attitude.  Kings Gambit is sound at almost all levels when you know how to play it.  A whole lot of fun also.

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I went from a 1600 to a 1900 with the KIngs gambit in high school.  I have even beaten masters with it, it was a favorite of Bobby Fischer.  The kings gambit "theme" can be play as a closed sicilian or a grand prix attack.  Against the french 1.e4 e6 2.f4 d5 3. e5 cramping black, now c5 for black is no threat to undermind whites pawns.  I am will to chat or email your coach.

BTW Our high school team hired a master to teach a few lessons to us, the kings gambit was his favorite. ;)

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Agreed!

The Vienna doesn't allow "easy equality" at all, it is a serious opening, almost as much as the Italian or Scotch. There are zillions of traps for black to fall into, especially at his level and probably also at YOUR level. GMs Anand and Shabalov occasionally play it, Russian Grandmaster Tseitlin wrote a book on it.  

The Ponziani is quite questionable, yes. It does not have the myriad of tricks and opening material available in the Vienna. The Vienna also allows for favourable transpositions to the King's Gambit if black isn't exceedingly careful. 

Notable practitioners of the Vienna Game include Paulsen, Alekhine, Keres, and occasionall uses by Anand, Leko, Morozevich, Shirov, and even Kasparov, which is a testament to the soundness of the Vienna even at the highest levels.

http://www.chess.com/article/view/the-vienna-game-and-bishops-opening2

Notice the white score of 57% in the Vienna Game.

So if it is reasonably okay under extreme scrutiny at world class level I think it is okay for high school level opening!!! My vote is for the Vienna Game. 

there is no such a particular opening which could benefit anyone for high schoool chess..

it's just that you have to play the ones you are more comfortable with. and a little homework ,if possible, about the strength of your opponent, can also help.