learn endgames. your openings are fine.
Looking to expand and strengthen my opening repertoire
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If you have won a pawn in the opening/middlegame, one of you strategies would be to faceoff pieces and trade down to an endgame. If your opponents knows your endgame is naff he won't be afraid of trading off. If however he knows you are a good endgame player , he will avoid trade offs a pawn down and cede you space as he retreats. So , I'm saying good endgame play is a "threat" that can see you win in the middlegame !
Wow interesting stuff
Endgame has always been a study I avoided because of how boring it is but I have to agree with both of you
I remember when I did actually take some time to study endgame I was able to steer the middle game into favorable endgame positions
Thanks for your honest answers
My advice is from my own personal experience. I sunk tons of time into openings when I was about 1200-1300 (openings which I no longer play!) and I wasn't seeing much progress. I decided at some point that if I had 10 minutes of free time, I wasn't going to play blitz or learn more openings but rather work through a few positions of an endgame book by Max Euwe. I basically worked through about 1/2 of the book (rook endgames mostly), over the course of about a year. I wasn't playing tournament chess at that time. Then I went back to playing tournaments, and my went up to like 1700 or 1800 (over time, obviously). The only thing that had really changed was endgame knowledge. So I can tell you that it does work, although it takes time, like everything.
gritting my teeth I know you are correct.
I am uncovering lots of flaws in my game. I am certain a stronger endgame understanding will allow me greater flexibility in steering middlegame positions to favorable endings etc
the fact that you said half of the book in a year is testament to just how much is required to properly study endgame kudos to you for being able to self study to that extent i am on scribd and there are a plethora of endgame books. i will pick one or two and begin to go through it.
I feel that i should have a well rounded approach
some master games some tactics training and some endgame
with those three areas. I should hopefully see some growth thanks for sharing your experience
The Silman book is a nice endgame intro (http://www.amazon.com/Silmans-Complete-Endgame-Course-Beginner/dp/1890085103/ref=pd_bxgy_14_img_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=0KJ5DBA4WCGHP1GDT4SQ).
Fundamental Chess Endings (http://www.amazon.com/Fundamental-Chess-Endings-Karsten-Muller/dp/1901983536) is also good, its one of the books that I have. It would be my recommendation if you're going to make the effort.
The Max Euwe book I mentioned is:
Which I don't necessarily recommend. I already had it (given to me) and I was poor, so I used it. I've been told it's a terrible book as far as endings go (but that didn't stop me from getting a lot out of it).
I have been playing for many years. 40 yet my game is not very strong. but my game has teeth. i have beaten 2000 players once or twice on FICS and have gotten a few wins with 1800 and lately i seem to be consistently getting wins or at least winning positions before losing in time against 1700
I am looking for other ways to push my opening reportoire forward a bit. perhaps other transpositions or even other openings that compliment my current choices.
here is my flow. i tend to like open tactical lines. but at the same time I seem to play complicated positions well. i have poor endgame strength so i hate to have the game simplified too early.
Any suggestions will be appreciated.
my openings are confined to E4 for white.
if my opponent tries for french i transpose to Kings indian attack.
I play primarily ruy lopez. (i back my bishop up if attacked.)
against siciillian. I attack pawn and take D4 with Knight.
against Caro Kahn I have no set play but I rarely lose to this defense unless the opponent is above 1700
black DEfense
Against E4 i play two knights defence with d5 against knight g5
against Scotch I play Qh4 taking the opponent out of his element I find the majority of players end up giving me a good final position.
agaist kings gambit I play D5
Against ruy lopez i play Berlin Defense.
Against D4 I play Benoni.
This is what I have been playing now for the last three years.
and I am finding quite a bit of stability in my games. I am able to for the most part avoid french and scotch lines with my game play
and I have over the years been playing benoni since I was in my twenties. and although I find myself in trouble from time to time. I am able to get some very satisfying wins.
older openings I have explored. that I feel have helped me
English, alhekeine Defense, Kings indian. Defense.