Opening "flowchart"

Hi,

I'm trying to study some openings, and wonder if there's a sort of "flowchart" alike system to map the variations on an opening?

Let's say for example I want to map some variations on Caro-Kann, I could start with 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 and let's say if white plays 3. Nc3, I would continu the classical variation with dxe4. But if white plays 3.e5, I would continu the advance variation with Bf5. Each of the moves in the opening fase, lead to some variation.

I do have all (or quite some) of those variations in a book, but it's not handy if you have to browse from chapter to chapter. Is there some easier system to picture those variations in a more interactive way? "Book openings" and "Games database" on chess.com comes a bit close, but I only want to see the options I personally prefer or those I'm currently studying.

Any tips?

write one yourself.

You can use the opening tree of Chessmaster and Fritz programs. 

Thanks for the suggestion. What exactly is this and - more important - where do I find it?

You can make your own for your favourite openings. I'm doing a manual one for the Dutch despite having all the computer tools

Get a sharp pencil and a sheet of A4 paper (in landscape orientation). Or you can use Excel if you prefer.

Then left to right you write out the lines you are covering on that sheet.

For the Dutch for example my first sheet is all the non-standard lines White can take to deviate on the 2nd move.

1. d4 f5

...........2. Nc3 Nf6 3.Bg5 d5 4Bxf6

...................................4e3         

............2. g4

...........2. e4  etc

I go 7 or 8 moves deep in most of the variations

You have to buy Fritz and similar program from www.chessbase.com or www.chesscafe.com. When you open the database, just click the openings tab.

Save yourse;lf the effort and buy some of these for £4.99.

http://www.ukgamesshop.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=cheqsta115&Category_Code=cheqsta

I got some as a novelty because they were so cheap and they are actually quite good. Each card has a different opening or variation on it.

It lists the ECO entry, name, the likely continuation (a few moves deep) as well as a picture of a board and the piece positions.

For example,

Ace of Diamonds - Spanish Game C60 - and show the basic set up

King of Diamonds - C61 Spanish Game - Birds Defence - the likely continuation in this postition

Queen of Diamonds - C62 - Steinitz Defence - likely continuation in this position

and so on...all of these go about 4 moves deep after the initial Spanish Game set up card.

I find them quite useful as a novelty. I doubt they will help you improve your game much, but they seem to work well for opening recognition at least. After flicking through them a few times I now recognise much more openings on first sight than I did before.

Knowing what they are and knowing what to do with them are two different things of course.

All in all, totally worth the fiver.

I should clarify, there are not just Ruy Lopez ones in the deck I bought. Also the KIA, English opening, Queens Gambit lines etc.

Maybe this guy wants to write an actual flowchart.  Maybe he's a programmer.  Here you go:

Inside a box:  1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5

--> Inside a Diamond:  3.Nc3?

Yes --> Inside a box:  3...dxe4

No ---> Inside a Diamond:  3.exd5?

etc etc.

Thx for all the feedback. I decided - before spending any money - to explore the Excel solution first. And that isn't too bad in fact. I went 10 moves deep for 28 variations on Caro-Kann. Looks like I have some study work to do if I want to master all those :-)

you could try the opening report in scid, trim your db to lines you want to include, output looks like this: (vienna gambit)

 
  Opening Report
 
 
 

And chess.com is worried about Houdini and etc.

This looks more dangerous.

I don't think it's re-inventing the wheel if you set it up to show you your own preferred lines.

For example, knowing that a move has an outcome of 55% rather than 51% doesn't necessarily mean it's a stronger move.

Nor does seeing Houdini rate the position after a move 0.14 26 ply deep mean that this is necessarily better for you to play as white than one it rates 0.06 at the same depth.

If you are going to prune the tree by playing through the various lines, runnings engines at various points, looking at the relevant games in your DB and then selecting your preferred options etc. then you will end up with a 'spreadsheet' that represents the distillation of a considerable amount of opening work and acquired knowledge.

Obviously if you just want to see the 'normal' or 'book' lines then you can generate these automatically using the various methods outlined above..

Yep. And it's not only about the final result, it's about the process as well. Working through all these lines should help me understand and memorize more about the possible continuations after a certain opening.

Having all the possible info in some database doesn't mean you have a better understanding about the game.

When i started memorizing it killed my understanding of my opening i understood pretty good. Felt like a robot and my play was not energetic. Had to stop it as i was getting bored. Then i started to create methods and getting way out the book. Getting back to my old self and having fun. I noticed another thing less thinking and not feeling tired by the middle game.

I suggest Chessbase, if you know how to make an opening book and opening key you can make your own lines and annotate them with strategy.

Your flow chart is called an opening tree. With the aid of a computer it will take you 3 years to build and become proficient.

+1 and amen!