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so why did YOU leave 1.e4 e5?

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tigergutt

it seems most chessplayers start out with 1.e4 e5 but most people start other openings at their opposition gets better.

tigergutt

i can give one reason of mine. i left 1.e4 e5 because of this line

despite nc3 is worse than a plan with c3 and d3/e4 is not exactly exiting for black and in addition this Nc3 seems to be recommended to beginners by many players making it even more popular for white. so i left 1.e4 but came back after a few months because 1) it was just about the only line i dont like with 1.e4 e5 and 2) no matter what openingmoves i play there is some way to kill the fun anyway so i just stay with 1.e4 e5

tigergutt

interestning post!

lollolbuddha

to avoid ruylopez which has a ton load of theory,I don't want to play people who have memorized moves. Yell

JamesColeman

I never did, and never will :)

tigergutt

its a valid argument. i have solved the problem by playing the berlin wall. i bought the 60 minuts berlinwallvideo by Leonid Kritz(recommended by Pfren on this board). the mainline is covered ok in only 18 minuts while the rest is about white other tries like 4.d3, 5.e1 and stuff like that. but the berlinwall its not to everyones taste. its ambitious enough for me since i dont face the lopez often when i play e5 because white is afraid of theory

ivandh

e5 is too symmetrical for my taste. I like to play 1... e6 2... c5, it leads to some nice tense positions, and at my level it throws a lot of people out of book which gets me out of having to study opening theory.

tigergutt
ivandh wrote:

e5 is too symmetrical for my taste. I like to play 1... e6 2... c5, it leads to some nice tense positions, and at my level it throws a lot of people out of book which gets me out of having to study opening theory.

as a way to transpose to the sicilian? i agree e5 can get symmetrical. i solved some of it by playing the two knights defence. in the french i had the popular exchangevariation and in the sicilian it was just ridicolous much to prepare for. i guess its a matter of taste:)

moonnie

I still play e5

ivandh
tigergutt wrote:
ivandh wrote:

e5 is too symmetrical for my taste. I like to play 1... e6 2... c5, it leads to some nice tense positions, and at my level it throws a lot of people out of book which gets me out of having to study opening theory.

as a way to transpose to the sicilian? i agree e5 can get symmetrical. i solved some of it by playing the two knights defence. in the french i had the popular exchangevariation and in the sicilian it was just ridicolous much to prepare for. i guess its a matter of taste:)

Like I say I tend to avoid opening theory, so I don't look at it as a transposition, certainly not to the Sicilian! Rather, it emphasizes the aspects of the French by staking a strong claim on the q-side, and often leads to dynamic positions that offer lots to think about.

zugzwangiz

I don't play 1 e4 because I don't like making a mistake in the opening.

binblaster

I play 1. e4 as white but I prefer 1. ...e6 as black.

blake78613
tigergutt wrote:
ivandh wrote:

e5 is too symmetrical for my taste. I like to play 1... e6 2... c5, it leads to some nice tense positions, and at my level it throws a lot of people out of book which gets me out of having to study opening theory.

as a way to transpose to the sicilian? i agree e5 can get symmetrical. i solved some of it by playing the two knights defence. in the french i had the popular exchangevariation and in the sicilian it was just ridicolous much to prepare for. i guess its a matter of taste:)

Two Knights defense doesn't avoid it if White plays 4.d3

Daeru

How can anyone leave Italian?!

tigergutt
blake78613 wrote:
tigergutt wrote:
ivandh wrote:

e5 is too symmetrical for my taste. I like to play 1... e6 2... c5, it leads to some nice tense positions, and at my level it throws a lot of people out of book which gets me out of having to study opening theory.

as a way to transpose to the sicilian? i agree e5 can get symmetrical. i solved some of it by playing the two knights defence. in the french i had the popular exchangevariation and in the sicilian it was just ridicolous much to prepare for. i guess its a matter of taste:)

Two Knights defense doesn't avoid it if White plays 4.d3

but black has some interestning lines after 4...Be7:)

MaartenSmit

I can't remember ever playing ...e5 seriously.

Bubatz

I left 1.e4 and 1...e5 because of too much theory plain and simple.

Boletus_CZ

Since I like and play (as white) the English a lot I think it was  natural to leave 1.e4 e5 for the Sicilian when black.

Here_Is_Plenty

I did play e5 about 20 years ago as I went through a phase of liking the Petrov defence, not sure why now.  (1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nf6).  Sicilian all the way now for most of last 20 years.

ArnesonStidgeley

Because I preferred the calm waters of the Dragon to the sharp lines of the Petrov - or something.