Bird's opening, 1. f4. Either that or the Grob, 1. g4. And I'm pretty sure Fischer said "P-K4 was best by test."
When and how to choose an opening ?
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Knowing both 1.d4 and 1.e4 is very important imo. This is because, if you play 1.d4 whats your aim? often to get e4 in, and for 1.e4 you want to push d4. I personally played 1.d4 for a long while before switching to 1.e4. Now positions such as those arising from the panov-botvinnik feel quite natural to me and I have goo understanding of concepts I wouldnt have gained from playing 1.e4 straight off the bat.
When to choose an opening? if youre new id say first few moves around 1400 level. If experienced, whenever you feel you cant learn much mroe from an opening, branching out will be a good idea.
How? you should take into account what is lacking in your game and experience, once you know this you can choose lines fitting your play style.
I also believe mainlines are the way to go. even if you dont have time to study endless variations, if youre still playing years down the track you will have learnt much more than if you play the same ammount of a sideline.
nameno1had wrote:
It seems to me that if you choose an opening that doesn't fit your style or you don't have the skill set for, it could be very counter productive.
I also don't have the specific knowledge. I always nervous after the first 2-6 moves. I tried Explorer for help and it does do some good.
-you said you have ChessMaster game CD? They have Opening Database Explorer. Can update your Database like current Chess Engines? They have pratice options. You can pratice your Opening to fit your Game Play or those you say cannot fit your style.
-Some Opening Database have Master Game collections. Example if you are looking for Black response to d4 you will find for example the Slav. Under the Slav Defense there must be a collection of games played with this line.
-I download my Live games then check with Database on the moves I played on the games. It help me correct some lines.
-Batgirl who is a chess.com member got a blog on Opening Traps. It is good for looking at some of the lines. You can use the Database to check also.
I won't profess to have specific knowledge for when and how to choose a chess opening, that would be viewed as preferred or acceptable by titled players. It seems to me that titled players can experiment more at their discretion, without hindering their development. It seems to me that if you choose an opening that doesn't fit your style or you don't have the skill set for, it could be very counter productive.
I ask this question because, anyone who plays this game needs to use something to open, though they may later find it doesn't fit their preferred style or skill set. It seems to me that once a player is about class "B" or maybe "A" , that they should start becoming more aware of how this game can be played and how they prefer to play it. I welcome everyone's thoughts. I am merely looking to take mental notes, not impress my opinion upon anyone.