Hi, I have a new question again:

Do you think it is right to always play the favorite opening in every game?

I normally have my own opening which I prefer the most, but sometimes I use it so much that it gets really boring, and after a while, I feel it doesn't work as well any more.

What do you do?

Do you have the same problems?

Moon...

a 2000+ uscf player once told me that its perfectly fine to have a back-up opening for casual(possibly tournaments) be it OTB or online. Its great if you're having trouble with your main opening, or getting bored with it (as you said.) Although I wouldn't put too much effort into learning it though; learn a couple moves, and the opening's basic plan and you should be set. Kay, hope I helped!

edit: right, personal experience... I play both 1. Nf3 and 1.c4 since they're very similar, and as for black against e4 I mainly play 1... c5 but also try 1...e5 every once in awhile. Against 1.d4 I'm trying a whole bunch of things, so I'm not quite sure there lol.

It's fine to play your favorite openings in every game, but play at least a few games trying a different opening.

It will increase your knowledge. 'nuff said

I generally play 1. Nf3 as white but sometimes I get bored and try to mix things up. I have been known to play 1. c4 and 1. g3, even 1. e4 if I have been drinking. So, play your favourite opening everytime by all means but if you get bored with it don't be afraid to try something new. What is the worse that can happen? You lose a game on an internet chess site, hardly the end of the world.

At the highest levels you usually only see a handful of openings played, but that does not mean that those players do not know all the other openings, because they do. I wouldn't focus solely on a single opening as my only weapon. I used to be a Ruy Lopez player but I had to give it up because it just got so boring after a while. I am still branching out in new directions whenever I find something in my books that I've never tried before or that I never gave serious study to.  You can have a favorite or pet opening, yes (mine is the Orangutan) but playing the same thing over and over makes you boring and predictable. 

I find it fun to diversify. While you will find pet lines that will prove reliable, for our growth as chess players we must seek out new ideas. You are sure to come across another opening that fits your playing style. More importantly, you should just have fun, this is a game after all. Maybe while studying alternate openings, you will find that you have to learn new skills, new skills that you can take back and strengthen your favorite opening even more!

If the same opening is "boring" but equated to "mastery", then I'd rather go for just my favorite.

Also, in the mastery of a favorite, one gets to be creative in coming up with new variations, and easy environment of knowing their complexities.

Yo. :)

I think it is important to be familiar with many openings, not only one or two..

I think it somewhat depends on what you're aiming for. Competitively, it is advantageous to have one opening system (responses for every major response your opponent can throw) mastered as opposed to dabbling in several. Of course at the highest levels, diversity can be found based largely on how well opponents handle certain things. There are lots of factors as well, and switching it up helps interest and can help you grow in new kinds of positions, and just about any kind can arise from any opening if your opponent forces it.

ok.

Play your favorite opening in a real, serious game, play a back up opening when their is not that much at stake.

In my tournament games I always play the Caro-Cann but in blitz games I play many openings against e4 (e5 c5 e6 Nf6...). Against d4 I don't always play the same opening. I'm just experimenting and use many different openings(QGD,KID, Benko gambit, the Nimzoindian and the queens indian, even the dutch sometimes)

My opinion is that in serious games you should play the opening you know the best, but in blitz and friendly games HAVE FUN.

I always play my favorite openings. This makes it easier to play black than white, since white chooses the first move, but black chooses the defense.

llol

I have played the same openings for over 30 years, variation occurs only if I meet an OTB opponent I am familiar with and know has the beating of my pet systems (I prepare something in advance). I have never found any boredom inherent in playing the same openings and do not understand these comments (middle-games are invariably quite different). The reason I restrict my choices is to increase my chances of knowing more than my opponent in the opening, this also gives rise to middle-games where I have an idea of what the correct plan is. Most of us amateur players have busy lives outside of chess, and wide opening repertoires are impractical.

For most players, it is a good idea to play a favorite opening. Usually, someone's favorite opening is also the opening that he/she knows best. This means it's much less likely for someone else to obtain an advantage if you play favorites. Even GM Bobby Fischer had a favorite opening during his career.

However, if you find that you begin to tire of a particular opening, there's nothing wrong with looking up another opening and making that your new "favorite."

TheMoonwalker wrote:

I think it is important to be familiar with many openings, not only one or two..

I totally agree with you Moon.

I used to be a Colle player who later turned to the Queens Gambit as White and as Black i always played Sicilian Najdorf and Budapest Gambit. I done perfectly fine using these 'main openings'. They were my favourite ones to play at the time. I then swicthed to playing the KIA and you know, as White i just found myself stuck in a rut. The same going for when i played Black. After playing the same openings for so long and becoming bored with them i probably forgot about all the small inaccuracies in move orders (etc) and my results dipped. I even gave up playing chess for a few years and this happend to be one of the factors albeit a minor one.

I can only talk from my own experience and ever since i broadend the openings that i play i have attained a much greater understanding of the game of chess and understood many many more middlegame positions that i never 'wandered' into before. Of course, as a result not only have i enjoyed the game and had a boost in confidence but my results have improved greatly.

If you plan to play OTB competitive chess you most certainly need a variety of openings to play otherwise your opponent will be well prepared for you. Not something you want if he/she has a good coach and strong chess tools such as latest games/databases and engines. The point of your favourite opening is to even let your opponent know thats your favourite opening because you are so good at it. Know your favourite openings inside out and back to front and score well with them. This will cause your opponent nightmares the night before your game!

Three points; playing more openings will make you a better player, for OTB tourney play its essential to have some variety and lastly playing more positions will make playing chess much more fun.

muuh

I have two favorite openings, and I don't normally use any others.

I totally agree with you. Sometimes, I have a really bad day of chess, and I loose every game I play. Then it very often helps to try something new. I have done it a few times and if I win, I gain more confidence in the opening and try it agiain.

By the way, I hate to have those bad days, and I can easily loose to a 1200 rated player on those days. When not even a new opening works, I normally try to leave chess for 1 day (thats really hard!)

Moon...;)