How to Build an Initial Opening Repertoire - Elect a Chess Hero

Why is the opening phase important?

From time to time, someone asks me my opinion on what openings I think is better for them, or how they can build their own opening repertoire.

It´s true that the opening phase isn´t the most important thing in our first steps at chess, but, we should know how to take out the pieces, so, we have more chances to play a decent game.

Personal Insight

Some months ago (when I did my chess comeback), I was watching a blitz session of GM Rafael Leitão (@GMRafaelLeitao) (Brasil), and I became truly impressed because sometimes he didn´t see a tactic by his opponent, but, anyway, he still had resources to fight on, and even ended up winning most of the games.

Link for GM Leitao´s youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoqt8IYuPlA&t=1553s (the content is in Portuguese idiom, but it´s nice that he was facing GM Alexander Morozevich (Russia, former top 2 ran ked player in the world) in the first games played).

GM Rafael Leitão (peak FIDE rating of 2652)

I thought: "Wow, it´s like when you reach 2600+ FIDE, chess automatically gives you additional resources". Because, when I, myself, don´t see a tactical resource by my opponent, I usually lost a pawn (or a couple of them), a piece or even get checkmated". 

But there´s a reason for it, and, after thinking for a while I came to a conclusion.

GM Leitao played and developed his pieces so well, that his position played itself. He had additional resources because of the way he placed his pieces already generated these resources. 

The Reason Why is Important to Choose a Chess Hero While Building Your Opening Repertoire

I remember when I gave my first steps on the game, I saw a grandmaster game by accident, and thought, wow, this guy is really good. This guy was GM Bu Xiangzhi (China).

The game:

I was really impressed with how Bu conducted the game: i) he quickly and naturally developed his pieces, gaining center advantage and making an expansion on the queenside, and then, out of the blue (my impression at the time =p) ii) started an operation to infiltrate on his opponent´s, GM Sergei Movsesian (Armenia), seventh rank, starting with 26.Nc6 Bxc6 27.Rxc6 - iii) his plan was traced, line up queen and rook on the seventh rank and attack. 

This is what he did: played 29. Qb7, and 31.Rc7 (the f7 pawn falls). And, after all, he did a very nice sequence: 33.Rxf6 (trading a rook for a knight, while exposing his opponent king and breaking his pawn structure) gxf6 34.Ne4 - The knight is the only piece the queen can´t reproduce the movements, so, it´s a good idea to combine them while doing an attack. And, after this, he managed to convert his advantage, not without some additional work to do, as Movsesian fought on (the game finished on move 62).

GM Bu Xiangzhi (Peak Fide Rating: 2731)

I then went on the way that built my opening repertoire, that in essence, is still the same until today: look through Bu´s games and see his most played openings lines and copy him. 

I started to mimic his moves, even when I didn´t fully understand them. The positions he made were so good that they played themselves, and, after playing a dozen of blitz games, they started, little by little, to make sense to me. 

So, my opening repertoire was (and still is, almost), basically, this:

White: 1.d4 and 2.c4 against any black response besides 2...e5 and 2...c5.

Black: against 1.e4: the sicilian najdorf (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6).

          : against 1.d4: the slav defense (1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 dxc4.

          : against 1.c4: 1...c6 and 2...d5 (trying to reach a slav structure).

Obviously, this is just an overview, and I´m not putting all the lines and variations.

With this tip (electing "a chess hero") I hope you got an idea of how to build an opening repertoire, by my former experience.

You don´t need to choose only one player, instead, you can take two or even three and take a look at their games =).

Thanks for reading till there!

Wish you all a nice day, afternoon, evening, or night (depends on your current hour while reading this), and good and healthy chess games and studies!

Cheers,

BKB99 (Otto Dmitry).