Opening Repertoire: Online vs. OTB
Hi!
Are you a tournament player who takes opening preparations seriously? If so, this post might be for you.
Tournament players, especially from a certain level onwards, aim to prepare for the opponents they will face over the board. For that, online accounts are a goldmine for gathering their preferred openings. (For more on tournament game prep, see my post: Chess Player Psychology: Know Your Opponent, and Know Yourself! - Chess.com)
One question I asked myself when I started to play online was whether it is convenient to have a special repertoire for online chess or sitck to the same openings as in serious OTB (over-the-board) tournaments. I think there are mainly two approaches to tackle this problem. The decision is a matter of personal preference and competitive considerations too.
Some players prefer to have anonymous online accounts to avoid that or at least make it more difficult for their opponents to find out. This way, they can train their main openings against human opponents online without worries.
Other players choose to broaden their opening knowledge and build an independent online chess opening repertoirE—like in my case.
Some advantages of building a separate online repertoire include: wide opening knowledge means wide middle game typical positions knowledge; you avoid boringly repeating always the same openings everywhere; and you are less prone to preparation by opponents in OTB tournaments.
This may sound too much opening study but it is only partially the case because in building my online repertoire I tried to maximize sharing thematic ideas accross each one. On the other hand, I don't choose overly theoretical openings because this would make it impossible to keep it up to date. And I can do it at my own pace — I do not need to rush. And finally, this broader opening knowledge supports my role as a chess coach, as it allows me to help my students prepare their repertoires accross different lines.
If you are interested, you can check out the evolution of my repertoire and the latest openings I've incorporated in the following post: https://www.chess.com/blog/maafernan/opening-repertoire-evolution-from-beginner-to-expert
Of course, it is not necessary to have many openings for online chess— especially when you are just starting to play tournaments. Just one specialized opening or even a specialized variation for online play will do. When you need a change, you can add a new one.
In my experience, building a repertoire for online chess can take time, but if you enjoy studying and approach it at your own pace, it may serve as valuable training and help enrich your overall play — all while keeping your best-prepared lines reserved for over-the-board games.
If you’d like support developing a practical and efficient repertoire tailored to your style, feel free to message me
Best,
Ariel (maafernan) – chess.com coach
