
My suggestion to FIDE.
I submitted the following suggestion to FIDE at their official site:
http://ratings.fide.com/suggest.phtml
Reposted here word-for-word:
My suggestion is to select the first move by White at random from an a pre-approved list. An example list:
1.e4
1.d4
1.c4
1.Nf3
1.g3
1.b3
1.b4
1.c3
1.f4
1.Nc3
This will tend to de-emphasize the importance of deep opening preparation. Why memorize positions 30 moves deep in, say, the Catalan, only to have to play 1.b4?
By pre-approving the list, you can avoid controversy that might ensue by forcing a strong player to make a weak move, such as 1.g4 or 1.h4. The list of 10 moves I suggested all have some positional basis such as controlling the center of the board, while avoiding weakening the White king position too much.
I believe if you run a top tournament with this system, fans and players both will be rewarded with original and exciting games.