The debate forum

This forum is meant for arguments. These are meant to be friendly arguments. Are your moves based off of misconceptions? Do you want to prove someone wrong? This is the forum for you.

    My first question is: how much knowlege do you need to know about the opening to be a good chess player? I think we just need to play logical moves, and the openings a breeze.

     If you disagree, think. Do you think it is needed to know the theory of the Phillidor, French, Sicillian, Ruy Lopez, Italian, English, Sodium, Reti, Polish, Grobs, Birds opening, Hippo, Zuckertort, King's Indian, Trompowsky, Queens Gambit, Kings gambit, etc.

     This does't even include variations of the opening, so why waste time on these useless openings, 90% of which are junk that no one uses, when you can do tactics, and enjoy brilliant attacks and combinations?

Here, white must be an attacker, and be very agressive. What if that doesn't suit your style? Then don't play it!

Fried liver attack might be a mistake in the openings because  attacking is not what youshould be doing in openings.

Traxler,s counterattack maybe happen

     In the Fried Liver, the white side, a.k.a the attacking side, has compensation for his saced piece. And that IS an attack. Because when white attacks, black must defend. This is all forced, and white develops his attack while black is also. Black cannot escape the attack, as his king is in the center, and I mean in the center as a DEFENDING PIECE. THat is bad. White may be attacking early, but black can't take atvantage.

     As for the Traxler counter attack, I don't know much. BUT, it is perfectly suitable for attacker vs. attacker. Its not nessesaraly bad for white, as black himself is attacking now. It also generates amazing combinations and attacks.

   But thats not the point. If you don't like the fried liver, don't play it! Why study it? White can avoid the attack if he doesn't want. If he likes it, play it! Learning theory isn't important, only knowing theory on openings you like. You can learn the Traxler counterattack if your opponent likes the fried liver sooooo much, and you can't resist playing two knights defense.

   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKmuv3qow_A

This isn't part of the disscusion, just wanted to share a BEAUTIFUL game that I can't keep to myself.

JJ, That,s not all forced in fried liver, Black can beat the fried liver attack by sacrificing  a pawn to be in lead of development. Besides, the rules in openings is to develop. Fried liver is not forced. Black can give up a pawn to disturb your knight a lot!

With e4, white should play Ng1, and the e4 pawn is a HUGE weakness.

Back to the original question, I feel that you only really need to know responses to e4, d4, and c4, as you can control the opening played as white.