Here is a masterful game against the Scotch. Don't call me a moron ( I already know I'm a moron ) but at my level this was a masterful game. I made many mistakes and the sac which resulted in the checkmate was completely unsound. But this game shows the main weaknesses of the Scotch anyway. It is very tempting for white to block Bb4+ with the pawn ( I learned this from Kramnik: first play Bb4+ and when white plays c3 to block it, only then attack the knight on d4 with Bc5 ) and to protect the e4 pawn with playing f3. This pawn structure weakens the position of the white king and makes unnatural the development of the queen knight. Anything is better for white in the king's pawn game than the Scotch. King's gambit is definitely better because it is difficult to calculate for a human ( easy for an engine ). The Scotch is easy to calculate for both a human and an engine.
Best opening for white
5.f3 is a terrible move and the Scotch is a fine opening for white.
5.f3 is a terrible move and the Scotch is a fine opening for white.
+1
1. a3
Id say the best opening for white is the one black dont expect or know how to defend aganst. Element of surprise ;) (works only if its pros and they study each others older games).
I'm slightly revising my position on 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4. This line is just fine if black 'plays by the rules' and allows a proper Catalan to be played. But black can play obscure moves here like 2. ... e5 ( Budapest defense) which seem objectively weak (who knows?) but you simply can't figure out the right moves at the board against an opponent who knows his lines in this continuation well. Instead of 2. c4 in practical terms 2. Nf3 is a very stable move which limits black's ability to get tricky. The price that has to be paid for this move is that it is more easy now for black to play c5 at some point before white can play c4. So may be 2. Nf3 can be coupled with playing first a3 which allows Bf4 to be played in a safe way. Now c5 can be met by c3 and even if black takes on d4 there is no Bb4+ which would make Bf4 questionable (and dangerous). This is a kind of London system setup which is stable and black has very little opportunity to mess things up.
The below game is centered around these ideas. After 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 d5 an early 3. a3 is played which is out of book (this opening has no name). This move is very rarely played but with surprisingly high winning percentage:
The engine values this opening slightly less favourable to white ( at some points even -0.3 ) but in reality white's development is natural and stable. It is black who does not find a good plan here despite being in a theoretically better position.
Unfortunately for White, Black's 8th and 9th moves in your example are highly illogical.
Unfortunately for White, Black's 8th and 9th moves in your example are highly illogical.
Black played terribly. I'm sure that 3. a3 is not played at high level for some reason. But I'm looking for an opening which is foolproof and logical for live games at a non professional level. I just want to survive the opening to reach a playable middle game - this is my only goal in a live game. I can not invent the theory of the Budapest gambit in a live game nor do I want to learn it ( because then I have to learn the Benko and all the other weird stuff as well ). But players lower rated than black in this game comfortably beat me with counter punches like the Budapest gambit if I try to play 'optimally'.
You're grossly overthinking the game in post #118.
White is playing a Reversed Slav with with a mindless move (a3) tossed in for no apparent reason.
Here's a comprehensive book (about 11 years old) that covers that opening. All you have to do "to keep it even simpler" is to play an early c3 or Qb3, and NEVER allow black to play Qxb2, or get into a Benko-like, sharp tactical game.
http://www.amazon.com/Win-London-System-Sverre-Johnsen/dp/1904600352/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1389110896&sr=1-2&keywords=play+the+london+system
If you prefer a bigger theoretical system, but still with a universal formation for the white pieces, check out this other useful opening book --
http://www.amazon.com/Dynamic-English-aggressive-players-traditional/dp/1901983145/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1389111022&sr=1-1&keywords=the+dynamic+english
It the latter case, however, you might need to buy one more book, from GM Marin's 3 volume set on the English to be fully covered. Indeed, the theory is a kinda big for the Sicilian/English, and Marin's Vol. #1 covers the "Botvinnik formation," which is Kosten's suggestion to use against everything Black might play.
So, if your chief desire is a "playable middlegame after about 20 moves," use a Reversed black system with the white pieces.
Presto, problem solved.
My fellow countryman Richard Rapport who is on the doorstep to becoming a 2700 GM had either read my post on how dangerous the Budapest gambit is or not. These are the two possibilities. I'm not saying that he had read it.
I'm only saying that I'm a prophet and God directly talks to me. ( I have told him several times not to do it but he keeps doing it. )
I'm just kidding. Please don't call me a moron.
( Call me an idiot instead. )
Here is the game:
Quote of the day:
Not to sound like an arrogant fool who thinks he knows better than world class playes, but 8.0-0 looks better to me than 8.Nxe5 as releasing the tension seems to only help black.
10.Kh1 also seems pointless and kind of cocky, probably defending against ghosts but there are no really dangerous tactics on e3 to worry about (yet?)
11.f4 just creates a backward pawn on an open file. The center is pretty open so pawn moves usually aren't good. Don't make concessions unless you absolutely must.
12.b3?! just digs himself in deeper creating even more color complex weaknesses. Didn't Lasker say to only consolidate weaknesses to one part of the board if you can help it? What's wrong with 12.Qc2?
19.f5,Qxg3 20.Rh6+,Qxh6 21.gxh6,Bxh6 is quite unclear, though white's pawns look quite a bit overextended in this ending. White's king position isn't the greatest either. Then again black needs to get some coordination going and white totally dominates the d5 square. Black has the initiative and better pawn structure so maybe he is better here after all? A simple g4 later will help white's king position.
19...f5 and the pawn can't be taken due to mate: 20.exf5??,Re1+ 21.Qxe1,Qxe1+ 22.Rf1,Qxf1# 20.Rh3,Qf2 trading queens looks best for black here. White has the space and his e4 pawn is under some pressure. 21.Qxf2,Bxf2 22.a3,Na6 (this is critical because the knight needs access to c5) 23.Bd2,fxe4 and black can hold the pawn without too much trouble.
White didn't stand a chance in that ending though. Interesting game.
d4
d4
By best openings I assume you mean openings with the best practical chances. [as all openings with best play will be drawn]. On that basis these are the top 3 openings. 1. d4 d5 2. c4 Queens Gambit
1. Nf3 sometimes called the Benko Opening
1. c4 English opening
4th is Ruy Lopez but it has been somewhat declining recently due to the Berlin Defense.
5th through 7th is a tie with Giuoco Piano Ponziani and one other which I cannot remember right now.
When I started playing chess, my opening strategy with white consisted of play 1. e4, and then trying to get a pawn on d4 whilst developing my pieces to normal squares. In all my time doing this I almost never got a bad position out of the opening despite not knowing any theory.
srivatsan, in the line you present, there are 2 major flas in there:
a) 7.0-0 is not a good move here
b) 7...0-0 is also not a good move, too.
Already 6...Bg4 is a bit doubtful.
I know that these moves get frequently played, and chess programs wont say that they are much worse than the good moves, but strategically they are not good moves.
You probably play better: 6...h6 as black here.
After 6...Bg4, white should of course do 7.h3! and if 7...Bg4-h5 then 8.g4!
The way I used to play it with white was: 6...h6 (this is nevertheless the best move for black here) 7.Bg5-e3!, trying to exploit the weakness that black created with h7-h6 (note that after ...0-0 the f-pawn is pinned and a white knight could jump to g6. Or the moves g2-g4-g5 find a target to attack: the h6 pawn).