Blitz - A mistake to play classical openings?

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Quiksilverau

Beyond avoiding tactical pitfalls, is it wise to play classical openings in Blitz?

Often I see high-level competitors using very silly moves in Blitz, but getting away with it because there (generally) is not enough time to properly analyze the move and exploit the weakness.

Moves such as (black b5 g5, white b4 g4) in the first ~10 moves is generally considered a mistake if its unsupported, but it seems to be common in high level blitz.

AdmiralPicard

On blitz, players don't have time to analyse positions deeply and prevent traps from people, and on high rates there's a good possibity that your opponent knows more traps than you, because it's their main opening, so it's only natural that you either try to dominate a certain ammount of openings, or you can either try your luck in middle game for which you feel more confortable while your opponent won't have the expected game he was working for, a  try an "alternative" or less used opening.

About moves like b5, g5? Well, to be honest they're far from bad moves, specially coming from high rated that probably know exactly what they're doing, they're arguably even "master moves". Specially b4, a3/a4 pawns, along with Rb1, Bb2, and Nf3, and you're half way through the possibility of pawn breaking queen side (or king side respectivelly) and have very energectic attacks that can demolish oppositions.

There's also the secondary aspect that b4 and g4 can work as a pseudo gambit that allows c3, d4 in grob attack as well as pressuring opponent knight and c pawn.

wrathss

Generally speaking I would recommend playing sound openings. The problem with trying to play crazy stuff is you are making things up as you go along, which may take more time because you need to figure out how to attack (for example calculating sacrifices), as well as not expose your weaknesses. And if the attack doesn't work that might just be gg.

The idea of playing openings you are comfortable with is that you are supposed to know it and therefore be able to blitz your opening moves out, so that you have time to use for the middle and endgame.

TheOldReb

Playing a lot of blitz wont help you be a stronger player in OTB classical games  but becoming stronger in OTB classical games will help you play better blitz . I think the weaker a player is the less blitz they should play . 

Murphy70

I agree with Reb, you must learn to walk before you can run. Use longer time controls if you want to improve your OTB thinking process.

HilarioFJunior

(He's not talking about improvement!!!!!!!)

I think that elite players tend to use more off-beat openings on blitz because it's almost another game, where intuition is more important than deep calculation. Also I think that blitz is a good time control to try new things. I mean, after playing 10000 berlins and sicilians, a player wants to play different openings (for fun)... 

csalami

In blitz games the opening serves one more purpose other than reaching a playable middlegame: to WIN time on the clock! If you play well-known openings like the ruy lopez, queen's gambit etc..than you allow your opponent to play his moves from his head, and follow the well-known middlegame plans and tactical ideas in the given opening. So you will have about the same time on the clock. But if you play an offbeat opening, than you will know the ideas while your opponent won't, allowing you to gain time and play the position you know.

 

adumbrate

I think that blitz improves your long time games, as you will see things much faster and save a lot of time as long as you can control yourself.

Nelly_Gan
skotheim2 a écrit :

I think that blitz improves your long time games, as you will see things much faster and save a lot of time as long as you can control yourself.

This is the contrary of what i heard from all masters. Blitz are mainly good to test openings, so it's not a mistake to play classical openings in blitz.

adumbrate
OhLand wrote:
skotheim2 a écrit :

I think that blitz improves your long time games, as you will see things much faster and save a lot of time as long as you can control yourself.

This is the contrary of what i heard from all masters. Blitz are mainly good to test openings, so it's not a mistake to play classical openings in blitz.

well i think many masters are mistaken

TheOldReb

I have been playing both tourney classical chess and blitz for more than 40 years , with hundreds of games of classical chess and thousands of blitz and I can tell you from first hand experience that blitz does NOT improve your slow chess ability .  If you get short of time in a classical game ( and your opponent is also short of time ) all the blitz you play will help you to play better when in such time scrambles , other than this very specific  situation I don't believe playing thousands of blitz games makes one better at slow chess at all . If it did I would have easily broken 2300 .... Wink

adumbrate

well blitz has helped me a lot acctually..

Robert_New_Alekhine
Reb wrote:

I have been playing both tourney classical chess and blitz for more than 40 years , with hundreds of games of classical chess and thousands of blitz and I can tell you from first hand experience that blitz does NOT improve your slow chess ability .  If you get short of time in a classical game ( and your opponent is also short of time ) all the blitz you play will help you to play better when in such time scrambles , other than this very specific  situation I don't believe playing thousands of blitz games makes one better at slow chess at all . If it did I would have easily broken 2300 .... 

He's not asking if blitz improves your chess. He is asking whetever it is a mistake to play classical openings in blitz.