Defeat Your Own Favorite Opening!

Setup: by a miracle of science, you have been cloned and now have to play yourself in a game of chess! The other you gets to use your favorite opening line ever, and you must play against it. What counter-line would you use to defeat yourself?

Example: Teary 2 always uses the Caro-Kann as black. If Teary 1 had to play against his own pet Caro-Kann opening, he would use either

1) The Two-Knights Variation (what Fischer often used when he was young)

2) The Anti-Caro-Kann!

@ajedrecito

I didn't say that the opening was an anti-Caro-Kann, I said that it was the anti-Caro-Kann. That is the opening's name: "The Anti-Caro-Kann."

Additionally, yes it is possible to transition it back to a Panov style opening after 7. d4 e6 if the players want to; but then again, it is possible to transpose into lots of different openings from lots of different positions isn't it?

Black doesn't have to let it transpose into a Panov if he doesn't want to though--he could play Nxc3 or Qxd5 instead. And white doesn't have to play 7.d4 immediately either--he could insert something like Bc4 and O-O first.

I used to play against myself, but I hated it when I was losing and always knocked all my opponent's pieces on the ground...oh the insanity!  :-P

*Remembers that one scene pixar made with that old guy playing chess against himself* :D

Qxd5 is playable IMO, because after Nc3 the Queen can just rest on d6 for awhile while black develops other pieces, and then could go to c7 if needed. Remember, black doesn't really strive for speed and fast counter-attacks in Caro-lines anyways.

Also, it is the English, Caro-Kann Defensive System if you start out with 1.c4 c6 2.e4, but it is the Anti-Caro-Kann if you start out 1.e4 c6 2.c4 according to a lot of online databases. Same lines, different move order (don't ask me why, it just is what it is).

Furthermore, I don't agree with your statements that e6 is "much worse" or the "best option" is d4. There are lots of options to choose from and very few of them are complete game-breakers/mistakes, i.e, we are talking about tenths of a pawn differences in analysis. So unless you are getting up into master level play then it is mostly just a matter of preference.

As Black, I feel that if I can place a pawn on d5 and keep it there until the middle game (without making any dumb mistakes), I should be equal, so naturally as White I want to thwart that plan. That's the reason I play the English as White. I prefer this move to e4 for 3 reasons: 1. c4 is naturally protected by the Bishop once the e-pawn moves; 2. the pawn at c4 is not easily attacked by a piece; 3. you can have your Knight at c3 to attack d5 twice, instead of having your pawn on c2 doing nothing.

Most of the time I get a response to c4 like c5, e5, or Nf6, which is exactly what I want to see. This tends to mean that Black has given up on establishing a pawn on d5 (Nf6 protects the d5 pawn, but I can just take with the c-pawn and Black no longer has a pawn on d5).

So, Evil Me playing as Black would respond to c4 with e6. I hate seeing e6 (and to a lesser extent, c6) with a passion. It's like playing the Exchange French (I'm a French player as Black).

Well most aren't getting up into master level play, and the majority of readers on this thread aren't masters, so such precision doesn't make much difference to us. Sorry for being general =/.

And why are we arguing about this again? This is a "how would you defeat your own opening" thread, not an "argue down everybody else's post and determine the theoretically best moves" thread. I'd much rather hear an explanation of your own "anti-you" attack. >_>

No. Although pretty much every good player in chess history who has played the English prefers the fianchetto, it doesn't really fit in with my plan and motivations for playing the English. The English tends to invite Kingside castling, so while the fianchettoed Bishop has a nice long diagonal, the diagonal tends to lead to nothing. I prefer the Bishop on a square like d3 early on, keeping an eye on h7.

I do tend to queenside fianchetto, however, since I tend to play e3. Often Black will fianchetto kingside, so there's a nice tension with the two dark Bishops staring each other down from long range.

*Goes and rewatches it* =D

For real, whenever i used to play myself, I would obviously know what I was thinking, but then when I would take the other side, I would force myself to think longer on the position, and look deeper.  Since I already knew what I was thinking, I had to force myself to find something I didn't see before.  And the games were long and hard fights.  I know, this sounds crazy, but the best part of the training was always working to look deeper in a position.

Now, let me ask you - did you do it on purpose, or did you fall for ...g5 because of all the thoughts going through your head?  Believe it or not, when I used to play against myself, Black would win a lot of the time.  If that isn't pscyhological...  ;-P

I play my own style of the dutch defense,let us try it:

My favorite is the fried liver:

Ry888, very interesting!  I remember the old days of playing against myself - those games can get very mentally exhausting!

Ry888, good game with exposed kings throughout but I don't see the purpose of 4. Ng5. I would rather develop first then try for initiative.

@RMM: 4.Ng5 plans to attack on f7. The problem with waiting and developing my pieces is that my opponent can do so as well. But I do see where you are coming from, this opening is risky and not for the faint of heart.

RMM, Ng5 has been used by many very strong players - it is a forcing move. 

Ng5 also defends e4, which...Nf6 attacks.