Sicilian
The Sicilian is exactly this. The point of the Sicilian is to create imbalance, play aggressively and win with the black pieces.
Sicilian Najdorf is the best.
Good aggressive openings for black?
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Mar 9, 2023
0
#3
The Sicilian and French are your answers. There is a recent thread on the French here under openings. Go to that thread, and look at the game in post 3 (I think). I wouldn't call playing 8...g5 "slow rolling it".
By far the most aggressive and imbalanced defense against 1. e4 is the e6 Sicilian.
Against the Closed Sicilian, I'm going to recommend a video: https://youtu.be/OFtjETV9zdk, as the Closed Sicilian is more an opening system than an opening, so there isn't one clear best way to continue.
Against the Alapin Sicilian, 2... Nf6 3. e5 Nd5 4. d4 cxd4 5. cxd4 e6 6. Nf3 and from here both b6 and d6 score better for Black than White, this line is the closest thing to a refutation of the Alapin.
Against the Smith-Morra Gambit, 2... cxd4 3. c3 dxc3 4. Nxc3 e6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Bc4 a6 and Black scores a whopping 67 points out of 100 from this position.
And if your opponent plays the Open Sicilian, the Pin Variation:
My recommendation against the Alapin would be d5. Even though Nf6 is technically better, d5 allows black much more active play.
This is an aggressive sideline for d5 which is worth checking out:
Yasser Seirawan did a lecture on the Pin Sicilian:
The Pin Variation would definitely not be a main recommendation. It's an interesting sideline and maybe simpler as it's fairly forcing but it's a bit of a one trick pony.
The top 5 Sicilians would have to be:
- Najdorf
- Kan
- Taimanov
- Dragon
- Sveshnikov
It's often said that the Sveshnikov is the most aggressive Sicilian. In these lines, white is often playing positionally while black is trying to attack. This one can also be a bit simpler to learn as it's more forcing.
The Dragon is also very aggressive and considered an opening where both sides go all in. There are only a couple of main lines so might be simpler as well.
The Sicilian. It's the most sound. There of course is the question of which Sicilian to play. There are many many choices including the Najdorf, Classical, Taimanov, Accelerated Dragon, Kan, Sveshnikov, etc...
The Alekhine. It's the reply to 1. e4 with the second-highest win-rate. It is a bit unsound (but only a bit!) but it is so rare that most opponents don't have much experience (they are more likely to go wrong even if they do know theory).
The Black Lion. It's theoretically unsound but is not that well-known.
The top recommendation of all time though is the Najdorf.
This is both aggressive and very solid. Black makes a high class waiting move before playing anything commital. For this reason, the opening is highly flexible and allows for a lot of variation. This is what makes it such an incredibly fascinating opening. Even though it's more to learn, it's an opening which lasts a lifetime.
White has many different responses to the Najdorf but black has a reply to each one. Black still retains a choice between 3 main structures: Boleslavsky (e5), Scheveningen (e6), Dragondorf (g6). In this sense, the way each person plays the Najdorf is often personal.
kingsknighttwitch wrote:
The Alekhine. It's the reply to 1. e4 with the second-highest win-rate. It is a bit unsound (but only a bit!) but it is so rare that most opponents don't have much experience (they are more likely to go wrong even if they do know theory).
The Black Lion. It's theoretically unsound but is not that well-known.
The Alekhine is also very aggressive and an interesting choice even though it's slightly unsound. Often if white just tries to blow black off the board, they can end up in tactical trouble.
The Black Lion is good if you can get it but often white can interfere with the setup.
Sadlone wrote:
Caro kan is very aggressive
The Caro Kann is one of the least aggressive defences against e4. It's an openIng that beginners are told to play because it's very safe and solid.
Mar 10, 2023
0
#12
The Najdorf was of course Bobby Fischer's favorite against 1.e4. He once said about another then fashionable variety of the Sicilian, "I don't believe in dragons". I think he thought that the Dragon was way too dangerous for black at the top level.
SamuelAjedrez95 wrote:
The top 5 Sicilians would have to be:
- Najdorf
- Kan
- Taimanov
- Dragon
- Sveshnikov
It's often said that the Sveshnikov is the most aggressive Sicilian. In these lines, white is often playing positionally while black is trying to attack. This one can also be a bit simpler to learn as it's more forcing.
The Dragon is also very aggressive and considered an opening where both sides go all in. There are only a couple of main lines so might be simpler as well.
The Sveshnikov is a very good recommendation, it's one of the lines I'm working on learning. I'd probably recommend this one if OP doesn't want to learn the Pin Variation.
Mar 10, 2023
0
#14
I don't know how good is it at higher levels or how solid it is, but If you're willing to play a gambit that almost no one has heard of or played, then welcome to the Rousseau Gambit.
SamuelAjedrez95 wrote:
My recommendation against the Alapin would be d5. Even though Nf6 is technically better, d5 allows black much more active play.
The Pin Variation would definitely not be a main recommendation. It's an interesting sideline and maybe simpler as it's fairly forcing but it's a bit of a one trick pony.
Personally I prefer the Nf6 Alapin but I can see why you play the d5 Alapin, I mean both of them give Black fantastic chances.
Yes and no. I find the position to be very easy for Black to play, Black's counterplay is very clear, and Black has full compensation for an exchange. Engines usually evaluate the position at anywhere from +.5 to +1, but considering the fact that Black is down two points of material and the evaluation is at normal levels for a solid opening means that White has to play very very accurately and very very carefully to not get absolutely murdered on the queenside. Even ignoring engine evaluation, the position writes itself. Collect the pawns and Black has a pair of connected outside passed pawns, e5 is extended, and White's development is very unclear.
Ethan_Brollier wrote:
Personally I prefer the Nf6 Alapin but I can see why you play the d5 Alapin, I mean both of them give Black fantastic chances.
Yes and no. I find the position to be very easy for Black to play, Black's counterplay is very clear, and Black has full compensation for an exchange. Engines usually evaluate the position at anywhere from +.5 to +1, but considering the fact that Black is down two points of material and the evaluation is at normal levels for a solid opening means that White has to play very very accurately and very very carefully to not get absolutely murdered on the queenside. Even ignoring engine evaluation, the position writes itself. Collect the pawns and Black has a pair of connected outside passed pawns, e5 is extended, and White's development is very unclear.
Yeah, Nf6 is the best line theoretically but d5 creates more complications and gives better opportunities to play for a win.
It's interesting. In the Pin variation, the engine doesn't want to take the exchange like it isn't worth it apparently. Probably the DSB is more useful to exploit the dark square holes and if black saves the exchange then it just loses time and white continues the attack.
SamuelAjedrez95 wrote:
Ethan_Brollier wrote:
Personally I prefer the Nf6 Alapin but I can see why you play the d5 Alapin, I mean both of them give Black fantastic chances.
Yes and no. I find the position to be very easy for Black to play, Black's counterplay is very clear, and Black has full compensation for an exchange. Engines usually evaluate the position at anywhere from +.5 to +1, but considering the fact that Black is down two points of material and the evaluation is at normal levels for a solid opening means that White has to play very very accurately and very very carefully to not get absolutely murdered on the queenside. Even ignoring engine evaluation, the position writes itself. Collect the pawns and Black has a pair of connected outside passed pawns, e5 is extended, and White's development is very unclear.
Yeah, Nf6 is the best line theoretically but d5 creates more complications and gives better opportunities to play for a win.
It's interesting. In the Pin variation, the engine doesn't want to take the exchange like it isn't worth it apparently. Probably the DSB is more useful to exploit the dark square holes and if black saves the exchange then it just loses time and white continues the attack.
Currently I'm trying to amass the most 'theoretically correct' repertoire, I've done an uncommon repertoire, I've done a fully sideline repertoire, I've done a fully gambit repertoire, I've done the London/Caro/Slav, so I'm moving on to mainlines of mainlines of mainlines and trying to figure out exactly why they're so popular. I'd probably play the Nf6 Alapin regardless (I have a soft spot for the Nimzo-Sicilian for some reason) but considering the theoretical strength difference its a definitive choice.
Yeah, the DSB is worth approximately 6 points of material in that position because the area around the king looks like swiss cheese with how many dark squared holes there are. I'm not surprised the computer likes keeping the bishop on the board but as a human I'd take the rook and try to win in an endgame.
Specifically, I want replies to 1. e4 that are sound (well it doesn't have to be sound but at least playable at high levels) and literally announce "Hello, my name is ImPlayingForAWin". I already have Benko Gambit for 1. d4.