How many openings do you actually use?

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SwimmerBill

As black: Tarrasch vs d4&c4. classical Sicilian vs e4. b6 vs b3 & move to something like Tartakower. As white: usually e4 so then I have to have a line vs lots of possibilities--oddly I usually pick an aggressive, critical line as white. I keep my own opening books written down. The white book is thin, has a lot of openings but usually only 1 white line for each. The black book is thick and has only 2 openings & goes both deep and wide for those 2.  I am also OK with playing a few others as black but have tried to focus on these two.

mpaetz

     For serious play, 1.d4 (of course that means a lot of openings--whichever black chooses) and the French Defence and Queen's Gambit Accepted as black. Naturally you have to have a line you like vs English, Bird's, London and others. 

     For fun (speed games) I'll try anything once. I used to vary my play more when I played in the 1970s and 1980s (USCF expert class), but after a long hiatus I started playing again post-retirement and now I don't take things so seriously so I don't care to spend much time keeping up with the latest opening theory.

ConfusedGhoul

usually when I play in a tournament I follow a strict repertoire with one opening against everything (e.g. Spanish, Open Sicilian, French Tarrasch, Panov as White) except when I know my opponent has been preparing for me, it was so fun when I knew someone had prepared the Black side of the Panov against me deeply and even if I felt confident about my prep I had the last laugh by switching to the 3 Nc3 Caro throwing all his analysis out of the Window, I ended up winning

wyoav211933

I play daily, where I not only have an abundance of time, but can legally use books, articles, videos, and opening databases so I can get playable positions out of the opening with virtually no memorization. As such, I use a wider variety of openings than I would if I was playing live or OTB. In total I use: Queen's Gambit (white), King's Gambit, Ruy Lopez (white or black), Sicilian, Slav, and Scandinavian. I'm not a master in any one of those, and probably a wider range than what most would recommend for my level, but at least the time I am spending on openings and opening theory is at least stuff I will use since I am doing it as the game is happening, and it's not dramatically cutting into my time spent analyzing my games or doing tactics puzzles since I am not memorizing anything. Daily also allows me to "scout" my opponents opening tendencies, so if my opponent tends to like and excel at openings I don't like playing against (Italian, anything 1.d4 Nf6, vs the Sicilian when I am white) I can choose something else and avoid those lines. Also, if I see that my opponent has say a 85 % win rate in one opening, compared to a 65% win rate in all games with that same color then I will avoid those lines no matter how comfortable I feel with it, or vice versa, if he has a 35% win rate in a line compared to a 65% win rate in all games with that same color, I may go for it even if it isn't one I have used a lot. But the truth is even if you would only prefer to play a "narrow reportaire" of 1 or 2 openings, you will in actuality play more than you would like because the opponent has just as much say as you do about what opening is played and you may not be able to control what he or she does.

chesskingbay

kings fiachetto caro kann scotch game and prob just those  3

korotky_trinity

In fact I use only three-four openings.

Baltic defence, Sicilian one, Modern defence (so the Computer defined when it analized my game)... and King's Gambit.

But one Chess expert said that I abuse them... In a sense that I don't know them.

Early I used also the Scandinavian defence in modern variation.

Fromper

Apparently, I only play the French and the Dutch. Even as white, I start with 1. e4, and all my opponents play the French lately. Since I play it as black, I know how to handle it, so I'm not complaining, but it's just odd that I never even see the occasional Sicilian any more, let alone the Scandinavian, Alekhine, Pirc, Modern, Caro Kann, etc. I do actually get e5 once in a while, but still less than I'd expect.

Fire

2

RivertonKnight

Brink, I would avoid the Sidestepping Theory book, it might be a nice read, but you will not like that computers and serious players will easily dismantle it or make it boring to play. 

 

 

Aime_White

i use 50 openings cuz im bored

rezreds

Depends on the opponent. Still learn.

MrRbby

My repertoire for white is always 1.e4.

1...e5 - italian game

1...e6 - kings indian attack

1...c6 - caro-kann advance

1...c5 - grand prix attack

As black for 1.e4 I play pirc, queens gambit I play albin counter-gambit and for everything else I play either dutch or stonewall defence

Spice_prey

I mostly go kings pawn opening, and then transition to center game.

Although that's only as white. I always go Silican as black.

User49578

Three.

White:

A Classical Dutch setup.

===

Black:

Against e4 - Scandi' Qa5.

Against d4 - Budapest Gambit.

Against anything else, a Classical Dutch setup.

ebombayed_chesscareer

Not much, just Sicilian Defense & London System

Jahtreezy

I am in the fairly small repertoire category.

White: Queen's Gambit, English

Black:Against e4: Sicilian, Caro-Kann
Against d4: generally classical defense lines, depends on if I'm facing QG or a London
Against Others: just general principals

maafernan

Hi!

Here my suggestions for an opening repertoire depending your level and goals:

https://www.chess.com/blog/maafernan/openings-for-beginners

https://www.chess.com/blog/maafernan/openings-for-intermediates

https://www.chess.com/blog/maafernan/a-solid-opening-repertoire-for-speed-chess

Good luck!

Linkeroftime1

While this post is literally 3 years old I wanted to pitch in and say that I have a relatively broad repertoire! I really like studying openings which isn't the best at my level, but I don't really care. I play e5 vs e4, nimzo-QGD vs D4, and ruy lopez as white, but I also play kan and najdorf Sicilian, caro kann, and KID (very occasionally) and bogo indian vs 1.d4, while I also experiment with mainline 1.d4 and 1.c4, and evans gambit in blitz. I always think its good to experiment and branch out with openings because it introduces fresh ideas to your chess, regardless of immediate improvement.

PARMAR_13

Hi

Jahtreezy
Linkeroftime1 wrote:

While this post is literally 3 years old I wanted to pitch in and say that I have a relatively broad repertoire! I really like studying openings which isn't the best at my level, but I don't really care. I play e5 vs e4, nimzo-QGD vs D4, and ruy lopez as white, but I also play kan and najdorf Sicilian, caro kann, and KID (very occasionally) and bogo indian vs 1.d4, while I also experiment with mainline 1.d4 and 1.c4, and evans gambit in blitz. I always think its good to experiment and branch out with openings because it introduces fresh ideas to your chess, regardless of immediate improvement.

I agree with experimenting broadly, but I think the term repertoire implies a strong familiarity, level of knowledge for my skill level, etc. I'm envious that you are comfortable in so many openings--I've tried quite a few (more over the board in casual games or vs. bots than in rated games) like the Vienna, King's Gambit, KID, other modern defenses for Black, but I'm just not comfortable with them.

Guess I need to broaden out my book a little bit!