is it important to know an opening?
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I dont know the names of many openings, and I dont think I really have “preparation”, but I got to a rating of 1000 without that kind of knowledge. Do i need to have detailed opening knowledge to get further?
Sep 8, 2023
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#2
No. Although knowing an opening can give you a significant advantage, you don’t have to. Opening principles are good enough
yes and no. you can get higher rated with out detailed opening knowledge. opening theory is just one aspect of the game. but as you get higher rated, your opponents will know opening theory more than you do and it could and probably will be a factor in the quality of middle games you will get to. in my opinion, the best way to learn openings in general at your level is to just get a Modern Chess Openings book and start familiarizing yourself with all the openings out there. good luck!
You could slowly gain a few hundred points more but you are to some extent wasting time and wasting your potential by not learning openings. Don't bother with Modern Chess Openings, either learn online or get a book like Fundamental Chess Openings.
You already play openings as you play chess, knowing the names of what you play and the ideas can only help.
This was a great game you played against the Modern opening:
https://www.chess.com/analysis/game/live/87940778575
That configuration with the bishop on c4 and the other bishop on e3 and queenside castling is really common against a kingside fianchetto. Usually then you would pawn storm with h4, g4, etc. but your Ng5 with the intention of Rxd8 was excellent.
If he had moved Nf6 earlier as black usually does during a kingside fianchetto it would have been a Pirc, and then that usually means you would play pawn f3 to avoid Ng4, which can be annoying for your bishop as your bishop then has to move (since that bishop is worth a lot more than his knight and you don't want to allow it to be exchanged). This is seen in the Yugoslav Attack of the dragon sicilian. However since he didn't your knight was free to move to f3 and it worked out really well for you since it could then move to g5. Ideas like this will improve your understanding and make your play more accurate going forward.
