@Inyustisia: So you are giving, just as one recommendation, the following (correct me where I am wrong):
When I am Black:
French (against 1.e4) and QGD (against 1.d4)
-OR-
Caro-Kann (against 1.e4) and Slav (against 1.d4)
Is that correct?
When I am White:
I'm lost at this point...
yes you got it, these pairs are "sister openings". and these are solid picks.
i assume that as white you're going to play the d4 mainlines as per the watson book. so you'll be learning some lines for the white side against the king's indian, the qgd, the slav, the benoni and the other black defenses to d4...
Gotcha. No, I'm not slow if that's what you are wondering. lol. Just learning.
lol its ok, gl
very important reason for me recommending Andrew Soltis'__Pawn Structure Chess...
decide if you like your pawns on the dark or light squares...as they are static (for the most part), you will know, then, what squares are unavailable to your pieces. you will, further, know what squares are left for the "scope" of your minors and majors to dance around on.
if you like to place your pawns on light squares,
vs 1.e4 you will like 1...c6 w/d7-d5, the Caro-Kann 1...d5, the Center-Counter/Scandanavian 1...e6 w/d7-d5, the French
vs 1.d4 and 2.c4, you will like 1...d5 w/2...c6, the Slav w/2...e6, the QGD 1...e6 w/2...d5, the QGD w/2...f5, the Dutch 1...f5, the Dutch 1...Nf6 w/2...e6 and 3...Bb4, the Nimzo-Indian or 3...Bb4+, the Bogo-Indian
i will give you the choices for pawns on the dark squares later
morris_7
I didn't realize (until today) that there was a nexus between preferred pawn structure and suitable choice of openings...never thought about it...I will read that book. I've heard too many good things about it (not just from you).
Looking forward to the continuation (re choices for pawns on dark squares)...
Also, I am not familiar with the pros and cons of placing your pawns on dark v. light squares...
John Watson was also Sherlock Holmes right hand man
John Watson, author of Play the French, is 'the man' and Sherlock Holmes would clearly be his understudy as opposed to the John Watson in the books
it must be noted that 1 d4 players hardly ever reply 2 e4 against e6. 2 c4 or Nf3 will be way more common, and then you pretty much just have to transpose back into d4 lines. there's no such thing as an one-fits-all solution as black.
that said, it's always important to be aware of transpositional possibilities within your repertoire so that you don't get conned into playing a line you don't like and panic.
This is probably true. However, as a French defence player myself I love playing against other French defence players as White. Hence, if I played 1d4 (like plenty of French defence players do) then I would play 2e4.
Well he really explains the reasoning behind moves in his opening books. He actually makes opening study more worthwhile than it otherwise might be.
Looking at his games, it appears he plays London as White a lot, and French as Black. The games for White came as a bit of a surprise to me, because his White repertoire book is centered around 1.d4...2.c4, as opposed to 1.d4...2.Nf3. I haven't read the whole book, but that's what it looks like. I'm befuddled.
He never used to play the london, more unusual 1.d4 2c4 lines, but guess getting older now.
Ahhh. Chessgames.com allows you to filter by year(s), so I could try that. I didn't realize London is age-depdendent?
There is a complete Black opening system against anything white plays. No matter what Whites first move is simply play 1…...d6 then g6 ect . The Kings Indian/Pirc system.
@Omtimissed: Too much theory for Kasparov? That's all I needed to hear. Actally, I've seen Najdorf CDs for sale that are over 20 hours long. That's a bit much. I have not studied the Caro-Kann yet, but I assume you are recommending it for when I am Black and responding to 1.e4? I usually respond with e5. Why, would you recommend CK instead? I have heard good things about it.
@TalsKnight: Great to know. What's the best way to learn this? Just doing an online search? Or is a certain book preferred? I found the following, but it starts with 1...Nf6.
http://jimwestonchess.blogspot.com/2007/03/kings-indian-pirc-defense.html
very important reason for me recommending Andrew Soltis'__Pawn Structure Chess...
decide if you like your pawns on the dark or light squares...as they are static (for the most part), you will know, then, what squares are unavailable to your pieces. you will, further, know what squares are left for the "scope" of your minors and majors to dance around on.
if you like to place your pawns on light squares,
vs 1.e4 you will like 1...c6 w/d7-d5, the Caro-Kann 1...d5, the Center-Counter/Scandanavian 1...e6 w/d7-d5, the French
vs 1.d4 and 2.c4, you will like 1...d5 w/2...c6, the Slav w/2...e6, the QGD 1...e6 w/2...d5, the QGD w/2...f5, the Dutch 1...f5, the Dutch 1...Nf6 w/2...e6 and 3...Bb4, the Nimzo-Indian or 3...Bb4+, the Bogo-Indian
i will give you the choices for pawns on the dark squares later
morris_7
I didn't realize (until today) that there was a nexus between preferred pawn structure and suitable choice of openings...never thought about it...I will read that book. I've heard too many good things about it (not just from you).
Looking forward to the continuation (re choices for pawns on dark squares)...
Also, I am not familiar with the pros and cons of placing your pawns on dark v. light squares...
Does anyone have the corresponding information (see above) for people who like to place their pawns on dark squares? Morris's account was closed down.
i have no idea where it might be coming from, but it seems that you are making some confusion regarding "repertoire for white" and "repertoire for black".
when you are white you have a choice of opening with d4, c4, e4, Nf3, whatever. let's say you pick e4.
you made the first big choice, then it's black's big choice whether he wants to play the french, the caro, the sicilian, the pirc, e5 or whatever (defences for black against e4). he can't play the slav, the qgd, the nimzo, the king's indian as these aren't replies to e4.
let's say he picks the french. then you can play the advance variation, the exchange, the tarrasch, nc3... if you pick nc3, then black can choose the winawer, the rubinstein, the classical... and so the players keep making choices until the theory is over.