Flank openings annoy me.
MOST ANNOYING OPENINGS
Sort:
Apr 26, 2025
0
#43
wrote:
As white, I find the Crappy-Kan't to be annoying, even though I score well against it, there is something about it that feels like you are pushing a fat dog around in a wheelbarrow. The French is a bit annoying as well. Conversely I'm always happy to see 1.e4 c5 spaghetti and pork defense. As black 1.c4 is rude and annoying. Seeing 1.d4 and then the London system makes me even more jubilant than seeing the 1.e4 c5 Spaghetti,The London always feels like,"Here's a nearly free win!"
"Crappy Kan't"
"Spaghetti and pork defense"
Apr 26, 2025
0
#44
crazedrat1000 wrote:
Why do you play e6? Are you trying to transpose w/ something?
The Bogo. Honestly though, maybe I should switch to c5. It's not like the Bogo is my favorite part of my repertoire anyway and I only even get it 25% of the time. c5 would get rid of some annoying lines, the 2. Nf3 London but also the Colle is extra annoying if you've played e6. I might try it out for a while and see if I like it.
Also I was toying with the idea of trying out the Blumenfeld Countergambit instead of the Bogo when the upcoming Chessable course on it comes out, I guess it would kind of fit in with that.
Apr 26, 2025
0
#45
Blumenfeld actually looks like a very cool line for an anti-nimzo response. I was thinking pseudo-benko but I had not considered the Blumenfeld.
Really I like all these spiellmann indian lines. I just can't bring myself to give up the slav gambits for it.
Apr 27, 2025
0
#46
exceptionalfork wrote:
wrote:
Sebu13 wrote:
Which openings do you find the most annoying to play against?
For me they are:
With black:
1.d4 followed by 2.Nf3. It's annoying, because I don't know what I'm playing against. Is it a London, a Queen's Gambit, a Colle? Maybe even Catalan? Who knows?
French Exchange. Everybody insists on this opening if I try to play the French. It's very boring to play this boring opening over and over again.
Four Knights Scotch. Super solid, super boring. I don't know what to do against this.
King's Indian Attack. Very slow and solid. It's hard to say what the opponent is planning when they play this.
With white:
Czech Pirc. Pushing pawns one step at a time shouldn't be a good opening, but somehow this gets the job done.
Philidor Defense. Passive but rock solid.
Scandi with 2...Nf6. Quite rare, but it feels like every time someone plays this, they are well prepared.
Clearly you play off of ADHD Emotions and not any true knowledge of the game. Anyone with knowledge of the game would THANK White for playing the Exchange Variation against the French.
In roughly the last 100 times I have faced the exchange French over the board, I have 4 losses, yes FOUR! This is to go with about 65 to 70 wins and the rest draws - all with Black.
I still get the Exchange French sometimes today via 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.d3?! Nf6 6.d4 d5.
You're acting like finding an opening annoying is an objective thing. It isn't. Finding the positions out of an opening boring is a perfectly logical reason to not like it if you're looking for an exciting game.
wrote:
The only one that can be SLIGHTLY annoying is the English Opening.
Wow, you're obviously playing off of your emotions, and lack true knowledge of the game. Anyone with knowledge of the game would thank white for playing the English Opening.
I very often score wins or draws over the board against higher rated players when my opponents play the English Opening. I have a good winrate against it too:
Since I perform well against it, that must mean that anyone who finds this opening annoying is unknowledgeable about the game!
I'm glad someone gets it.
Apr 27, 2025
0
#47
crazedrat1000 wrote:
I'd probably play c5 instead of e6 if I played 1... Nf6. London is no longer possible here.
I started looking at this line and unfortunately the London is possible. They can play c3 and you can't really stop Bf4. I mean you can play Qc7 but after Bg5 I'm not sure you've really achieved anything, not to mention d5 there is just better for White. I guess technically cxd4 turns it into an Exchange Slav after ...d5 but this is not really an improvement.
Apr 27, 2025
0
#48
Strayaningen wrote:
crazedrat1000 wrote:
I'd probably play c5 instead of e6 if I played 1... Nf6. London is no longer possible here.
I started looking at this line and unfortunately the London is possible. They can play c3 and you can't really stop Bf4. I mean you can play Qc7 but after Bg5 I'm not sure you've really achieved anything, not to mention d5 there is just better for White. I guess technically cxd4 turns it into an Exchange Slav after ...d5 but this is not really an improvement.
Since I already play the Slav I'd just transpose into the exchange Slav. Still there are some other options available. The Qc7 line you mentioned is better than a typical e5 Benoni type position, c3 isn't a move you usually play in the benoni. And this Qa5 line does prevent a London as well. But it probably is necessary to play these lines in a Benoni spirit, if we're going to be avoiding the London we're likely not going to be rivaling it in objective eval terms.
d5 also isnt as good here due to the immediate e6 and c3>c4 can't reinforce d5, white must take
this odd Colle is whites best response. I'd play this over a London though. You only get it like 20% of the time after Qa5, I think it's fine -
A large part of the value here is just in playing a different type of position than the London player mindlessly plays in most games.
Apr 27, 2025
0
#49
Yeah that does look plausible actually, thanks, I think I'll work out some basic theory and give it a try. I really like the ...c6 line in the Accelerated London and have some quite nasty theory worked out for it actually, but I was considering giving it up in the name of just playing one line against both versions of the London. If I can use this as a second anti-London line then my victory will be complete.
Apr 27, 2025
0
#50
I think I'm gonna switch to c5 here as well, tbh. I'll just have to give up my early slav gambits and my slav exchange gambits, but after reviewing these lines, I think they compensate... considering how often I get Londons and other junk these days it's probably the wise move.
I may even try the benko gambit with this... we'll see.
Apr 28, 2025
0
#51
crazedrat1000 wrote:
Blumenfeld actually looks like a very cool line for an anti-nimzo response.
The Chessable course on this has just been released: Black is Back: Blumenfeld Gambit
I was wondering how he dealt with the declined line with Bg5 which is one of the more reliable ways to face it and:
4.1 Blumenfeld Gambit Declined with Bg5 (58 variations, 16.1 avg. trainable depth)
Holy hell man. I mean you can't say you're not getting your money's worth, but damn.
As white, I find the Crappy-Kan't to be annoying, even though I score well against it, there is something about it that feels like you are pushing a fat dog around in a wheelbarrow. The French is a bit annoying as well. Conversely I'm always happy to see 1.e4 c5 spaghetti and pork defense. As black 1.c4 is rude and annoying. Seeing 1.d4 and then the London system makes me even more jubilant than seeing the 1.e4 c5 Spaghetti,The London always feels like,"Here's a nearly free win!"