Overrated /underrated chess openings

I agree with the general sentiment expressed, especially in relation to the amount of openings discussion vs endgame discussion. However, positional discussion, except in the most basic form, is largely a waste time for anyone one sub-1600 /1700 elo. Games were both players are less than B class are only rarely decided by position factors. Tactics get overstated in relation to endgames, tactics should lead to either a middle game mate, a middle game resignation, or a won endgame. Nothing in chess is more pointless than tactically outplaying an opponent to achieve an easily won endgame, only to lose or draw that said endgame because of lack of endgame knowledge/technique.

I'll assume that's just humor. For starters, the topic "when to transition to the endgame vs when NOT to?" is a very important topic, easily more important to the outcome of a game than which standard opening one chooses to play. The question "When does the endgame begin?" or "What determines a won/lost endgame?" are topics with alot of material for mining. The endgame is far more important than the opening, it is only the ignorant who finds it sterile.

Logic:

Just because Kasparov was six time world chess champion, doesn't mean he's good at chess.

I genuinely thought your comment had the makings of a funny observation about endgames. Openings are essentially modular, so they are very easy to learn, it's the volume of lines of text that makes them appear difficult. Easy to learn translates into easy to discuss, so they get talked about...ALOT. The amount of opening discussions is disproportionate to how much they really affect the outcome of games.

https://chess24.com/en/learn/advanced/ebook/caro-kann-defence#:~:text=The%20Caro%2DKann%20Defence%20is%20sometimes%20considered%20solid%2C%20drawish%20and,Caro%2DKann%20for%20a%20win!

https://chessklub.com/is-the-caro-kann-opening-more-drawish/

https://osgamers.com/frequently-asked-questions/is-caro-kann-drawish

i can go on, everyone knows its drawish

Blasphemy.

Bird's Opening get's too much hate, It's just a silly opening to play for laughs, it also leads to interesting games as again, it's silly
Overrated... uhhh, I personally think that the Chigorin Variation of Queen's Pawn, It just feels bland.

@Ultimate-trashtalker

Man exactly on point. The c5 caro is a beast and black 99% of the games get very good positions. Also someone said the caro doesn't appear on 2800 level. Firstly i suppose he meant super gm level and secondly AGAIN. Check games of Alireza, Kreymer, Howell, Navara even Ding.

It's humorous when commentators, not just here, but elsewhere as well, state that a given opening isn't good because of "blah be blah be blah" only to then also claim that anything is playable below rating "X".

I think overrated is the Italian because it is so common. The english is a good opening and is often overlooked which makes it a surprise at my level, 1600.

Vienna underrated (not because gotham like it) because + Takes people under 1600 out of theory in move 2 (which is rare for e4 opening) +Has a fake and legendary gambit to one of most black response (99% get the pawn back + better development) +Copy cat variation punish the enemy + And has a system As 950 elo noobies it give me around 60-70% win rates

vienna gambit is better for black

symmetrical vienna nobody plays without Nf6 first and is completely equal

compared to the ruy lopez where white has an advantage most the game and goes for a win

Hi! I assume that you mean an underrated opening is a sound but not very popular opening. Well, if this is the case, I would say the Modern Defense is somewhat underrated. I just posted on my blog about my experience with it, check it out!

https://www.chess.com/blog/maafernan/opening-repertoire-the-modern-defense

Good luck!

id say the pterodactyl defense of the modern is a very sharp opening but i never got into it because nobody covers it and its rare

Overrated openings would probably contain the Sicilian Dragon, Moscow Sicilian, GPA, Exchange Caro Kann, Scandinavian, and the Dutch.

Underrated openings would probably include the Ragozin, Exchange French ( hot take 🥵) Two Knights Caro, Ponziani, Jobava London, Alekhines defense and the Four Knights Sicilian.

ragozin has never existed as a real opening below master level, i personally love it but i know nobody plays it

2 knights caro as ive said black can suck the life out with a boring line

the jomama london is equality if black knows at least a little

alekhines defense i play online and somehow see i novelty that i never knew existed each time

people below just play the ragozin because it looks natural but tbh nobody knows it

ikr. Ragozin is very underplayed. Two Knights Caro can have the life sucked out of it, but that doesn’t mean it’s bad fr ( not that you said it was bad )

I do think the two knights Caro is severely underrated and is a serious weapon to consider as white and prepare for too as black

And I think Jobava London is the epitome of underrated. Even though I don’t play it 😔

IMO

a : The most overrated is 1) e4 because Black can plays Petrov's Defence 1)...e5 2) Nf3 Nf6 3) Nxe5 d6 4) Nf3 Nxe4 5) d4 d5

In short it's like playing an improved French Defense exchange variant for Black and this openning is much more annoying because when it's Black who tries to make a draw it doesn't sound false.

b : The most underrated is 1) d4 d5 2) c4 e6 3) cxd5 exd5 

we can think naively it's a bit like a French Defense exchange variant (i.e something equal probably going towards draws where Black can be annoyed by not finding a solution to win) but actually it is much more formidable than a French Defense exchange variant.