I feel like Van't Krujis Opening is underrated
I dont care if game review says it's a weak first move
Overrated /underrated chess openings
Sort:
Underrated:
-Pirc/modern
-Grunfeld. (This thing is murderous. Absolutely rip and tear in the mainlines.)
-Queens indian.
-Slav defense
-Catalan (one of the highest win rates for a non gambit non trap opening!)
Overrated:
-Italian game (Left it. I aint looking back for a while.)
-Tennison gambit (dubious. If you are trying the ICBM, you rarely get it. Source: my freind who plays it EVERY TIME as white.)
-London system (I mean...
-Scandinavian defense (nothing personal, I just think its mid. No matter what, black normally gets some form of disadvantage, whether that be developmental or space.)
-The exchange variation caro, slav, and the french.
-Botvinnik Carls Caro kann (advance with 3. ... c5) (I used to play this. Switched to 3. ... Bf5. Much happier.)
the QGA is underrated because it doesn't follow the normal rules of say the QGD or the swashbuckling antics of the KID or the Benoni.
OVERRATED:
Sicilian vs Smith Morra
Tennison gambit - just stop
king's gambit Fisher defense
Alekhine defense
UNDERRATED:
Gedult Blackmar Diemer gambit
Smith Morra gambit
Kings gambit
Mieses gambit
Alapin Diemer gambit
Englund gambit Hartlaub Charlick variation
Falkbeer counter gambit especially the Nimzowitsch Marshall variation
Nimzowitsch defense advance variation
Overrated and underrated depends on context. I find different kinds of players overrate and underrate different openings. You have your relative beginners who will overrate any one trap wonder gambit. You have your hyper ambitious intermediates who will underrate anything that isn't the top line of the 2800+ crowd.
That said I think an opening that is often overlooked is the QGA. Once you learn to not hang your rook trying to cling to the pawn you get some nice unbalanced positions. And if white isn't precise you end up just a pawn up.
TheSampson wrote:
I think another overrated opening is honestly the Caro-Kann. I feel like black has little maneuvering space in many lines. Just look at this:
Where the e5 pawn is constantly locking down black’s pieces, making development difficult, while white has all the room he wants.
Or, even worse, this:
Where black has a terrible bishop, poor development and a questionable pawn structure, all while white has a comfortable position.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great choice at beginner and intermediate level, but I feel like there are more cons than people (especially gotham fans) give it credit for.
WOW. I hate caro too, but this is too far. Black has fine, playable positions there and you just said some nonsense to make it look bad.
"Where black has a terrible bishop, poor development and a questionable pawn structure, all while white has a comfortable position."
What black bishop is bad? h7 is very active, while f8 will go to d6 and be pretty good. Poor development? Black is only slightly behiend, 2 tempo for development.... White does have a comfortable position, but black has nice play too.
"Where the e5 pawn is constantly locking down black’s pieces, making development difficult, while white has all the room he wants."
First of all, this is supposed to be a caro, and made it into a French line....
Second, Black has play on the queenside, whgile white attacks on the kingside. Also, Black has easy develo0pment there.
Side note: Why Nbd2? Bxh6 is much better.
" white could play the Tal instead and shut down black’s queenside space advantage." I beg you, show me the line.
If you dont think my advice is good, im 1800+ uscf. I know what I am talking about.
Now for my picks:
Overrated: Ruy Lopez. I hate everything about it. It just makes me cringe.
Underrated: Benko Gambit. My favorite! Its so good to learn the importance of active pieces, and the strength of the g7 bishop.
Also Underrated: Scotch Game. God I have such a great score with this. Its so easy to play.
Alchessblitz wrote:
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.
My guy, there are many more options to this.
Against petroff, my starting prep is to play 5.Nc3 and I gret great positions.
Also, this may be controversial, but I feel that Black has better winning chances in the exchange French. There is a great setup where Black castles long and destroys White kingside. For the sak of my prep, I will prob not reveal the line/setup. But maybye...
Sharp2Axe wrote:
Overrated: Ruy Lopez. I hate everything about it. It just makes me cringe.
You say this because you dont understand it. Maybe if you did then your poor opinion would change.
Sharp2Axe wrote:
TheSampson wrote:
I think another overrated opening is honestly the Caro-Kann. I feel like black has little maneuvering space in many lines. Just look at this:
Where the e5 pawn is constantly locking down black’s pieces, making development difficult, while white has all the room he wants.
Or, even worse, this:
Where black has a terrible bishop, poor development and a questionable pawn structure, all while white has a comfortable position.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great choice at beginner and intermediate level, but I feel like there are more cons than people (especially gotham fans) give it credit for.
WOW. I hate caro too, but this is too far. Black has fine, playable positions there and you just said some nonsense to make it look bad.
"Where black has a terrible bishop, poor development and a questionable pawn structure, all while white has a comfortable position."
What black bishop is bad? h7 is very active, while f8 will go to d6 and be pretty good. Poor development? Black is only slightly behiend, 2 tempo for development.... White does have a comfortable position, but black has nice play too.
"Where the e5 pawn is constantly locking down black’s pieces, making development difficult, while white has all the room he wants."
First of all, this is supposed to be a caro, and made it into a French line....
Second, Black has play on the queenside, whgile white attacks on the kingside. Also, Black has easy develo0pment there.
Side note: Why Nbd2? Bxh6 is much better.
" white could play the Tal instead and shut down black’s queenside space advantage." I beg you, show me the line.
If you dont think my advice is good, im 1800+ uscf. I know what I am talking about.
The short variation:
TheSampson was... Correct!
This list wouldnt be complete without the underrated london!
I raised around 150 fide rating from it and got to 1600+ and 2200+ lichess solely from the london
TheSampson wrote:
I think another overrated opening is honestly the Caro-Kann. I feel like black has little maneuvering space in many lines. Just look at this:
Where the e5 pawn is constantly locking down black’s pieces, making development difficult, while white has all the room he wants.
Or, even worse, this:
Where black has a terrible bishop, poor development and a questionable pawn structure, all while white has a comfortable position.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great choice at beginner and intermediate level, but I feel like there are more cons than people (especially gotham fans) give it credit for.
Please prove to me how black has a terrible bishop, wile it is literally controlling the whole diagonal till c2
Cool. Nice variation. Seeing as I dont study non exchange caro theory, I never new about that line. Atleast he was right about one thing!
Mabye I would like lopez if I looked at it more. But that is just my current opinion. However good Lopez is, I will always prefer Scotch period.
My opinion is not poor. It is just a opinion. I just do not like that line.
lockenstein wrote:
This list wouldnt be complete without the underrated london!
I raised around 150 fide rating from it and got to 1600+ and 2200+ lichess solely from the london
Nice! London also helped me alot too. Helped my positional chess alot.
Then I realized 1.e4 exists.................
..
.
Also for short variation:
Black still has a lot of play. Eventually, d5 and c4 will be exchanged with one of two scenarios arising:
1. Whites takes on d5 and Black will play on the queenside and open c-file.
2. Black will take on c4, use the d5 square for the knight, and pressure the backward d-pawn.
Of course white has plans of his own, but still, my original point stands, Black does get nice play in the Caro. The Caro is not "Trash."
the Caro kann is certainly not trash.
it is designed for the patient player who is willing to play the entire game.
Sharp2Axe wrote:
Also for short variation:
Black still has a lot of play. Eventually, d5 and c4 will be exchanged with one of two scenarios arising:
1. Whites takes on d5 and Black will play on the queenside and open c-file.
2. Black will take on c4, use the d5 square for the knight, and pressure the backward d-pawn.
Of course white has plans of his own, but still, my original point stands, Black does get nice play in the Caro. The Caro is not "Trash."
if black takes on d4 he will have given white a even stronger center and if black decides to route his knight from g6 to e7 or d5 black will be even more behind in development and worse
if white eventually takes on d5 he will get the c file to himself because he is quicker and will expend on the queenside
chessterd5 wrote:
the Caro kann is certainly not trash.
it is designed for the patient player who is willing to play the entire game.
im not saying the caro kann is trash. Im just saying that its very slow and black has little to no chance of winning. its an opening that you play for a draw/for endgame practice
Underrated - Grunfeld
For people who hate my post: I know this has a lot of theory but who said you have to play into theory you can play on logic and for ideas which you know. People don't know how to stop grunfeld defense
Based. Grunfeld is very scary to me as a 1. d4 player, and I dread when someone will actually play it against me. Might also teach it/ show it to my freind, as it fits his rip and tear tactical-agressive playstyle.