english with white
slav vs D4
E5 vs E4
I think what I call transformation openings are best. London can swap to colle for white and piano and scotch for black to start with. I think if something you see with one got messed up there is always a switch over is best. Because you never know what anyone is going to play against you.
Another idea of a Trasformer Opening is Ruy Lopez to Scotch or Evans Gambit Those 3 for white seem transposable one into another. It make it easier to remember and tactics come after that. This way I don't have to concentrate all my brain power on the opening, but also don't autopilot it either.
Grunfeld and Catalans and Queens Indian are also transposable for white, I think the similarly is the key, like the Sicilian stuff is very transposable in the black area. It really depends on what your good at remembering easiest that fits in your brain and personal style. Do you like open everything flying around or closed tight and cramped and safe or semi of the two styles called semi open. Book openings don't work all the way, but if you want to up your tactics? learn the openings and do tactics puzzles. Then go back and find what works for you. Good luck
As white I play my own system in the London. And sometimes a Queen's Gambit (1.d4 player). I have tried the Ruy but without much success.
With black I play Sicilian, and prefer the Scheveningen setup. I have also been dabbling in the Caro-Kann and it's growing on me.
Against 1. d4 I play the Modern, Pterodactyl Defense. And sometimes a beefeater, hyperaccelerated dragon, or Benoni.
Against 1. c4 I prefer the Duchamp variation in the English. After d6 I like delaying e5 because e6 can be a strong move in the middlegame first. I find people always like to lash out in the center but I can simply hold it. The English gets much better when played positionally around a closed center, with d3 instead of d4.
My repertoire is geared for practical club level play.
White: The book Keep It Simple 1 e4 repertoire.
Black: Against 1 e4 the book The Scandinavian For Club Players repertoire
Against 1 d4 the book Fight 1 d4 With The Tarrasch repertoire.
White:
-> 1.Nf3 Reversed Queen's Indian by IM Yuriy Krykun (Chessable course)
Black.
-> Against 1.e4 = Master the French defense by Bryan TIllis (Chessable course)
-> Against 1.Nf3, 1.c4 and 1.d4 = Accelerated Queen's Indian defense by IM Yuriy Krykun (Chessable course)
-> Against random stuff like 1.b4, 1.g4, 1.Nc3 etc = Opening Oddities by FM Bryan Tillis.
I think what I call transformation openings are best. London can swap to colle for white and piano and scotch for black to start with. I think if something you see with one got messed up there is always a switch over is best. Because you never know what anyone is going to play against you.
The modern openings (flank openings and transitional openings). Less theory and aggressive play compared to traditional and hypertraditional openings, but more theory and aggressive play than the hypermoderns.
What are the main openings you play as white and as black (against e4 and d4)?
As White: Ruy Lopez (everything), French (Advance, Paulsen Attack; Main Line (Alekhine-Chatard; Steinitz; Tarrasch; Rubenstein); Steiner; Chigorin; KIA), Caro-Kann (Breyer; Advanced Panov; Advance, Tal), Scotch Game and Gambit, Bishop's Opening, Reti Opening and Gambit, KIA, Bird's, London System, Trompowsky and Torre, Scandinavian (transpose into Blackmar, Gedult Gambit), Alekhine's (Exchange, Four Pawns Attack).
As Black against e4: Ruy Lopez (Neo-Arkhangelsk, Arkhangelsk, Old Steinitz, Bird's, Jaenisch Gambit), Italian (Rousseau Gambit, Traxler Counterattack, Two Knights Defense (Modern Bishop's Opening; Polerio Defense, Bishop Check Line, Suhle Defense), Four Knights Game, Scotch, Alekhine's (everything), Vienna (Falkbeer Mainline).
As Black against d4: Indian Game (Old Indian, Lion Defense, KID, QID), Trompowsky and Torre.
As Black against both: The Modern Defense system (Modern, KID, Pirc, Benoni, Sicilian, Old Indian, Caro-Kann, Philidor) as all of these openings transpose into one another at some point or another, with the most common variations ending in the KID or the Benoni, but you could theoretically end up playing a game in any of the listed.
As Black against c4 and Nf3: transpose to normal d4 lines or Symmetrical/Ultra-Symmetrical English which can transpose to KID: Fiancetto, Yugoslav, Rare Line (Advance and Exchange).
TL;DR I dabble, but most often are:
Ruy Lopez, French, or Caro-Kann and London System as White. Double King's Pawn openings, Alekhine's Defense, and Modern variations as Black against e4, and Modern variations and hypermodern Indian Game variations against d4. Against c4 and Nf3, transpose or symmetry.
How are you playing Trompowsky and Torre as black
1. d4 Nf6 2. Bg5 (e6 3. Nf3)?
You don't see many Trompowsky players out there, but they do exist, and sometimes I'm in the mood to play Trompowsky, sometimes I'm in the mood to play Torre.
How are you playing Trompowsky and Torre as black
1. d4 Nf6 2. Bg5 (e6 3. Nf3)?
You don't see many Trompowsky players out there, but they do exist, and sometimes I'm in the mood to play Trompowsky, sometimes I'm in the mood to play Torre.
you listed trompowsky as a black opening
it's more like how you respond to the tromp
How are you playing Trompowsky and Torre as black
1. d4 Nf6 2. Bg5 (e6 3. Nf3)?
You don't see many Trompowsky players out there, but they do exist, and sometimes I'm in the mood to play Trompowsky, sometimes I'm in the mood to play Torre.
... you dont get to choose
What are the main openings you play as white and as black (against e4 and d4)?
My main choises are:
- Italian (white)
- Caro-Kann (black against e4)
- Nimzo-Indian/Bogo-Indian (black against d4)
With white pieces I also get to play a lot of Sicilian, Caro-Kann and French, and against those I play Closed Sicilian, Panov Attack and Tarrasch French.
Polish - French - Dutch (W - B vs e4 - B vs d4)
What are the main openings you play as white and as black (against e4 and d4)?
My main choises are:
- Italian (white)
- Caro-Kann (black against e4)
- Nimzo-Indian/Bogo-Indian (black against d4)
With white pieces I also get to play a lot of Sicilian, Caro-Kann and French, and against those I play Closed Sicilian, Panov Attack and Tarrasch French.