Solid black openings for a beginner ?

Well, now that Irontiger has put things in clear and logical perspective, that helps.  Hey, we missed this year in Norway, Iron.  You could have taken that prize !!

Also... just in case this applies to you, and just in case you are getting bad opening experience from your game in BLITZ ....

I wrote this somewhere else and many viewers and also coaches have sent me messages thanking me or agreeing with what I stated.  Here it is -

"In case you do love Blitz chess and play a lot of it, I hate to break it to you, but I would not be helping you if I lied --

STEP AWAY from BLITZ !  One of the most difficult issues you will have with dropping your rate of blunders or wrong moves or bad evaluation of the positions is COMPULSION.  Compulsive behavior and thinking is at the root of a lot of problems low level players face.

Anything you think you can do to improve your chess by using Blitz, you will do a lot better by solving puzzles or chess tactic problems, by working out chess end game positions to a win or to a draw.  You can use a timer for yourself.

Play longer time controls, learn to love to be deliberate, cold, calculating, relaxed, clear minded, and free of compulsions !

If you HAVE TO do blitz (go go addict) then use it very sparingly, but certainly not part of your regular play.

Some players have learned to change their frame of mind and adapt their behavior entirely when they play longer games, but these might be few.

A lot of bad habits you get in chess you get from blitz and bullet (even worse).  One of the obvious detrimental effect of blitz is also playing without a quality, elaborate, well-thought-out plan which is based on sound and true principles and needs of the position and the opponent's real intent.

Tactical mistakes are also caused by tactical vision problems.  Keep working on tactics, and end-game solutions.  You will see how you will start envisioning a lot more as you get more practice."

So if your opening experience is relevant to your blitz playing experience, please take appropiate measures.

Well, granted, many good players hate playing the french and the tarkatower is just trying to draw, and that's even after they've done every thing you just advised.

1. .... Kh1. Oh, sorry, I am just too tired. lol.

If it comes to that, there's not a grandmaster in the world who's ever taken so much as a half-point off me - and what's more I once insulted Mike Tyson's mom and he never lifted a finger.

*Picks a line where black doesn't put a single pawn in the centre for his recommendation >.<

Since when Is the French passive? Regurgitating Reti.......

The Tartakower is not really passive either. 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Be7 5. Nf3 O-O 6. e3 h6 7. Bh4 b6 8. cxd5 Nxd5 9. Bxe7 Qxe7 10. Nxd5 exd5 11. Rc1 Be6 12. Qa4 c5 13. Qa3 Rc8 14. Bb5 Qb7 15. dxc5 bxc5 16. Rxc5 Rxc5 17. Qxc5 Na6 18. Bxa6 Qxa6 gives Black good play for the pawn. Timman-Geller, AVRO 1973.

Another option 12. Bd3 c5 13. dxc5 bxc5 gives Black hanging pawns, a static weakness that gives him more space, like an isolated queen's pawn, only diffrent.

The Tartakower can be drawish, but it is not passive.

Thanx for all your good advice. Much appreciated !!!!

Hmmm.... No ?

I mean, maybe in the whole year there must be one 2000 who lost to a 900, but... If you take out the alcohol factor...

c5 ALL THE WAY , doesnt matter what black plays d4 or e4.

slav

True!

Depends on the beginner...

The one who wants to be a grandmaster wants to win at all costs to prove himself his potential. He will learn cheap opening tricks, and when he will reach the level where this is not enough, he will buy tons of opening books, often on obscure sidelines, to blunder into a mate in two later in the games. By some cognitive bias, he enjoys studying what he does not nee to.

The beginner that just want to play chess for fun, on the other hand, will play without much study and naturally improve in the part where it is needed.

I was lucky enough to start chess in a club where other kids were one or two years older than me, and consequently crushed me every time at first. This pretty much killed the illusion that I was a natural talent.

So how did you come about the name Irontiger as it does not fit your history?

Man  

Kool Aid? Grape and i am thirsty!

France has a long military history.  They helped my country in our Revolutionary War.  There were many battles were there were more French soldiers than Americans.  But, if you feel that's all ancient history, you might ask some people in North Africa right now about the French military.

Where are you from royalbishop?

???? How did it get here.

I thought you were cracking on the guy's history.  My apologies if your comment was otherwise directed, or if I took your comment out of context.

There was a lot of "French bashing" a few years back in the U.S. when the Bush administration was trying to drum up international support for the invastion of Iraq.  France stood (correctly) against the invasion.  This pissed off a lot of gung-ho Americans.  The nadir (for me) was when the manager of the Taco Bueno spotted my bottle of Perrier and said, "So, I see we're not banning the French products?"  And, she was dead serious.  LOL.  So, I guess I'm a little defensive.