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Ten White Opening "Systems."

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ThePawnSlayer

Hi all, here I present ten white opening systems that you can play against anything that black plays:

 

1. The Barcza System

 
 

2. Bird-Larsen Attack

 
3. Blackmar-Diemer Gambit
 
 
4. The Colle System
 
 
5. The Colle-Zukertort System
 
 
6. The English Opening: Bottvinnik Formation
 
 
7. The London System 
 
 
8. The Stonewall attack
 
 
9. Trompowsky attack/Torre Attack
 
10. Vienna Opening System
 
Enjoy!

 

ThePawnSlayer
Steven-ODonoghue wrote:

Awesome quality post, rare for these forums. 

One thing I will say, as a Stonewall player we prefer 8.Ne5! instead of 8.0-0, since playing 0-0 first usually gives black two annoying options which are unpleasant for white from a practical standpoint.

  • 8...cxd4 and now white is forced to play the ugly 9.cxd4 because otherwise the f4 pawn would be hanging. This is a pawn structure white should avoid
  • 8...Ng4 isn't possible in this position because of 9.Bxh7+, but is often a good reply since after 9.Qe2 f5 white's kingside attack basically doesn't exist anymore.

In general I would say that white should pretty much always play Ne5 before castling in the Stonewall, and there are very few exceptions.

 

Thanks for your comment and I wasn't aware of these slight nuisances in this opening. It makes much more sense to do Ne5 before 0-0