The Sniper is an Opening I want to Learn

Since most of us are not serious, higher level players, we are by no means qualified to criticize players who are. Also, even if the Sniper would actually be an inferior opening-system, it is by no means ridiculous to play it, especially if no actual refutation has been conceived. I have my doubts if any of you know the Dzindzi-Indian (also related to the Sniper setup), which I believe hasn't been played that often on 2800 level but never has been refuted either. Have a look:

https://www.chess.com/forum/view/chess-openings/dzindzi-indian

If you think a system is inferior, don't play it. But don't criticize anyone who does play it. And if anyone so wishes to talk people down because of the openings they play, then send out a clear and thorough refutation. And who the hell cares what the names for something are - you're playing moves, positions, concepts, ideas, tactics, etc. They just have been given names for easy talking ;)

I did not intend to sound insulting or critical towards anyone who plays this opening (sniper). I was only commenting on the way it sounds; similar to the way the Monkey's Bum sounds. They both sound as if no credit is due them. Actually, "Sniper" is a better sounding name than "Monkey Butt" (American English).

SmyslovFan: "...predictors of OTB strength, the best predictor was blitz..."

If that is right, then I am worse at this game than I thought! Then again, I wonder if they considered a standard OTB game. I've played a 9 hour game before (OTB). And I am certainly better at a slow game than one with a fast time control. I would think that is true for most people.

Interesting stats.

I am not sure but you must not use violence if the possibility of peace is in the horizon at any possible parameter in the complete parametric space in spite of the fact that the manifold is an almost zero space in Rn. Catch my drift?

Is this is right

All we here know it as the sniper so that «better known» is not true

Why necro from two years ago?

the sniper is refuted, i posted them lines in some other forum yesterday. go check them out.

is it playable with white? or is then just a english transposition

yes, its just one of the many funky lines of the benko opening. 1.g3 e5 2.bg2 d5 3.c4 is ok since there is not much black can do to exploit it, compare with the sniper line

where black is already hanging by a thread.

I think the proper sniper is when black plays Bxc3, when the sniper "shoots", ruining white pawn structure, at the cost of some horrible holes on its own dark squares. Any other line transposes to other openings, doesn´t it?

no that doesnt happen always in the sniper

if black plays for queen trade 7...qxb4 then 8.cxb4 nxe4 9.bb2 0-0  and white is simply much better as well.

another try is

bishop pair + dark square weaknesses + the triple pawns will soon be double pawns as black needs to play d6 or b6 eventually.

these two lines and the qa5 line before bxc3 is all you need, to play agaisnt the sniper without breaking a sweat. in all 3 lines white is much better.

how

IMHO, the whole "Sniper" idea is a collection of other opening lines which weave into a common theme. The base, of course, is the Pterodactyl variation of the Modern / Robatsch Defence. The same positions could arise by transposition from the Hyper-accelerated Dragon, the Pirc, the Benoni, etc. 

Slapping a new name onto a set of known positions and themes - well, I don't consider it a crime. Chess theoreticians also need to make some buck and there's absolutely nothing wrong in aggregating a related set of lines from different opening and marketing it under a cool name. 

I just wish the exchange wasn't heated.

that's an opening? well thank you for teaching me about a new opening name

i play the hyper-accelerated dragon all the time & do just fine with it (68% win rate?).

1...g6 & 2...Bg7 is definitely the modern opening.  🙂