- Get a book that discusses variations, plans, and move orders.
- Play over a several model games in your variations.
- Practice the opening in many blitz games.
- Use the opening for real.
Software like Chessbase and Chess Opening Wizard come in handy.
to conquer an opening system
Sort:
In the past month or so I've been learning the French. One of the hardest steps has been choosing variations--it's been an iterative process, discovering what sorts of positions I like and despise. I skipped the blitz step until this week and suffered the consequences in an important game. Like I said, it's an iterative process. :)
wikipedia comes in handy if you want to know the reason behind (an opening), let's say the french.
Wikipedia's coverage is great if you're curious, "What is the French Winawer?", but it's terrible for a USCF tournament player planning to use it.
Here's its guidance on the 4...b6 Winawer:
"Black does not have to reply 4...c5 but may try 4...b6 followed by ...Ba6".
5.a3 and 5.Qg4 are the most popular replies, and no guidance is given on how to meet them. The book reply is non-obvious if you don't play the French. Also, since Black has only one plan he's up a creek without a paddle if White avoids the bishop exchange.
likesforests wrote:
Get a book that discusses variations, plans, and move orders. Play over a several model games in your variations. Practice the opening in many blitz games. Use the opening for real.
Software like Chessbase and Chess Opening Wizard come in handy.
Do this ^
in addition...
focus on the opening that fits your style..If possible update your opening knowledge on the "novelty" or current trend on that opening from the latest masters games.
Mar 3, 2009
0
#8
This is a great topic Spoiler. I don't have a vast amount of experience so my openings of choice for White are the Stonewall Attack, Trompowski Attack, Torre Attack and London System. The London System is the most durable opening of this group in the games I have played so far.
For Black, the openings that apply to both e4 and d4 openings seem to be the most logical ones to learn but I am having trouble finding one with little theory, like the London System.
The answer to your question is study study study. There are lots of free resources online for openings and books are written for specific openings. My delima is selecting the right openings to study to build a strong repertoire.
Mar 4, 2009
0
#9
lZlZlZl wrote:
This is a great topic Spoiler. I don't have a vast amount of experience so my openings of choice for White are the Stonewall Attack, Trompowski Attack, Torre Attack and London System. The London System is the most durable opening of this group in the games I have played so far.
For Black, the openings that apply to both e4 and d4 openings seem to be the most logical ones to learn but I am having trouble finding one with little theory, like the London System.
The answer to your question is study study study. There are lots of free resources online for openings and books are written for specific openings. My delima is selecting the right openings to study to build a strong repertoire.
I also enjoy playing the London System (1 d4 2 Nf3 3 Bf4), Torre Attack (1 d4 2 Nf3 3 Bg5) and Stonewall Attack (1 d4 2 e3 3 f4). I don't play the Trompowsky, but I do play the Colle System (1 d4 2 Nf3 3 e3 4 Bd3).
When in an aggressive mood, I'll play the Blackmar-Diemer Gambit (1 d4 d5 2 e4).
Better chess players are required to familiarize themselves with a handful of openings/defenses, if they are to become better players. Its important to understand the fundamentals of each of these systems, in terms of what type of middlegame ( and sometimes endgame) they can anticipate down that road.
My question to all of you is, if one decides to fully own a system (any system), in other words, to know 1 opening/defense real well and have it down pat, how should one proceed to learning it? What that person will have to do?