What is your favorite opening?

My favorite opening is King's Pawn, because I like tactical breakthroughs and fireworks in my games. Sometimes I play the Scandinavian, just to not forget it. Leave your favorite opening in the comments. Thanks!

Ahoy Chess.com homie!...I almost always play 1.e4 in bullet, blitz and long games for the simple reason its the sharpest choice....and yes, even facing crap like 1...c6

I prefer to postpone the clash of forces into the middle-game. At our level of play, an early confrontation typically leads to the release of tension and a relatively sterile middle-game (unless one of the players blunders... also very common at our level).

So I usually play semi-closed systems such as the King's Indian Attack. Not because I feel that it's "better" than 1. e4 or 1. d4... but simply because it leads to a more complicated and less explored game, with winning and losing chances rather than dull wood-pushing.

Mood, opponent (if I know him/her) deficiencies, etc determine my favorite opening at any given time:

White - 1.d4, 1.e4, 1.Nf3, 1.b4

Black vs e4 - 1...e6, 1...e5 (Berlin, Petroff, Latvian), 1...c6, 1...c5 (Taimanov, Scheveningen, Najdorf), 1...g6

Black vs d4 - 1...d5 (QGD, QGA, Slav), 1...Nf6 (KID, NID, OID), 1...f5 (Classical, Modern, Stonewall), 1...g6

So as for me, I'm like Spassky, a "Universal Style".  No Favorite!  It's more what I DON'T play that is more accurate.  What I specifically don't play (amongst normal openings) include:

White - 1.c4, King's Gambit

Black - Alekhine, Pirc, Sicilian Dragon, Semi-Slav, Grunfeld, all Benonis (Modern, Old, Czech, Benko, Blumenfeld, etc), Leningrad Dutch

2 Knights Defense from both sides.

c4 english opening with white and caro kann with black.best openings for me because I have no time for too much theory. and both openings are fine for attacks on the queenside or kingside as well as for interesting endgames

you only need a bit of patience because the real match starts most  times beyond move 10

and gruenfeld against d4,of course

Right now the backbones of my Black repertoire are the Caro-Kann and the Nimzo-Indian. I pair the NID with the QID if Black plays 3. Nf3, but I face an awful lot of "Annoying QP" openings, against which I consistently de-claw and establish equality but never gain any advantage. I pair the 4... Nd7 line with the main lines of the Short System against 1. e4 and score very well on the Black side of the former. Opponents as high as 1700 throw out the mostly harmless 5. Nf3 frequently. 

I play 1. e4 mainlines as White, but mainly because my knowledge of 1. d4 as White isn't up to par. Here's my full White repertoire:

3. Nd2 mainlines vs 1... e6

Short System mainlines vs 1... c6

Ruy Lopez/5. Nc3 Petroff/3. d4 Philidor mainlines vs 1... e5

Versus 1... c5:

Canal-Sokolsky or 6. Be2/6. g3 Najdorf/9. O-O-O Dragon/Keres Attack vs 2... d6

Rossolimo vs 2... Nc6

Mainlines vs 2... e6

Which QP openings do you have trouble getting active counter-play against?

Many of them, but mostly standard fare like the London System and the Colle.

EDIT: Not the main lines, just the "annoying" ones.

I use a formation resembling a KID Panno against the London and Colle, with excellent results so far.

Sample rated match game: https://www.chess.com/daily/game/56893854?page=1

I was going to mention this earlier but you beat me to it, DrSpudnik.

I gather from various forums here on this opening that it has been pretty much "cooked" in favor of White.  But decades ago I used to play this "from both sides" with a strong player at our local club.  Even though I was lower rated we had some truly good fights over the board.  I recommend it for players under 1700.  It is a a true bare-knuckle brawl opening that teaches tactics every beginner needs to know.

Is it the best opening?  No.  But it was and is my favorite because each player is slugging it out from the beginning to the end.  You learn how to take a hit and hit back.  If chess is a fight, then this opening teaches one all about fighting. 

sounds interesting, anpu. do y have examples for both ways?

Both of y'all go sit in a corner. 

C4 is my favorite 💥