what is your most favorite opening for both Black and White?

You just say your most favorite opening for both Black and White

You can make big discussions like : ''as black against e4 I play c5 and against d4 I play Nf6

I will start

As white I like starting with d4 and if he plays d5 I will play c4 the queen's gambit

I also studied the best responses against the Englund gambit

As black if he plays d4 I response d5 and if he playes the Queen's gambit I would play Nc6 the Chigorin Variation of Queen's gambit declined

As black if he plays e4 I play e5 (if he plays Nf3 I play the Petrov Defense Nf6) or I play Caro-Kann

Black? White? Who cares? It's all the same! French Defense!

I played the same player 15 days ago and last night. Same opening, won both, and on opposite sides of the spectrum.

See? No bias! Win with the French, and beat the French!

White -e4 Black against e4

Black against e4- d4

the Winawer variation of the French for black and London for white,

I have a 75% win rate with the Winawer as black out of like 40 games it’s too OP

I play the English as white! Such an underrated opening. I like the Caro-Kann and King's Indian as black.

I play both sides of the Winawer, though to get to it with you as Black, you have to play 1.d4 e6 2.e4 d5 3.Nc3 (I also play 3.e5 occasionally) Bb4 and the line I like to play against the Winawer is the one that I find to be the most difficult for Black, which is 4.e5 Ne7 (or 4...c5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 Ne7 - Though this move order allows 5.Bd2 for White or 6...Qa5 for Black, which I have also played - 5.Bd2 is ineffective if Black has not played ...c5 as d6 is still guarded) 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 c5 and now, NOT 7.Qg4, but 7.h4!

The other thing that I find absolutely hilarious is that most that are not seasoned French players don't even understand which pawn the "Poisoned Pawn" refers to. It's not the pawn on g7 (unlike b2 in the Najdorf), after 7...Qc7 8.Qxg7 Rg8 9.Qxh7 cxd4, THAT is the Poisoned Pawn, the one on d4. White loses if he takes it!, pretty much at any point. Obviously if Black just sits there and never plays ...dxc3, EVENTUALLY it will no longer be Poisoned, but Black will never allow that if he knows what he's doing.

I like the 4…. Qc7 for black, and then after Qg4 play Ne7,

Vienna and caro

COCA COLA GAMBIT

or cormorant gambit

Botvinnik English for White. Note although it *can* be played as a system it should only be played against certain Black responses, but it's really fun in those games.

Oh and for black it's the advanced French. First opening I really learned as an intermediate player and still a favorite of mine.

For me I love playing the c4 english for white, launching a kingside attack sometimes before I castle queenside, and for black I chose the ez way out and chose the modern defense

As white I play the Van Geet. As black I've been experimenting with the Kan Sicilian and triangle slav lately. From the triangle I've been transitioning into a stonewall against the quiet slav. I used to write off these stonewall structures as too vulnerable. When reached by transposition, blacks position is quite solid. Not to mention, you can delay f5 further via Bd3, and wait for something suboptimal like Nc3, e.g.

So you get a version of the stonewall that the engine likes. I've played against these lines as white and they are hard to break.

I may also try this line against the Marshall gambit -

How many people would play b5 there as their next move? Not many.

The main benefit is to be able to play a noteboom. But another thing I like about these stonewalls setups is you can play them against the Colle. It might be the only interesting thing you can play against the Colle.

I've also been messing around with reaching the Taimanov from the Kan. It allows you to avoid the Szen variation. Instead, you play the Marcozy bind. But actually, at least at my current elo, the Kan bind isn't much of an issue. Which means I can get a Taimanov against players who usually avoid it via all kinds of sidelines. Or, even better... play the wing attack. The a6/b5/Bb7/e6 sicilian structure plays very naturally.