You are not allowed to ask for help during online chess games
1st of all: game isn't online, it's OTB.
2nd: I'm not asking for help during the game, I'm asking for help choosing an opening in between games.
Please read the post before you reply.
what made you decide to battle a 2000 chess player?
My otb rating has been fluctuating around 1800 lately, my playing strength, according to USCF rating estimator, has been around 1900-2000. Considering that, I can only benefit from this match. My rating won't go down much if I lose, but I could be going up if I win.
As for the first game of the match: it's in the amateurs annotations thread.
You seemed to have answered your own question!
Huh? I'm still at a loss as to what opening I should play, I don't understand what you're saying.
If you're familiar with the Alekhine... take the Nimzo-Indian? I like the 4. .. c4 to keep the bishop pair and open some files so there's more momentum in the game instead of entering a positional struggle... look at it as a postponed benko...
Seems like you should look into something like a Tarrasch (open lines), Semi-Slav (complex), or maybe even something like the Albin CounterGambit 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e5.
Albin countergambit sounds like my kind of opening- that's a definite possibility. I'm not familiar with the Tarrasch though, could you tell me what that is?
The Tarrasch is 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 c5! (Exclam by Tarrash). The idea is that you immediately begin to open up the board. Here is one idea that happens, thanks to Rubenstein.
Of course, there is also ideas like the QGA, or even the Gruenfeld. Anything tricky. If you really want to play into complexities, you can also essay the Leningrad Dutch. I play a lot of the Dutch Defense, so if you have questions on that line, just ask.
I have black in game two of my match against a 2000 player, and I really would like to keep the momentum in my favor- right now it's 1-0. Any suggestions for an opening I should play?
My strengths are: Attacking, calculating, and overall, playing complicated positions.
My weaknesses: positional play, endgames, defending.
My opponents strengths: Has a pretty good grasp of positional concepts, knows his endgames, and doesn't make many, if any, outright blunders.
My opponents weaknesses: Can't calculate very well, doesn't operate well under pressure- be it time or position (He tends to crumble under an attack).
If 1. e4 I will simply opt for my usual najdorf, or even perhaps an alekhine. It's 1. d4 that's really posing a problem because I have no idea what opening I should play.