What's Your Repertoire, and why do you play it?

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AugieFreebird

As black, I play mostly the black side of Anti-Sicilian BS.  Once in a blue moon, I get an open sicilian, and then I play the Dragon.  Why?  Because it's fun and it sounds cool.

Against d4, I play the Tarrasch, because it was the only d4 defense I ever understood worth a crap.  I'll be damned if I'm going to play some defense that has me moving my knight back to its starting square halfway through the game as a point of theory.

With white, I play e4.

I play the Italian in the classical style with early d4's against everything.  It ain't going to win me any trophies, but it keeps me from having to reinvent the wheel every time out.

Against the Sicilian, I play the open, and I do my damndest to play the mainlines.  This is my tip of the hat to my fellow Sicilian players, who didn't go through all the trouble of learning to play the blasted thing just so they could face 2.Bc4 or some other bull shit.

Against the French, I play the advance.  Why?  Because that way, I get to play in a way at least some decent players wouldn't scoff at, but without having to learn what to do against 43 different black schemes.  I occasionally play 2.f4, just because I think it freaks the Frenchies out, and it ends up playing a lot like an advance anyway.  I sometimes think I might take up the King's Indian Attack, but then I think hypermodernism can bite my ass.

Against the Caro Kann I play the Panov, because it's just enough like the Tarrasch that I feel like I can wing it without getting killed by the fancy pants booked up college kids at the coffee house.

Against Alekhine's I play Nc3 and hope they don't know what they're doing either.  Pretentious dainties.  If I ever get around to it, I'm going to learn the 4-pawns attack, because cramming pawns down the throats of people who want to prance around without doing anything appeals to me.

Against the Scandinavian I play the Blackmar because screw the Scandinavian.  If I wanted to play against your glorified Caro Kann I wouldn't play the Panov, now would I?  Maybe you don't play the Scandinavian that way, but I can't be sure, now can I?  You don't tell me what to do.  I'M the one playing white.

Against the fianchetto crap I play Be3-Qd2-shove-the-h-pawn stuff.  It works.

 

What you got?

VULPES_VULPES

I am experimenting with uncommon openings, so my first move as white would be 1. b4 with a quasi-fianchetto the following move. Then, I develop my pieces accordingly.

As black, I play the common 1. ...e5 in response to the King's pawn and the English opening (to which I occasionally respond with 1. ... c5).

If I encouter an opening I don't know, I look it up, then reply accordingly by gut instinct and book.

ChessisGood

I push my c-pawn (e.g. Sicilian, Benoni, Catalan, QG, Maroczy, etc.).

Bubatz

Though I have a very different repertoire, I can relate to alot of the thoughts behind OP's choice.

Through decades, my repertoire was:

With White: KIA

With Black: Pirc/KID

I learned tons of KID-theory, but nowadays people seem to try and avoid it at all costs, playing Trompowsky etc. That sucks. Well, at least I always get to play the Pirc against the 1.e4-players.

As of late, I was getting quite a bit bored with my old repertoire, though. On the other hand, I feel too old to learn tons of new theory, say for the Najdorf or 1.e4. Thus, at the moment I'm more or less exclusively playing 1.b3 and 1...b6 - which actually proved to be quite refreshing so far.

Ben_Dubuque

here is mine

as white

1.e4 honestly I play to have fun and get better, also I can't stand the boring crap that normally comes out of d4 openings.

against 1...e5

2. f4 most common responce OTB and online (though some don't believe me) I play this because its fun, steeped in history and has the likes of Fischer, Spassky, Anderssen, Morphy, most recently Carlsen, and Short's win against Kasparov.

2. Nf3 least common responce, this is if I want a less risky opening (which is rarely ever) if 2...Nc6 3. Bc4 again for fun if Nf6 then c3, if Bc5 then b4 again for fun

against c5 the open sicilian, need to keep it sharp

against e6 the tarrach french

as Black

against e4 fluctuated based on how I feel

Nf6, e5, c5 have all been responces I have played

against d4

the Dutch, fun and suits my favorite way to play

or in some cases the KID, again fun and favorite way to play.

Ben_Dubuque

The Ruy can be quite dynamic (I used to play it, but for a spell I abandoned 1.e4 for 1. c4 in order to avoid the Sicilian) but The idea behind the QG is to slowly squeeze your opponent to death, I want my opponent to die with dignity, not wait arround watching his death come for ages and then resign by the time he realises I am torturing him. thats just mean, I much prefer to shoot my opponent quickly thank God for the win, thank him for a good game, and move on to the next one with no harm done to our relationship

Conquistador

This is my repertoire for the most part.

White

1.e4

If 1...e5, then 2.Nf3-->Italian
-Russian Game--->Spassky Variation
-Pirc--->Austrian Attack
-Philidor and other replies--->Harmonic development taking advantage of more space

If 1...e6, then goto Advanced Variation. 

If 1...d6, then goto Pirc--->Austrian Attack

If 1...d5, then goto mainline Scandinavian with 8.Nd5

If 1...c6, then goto "A" or "B"
If return "A", then goto Fantasy Variation
If return "B", then goto Advanced

If 1...c5, then 2.Nf3
If 2...Nc6, then 3.Bb5-->Rossolimo
If 2...d6, then 3.d4-->Open Sicilian

If 1...Nc6, then 2.Nf3-->Italian

If 1...Nf6-->Four Pawns Attack

Black

If 1.f4, then 1...e5--->From's Gambit
If 2.e4, then 2...d5--->King's Gambit: Modern Defence.

If 1.c4, then 1...e6-->QGD

If 1.e4, then 1...e5
If Italian, then Two Knight's Defence
If Scotch, then Steinitz Variation
If Ruy Lopez, then Chigorian
If King's Gambit, then Modern Defence.

If 1.d4, then 1...d5
If 2.c4, then 2...e6
-If 3.Nc3, then 3...c6--->Semi-Slav: Noteboom Variation/Meran/Marshall/Botvinnik
-If 3.Nf3, then 3...Nf6--->QGD or Catalan
If 2.Nf3, then 2...e6
-If return London System, then Bd6

Ben_Dubuque

looks liek a very picky computer there conquistador lol. what I mean is you are using returns and conditionals and all if A then C but if B then R

CHCL

I play e4 Scotch and d4 with Nf3 and transpositions to other main lines. Against e4 I play the Najdorf. Against d4 I play the Benoni. Against c4 I play c5. I respond to Nf3 by playing c5.

nameno1had
BruceBenedict wrote:

You seem to have the Ruy and the QG confused.

Would it be fair to say that this, somewhat depends on the varitions that get played, as different defenses arise?

Pawnpusher3

Mainline dragon or Chinese dragon?

mateologist
Estragon wrote:

I don't have a narrow repertoire with White.  I'm fairly well experienced in all the d4 openings, and the Trompowsky sidelines, and have played the Gibbens-Weiderhagen Gambit (1 d4 Nf6  2 g4) against a 2400 player, reaching a won position before faltering.  I play the Catalan and several lines against the Nimzo (which I also play as Black), QGD, etc.  Depends on my mood at the time.

As Black vs 1 e4 I've played the Caro-Kann for 20 years with good success, and played the French for nearly as long before that, so I can be expected to play the C-K 95% of the time, pulling out the French on rare occasion.

Facing 1 d4, I rely on the Nimzo as my main defense, with Queen's Indian the default choice vs 3 Nf3, although I do play the QGD (Orthodox, Tartakower, or Tarrasch), Modern Benoni, or Bogo-Indian from time to time.

Against the English, I play either a Hedgehog type position with 1 ...c5 or more aggressively with 1 ...e5, aiming for an early  ...f5, depending on my mood.

Vs 1 Nf3 Nf6  2 g3 I most often uncork Spassky's Defense 2 ...b5, or use a Catalan set-up.

But your mainlines are: The catalan with white

                                    : The  nimzo-indian against  QG

                                     :The caro-kann  against 1.e4

What set-up do you use against the the King's Indian Defence which seems to be a favorite at ICC ?   Cool

azziralc
Nongxha wrote:

I don't have any repertoire. I don't know any opening principles,variations,names,lines,patterns... All i know is the rule and that I ENJOY CHESS.. I enjoy losing,i enjoy winning.. I Enjoy CHESS..

Wow, that's great Nongxha. But why not try study few openings?

azziralc

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Nxe4 

I always play the open variation of Spanish game.

If 6.d4 then I play 6...b5 7.Bb3 d5! Closing the diagonal for Bishop and protecting the Knight at e4.

mateologist
nyLsel wrote:

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Nxe4 

I always play the open variation of Spanish game.

If 6.d4 then I play 6...b5 7.Bb3 d5! Closing the diagonal for Bishop and protecting the Knight at e4.

+1

chessblood

I have started playing the scotch because the lines are easy to remember and it usually leads to simple open games.

atarw

E4 as white, and a italian game

 

Against it either c5 or e5

with e5, i do either berlin defense against ruy lopez/ or 2 knights against italian game

With c5, i do a najdorf/svenghegin or what ever its called.

against d4/c4 is Nf6 with a Kings Indian Defense

Against Nf3, Nf6 to just go to a kings indian

NachtWulf

White:

e4 e5- Giocco Pianissimo with c3. At the moment, I am trying to learn and improve upon my middlegame strategic play, and have found this as a useful tool so far. It's quite flexible, and I have successfully experimented with various plans using it.

e4 c5- the Bb5 Sicilians that seem to annoy the heck out of the OP. I've been learning about key ideas and lines in each variation, as well as transpositional choices by white to get to middlegames that I want to play. The main reason I play this is that after black's third move, many of the remaining opening decisions depend on white, and black can be dragged along. Thus, chances are that I will be more prepared when playing this than my opponents.

e4 e6- Advanced Variation of French, although still in the opening-experimental process. I play the French as black, and this is the most common line I play against. Thus, I've a good deal of familiarity against it.

e4 c6- Advanced Variation of Caro-Kann. Similar in pawn structure to the advanced french, the ideas are somewhat similar and the positions feel comfortable to me.

Black:

1. e4 e6- French. If white plays the Advanced variation, I go with 3. ...Bd7. Otherwise, I play with little theoretical knowledge in other lines, simply playing with the idea of dissolving white's center to win, and watching out for/capitalizing upon quiescent errors by white. Black's plan always seems straightforward to me, while white's plan is often more difficult to find. Thus, I start off with a psychological advantage against the ill-prepared, which includes most players at my level, or so I feel.

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6- KID, although it needs much work. I especially love how the classical variation plays out, and generally enjoy closed positions with attacks on the wings (as you may have noticed by the rest of my repetoire choice).

1. c4 c5- Mirrored english, with Nh6 in fianchetto variations. I generally go with a Staunton-esque setup when appropriate. The reason for this choice is because I once played the English as white, but no longer do because in the variation I played, white allowed near-immediate equality. As black, however, equality is the first step to winning! I like positions reached through the English, so mirroring it is enjoyable to me. Plus, most English players are most-prepared against a reversed-sicilian, while fewer are as prepared against a mirrored system. Psychological games, I tell you!

Summary of opening selection:

When there's a locked center, move order is often less-punishing, and better strategic play tends to be more rewarding, relative to tactical ability. Of course, missing a tactic still decides most games, but tactics flow from a good position, and a closed position has often given me enough time to improve my position before tactics arise. The largest reason I enjoy locked centers is because they allow play on the wings. I like a kingside attack, since the objective tends to be simpler than that of a queenside attack: crush the king! The queenside assailant must balance between defense and attack, while the kingside aggressor faces fewer of these dilemmas. The French is an exception, but as 'compensation', black's goal aside from a queenside expansion is to break apart white's center, which would strategically undermine a kingside attack by white if white gets carried away.

The reason I usually stray away from open centers is because studying the theory of such openings tends to have more importance, and the chances of being out-prepared is high due to many opportunities for rare sidelines. At the moment, I am struggling with the theory behind several openings which I already play, so minimizing my required level of theoretical knowledge is a must. The Moscow and Rossolimo are potentially the exception to this, for two reasons. First, chances are in my favor that I will be better prepared in those openings. While a sicilian player typically spends the majority of their time studying mainlines, less of their time will be spent preparing against the anti-sicilians. The fact that multiple anti-sicilians exist further amplifies this effect. Thus, my opening strategy is to lead opponents into open and sharp games only when I have a fairly large chance of being the better prepared player. Anyway, about half of the time, the Bb5 Sicilians lead to closed centers, which are, once again, my typical comfort zone.

Nicko2580

lol wow, so much detail in these posts.

I like to play the Ruy lopez as white.

Sicilian or Caro-Kann as black against e4.

Semi-Slav or Alapin Counter-Gambit (it's just really cool! lol) against d4.

opticRED

when I handle the white pieces, I play 1.d4, either the London System, Torre Attack, Colle-Zukertort or the Tromp.

when handling the black pieces, I usually reply 1...d6 against any of White's first move. Against 1.e4, I play the Philidor (1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 e5), the Petroff (especially when I'm in the mood of facing a king's gambit) and 1...Nc6 Nimzowitsch defence. Against 1.d4, sometimes I play the Classical Dutch.