Why isn't this opening played more often? Can an experienced player answer?
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I would not suggest that opening. I would suggest Bird's Opening, f4, then Nf3 followed by an eventual b3 and Bb2
Some excellent points Gonnosuke! especially the bit about the difference between a draw for white and a draw for black, something that is easily forgotten
My instincts are, (and I have never played it), that white gives black too much play, and simply does not challenge black enough. White could easily get a good game out of it however, especially if black assumes it's black's role to be defensive and not grab as much territory as he can.
I agree with most commentators that White's opening play is too modest to obtain an objective opening advantage. Basically it is the Queens' Indian with reversed colors where Black is normally controlling e4. Now it is White controlling e5 trying to prevent Black from setting up a broad center with e5. However, if Black is a little bit careless White can bring his pieces into active positions as the great Emanuel Lasker managed to do against Bauer, Amsterdam 1889. He played a very famous combination from a middlegame position stemming from this type of opening play. If you like you can enjoy the combination here:
http://www.chessedelic.com/2008/05/22/the-worlds-most-famous-chess-combinations-2-lasker-v-bauer/
Cheers,
Waldemar
"You're right about it being passive. I analyzed it with fritz and found that about four moves in the position is exactly equal. With an e4 opening four moves in it can be around .5 in white's favor."
Uh...you can't use fritz to analyze an opening 4 moves deep. Lol.
It never ceases to amuse me when chess noobs open up a chess engine and start talking about the engine's output as if it's some kind of god-like thing.
Don't you think chess would have been solved by now if it was that simple?
Though not an experienced player & largely ignorant abt opening theory, i've been playing just that opening a number of times as i find it catches my opponent by surprise and opens up a number of interesting possibilities for the game. Perhaps it's a bit passive, yes, but i'm liking it and will keep using it while i also devote some time to analyzing how to improve both the opening and the middle game.
Here are two recent games in which i used that opening and won with white. I'm just inserting the actual moves, with no annotations. Comments greatly welcome!
Zenchess, your condescending attitude is disgusting. Maybe fritz isn't good for analyzing the opening, but what I say is true. With an e pawn opening white has more of an advantage than this one. I was just seeing what fritz said about it. So in this case, fritz is right. There's no way around that. Are you trying to say it was wrong? And of course I don't always trust the machine. I still can't believe you called me a chess noob. It reveals something about you.
At any rate, my question has been answered. Thankyou all for your feedback. I am going to continue using this opening because I enjoy it, even though it doesn't confer me the advantage of the other openings. Anybody who likes this opening should send me a personal message and maybe we can start a thread for those of us who enjoy the Nimzo opening. For the people who scowl at this opening, feel free to challenge me to a game with the black pieces, me with the white, starting 1. Nf3 D5 2. b3
Gonnosuke, what you say is true. We are in agreement.
And good games tonswinchillchur! Although I think your opponents lost the advantage in the middlegame.