Kann* (autocorrect)
Am I ready to start learning about and using openings such as the Sicilian?
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Nov 19, 2017
0
#3
BusyBeagle wrote:
Just from my past games, am I ready to start learning about openings (and using openings) such as the Sicilian and Caro Kahn?
It depends. You don't expect this knowledge to actually increase your rating, do you? (Because it won't, if you don't learn opening principles and tactics first.)
I’ve been playing chess for a few years (around 4), but stopped for almost 2 years. I’ve just started playing again, but I reviewed tactics and basic principles. I think I know enough about them.
Nov 19, 2017
0
#6
BusyBeagle wrote:
I’ve been playing chess for a few years (around 4), but stopped for almost 2 years. I’ve just started playing again, but I reviewed tactics and basic principles. I think I know enough about them.
Yeah, before my first response, I also looked at a few of the games you played today. I reiterate - Learning those openings might be fun, but it would do nothing for your rating.
The Sicilian is too advanced for you. You need to be at least a Ph.D. candidate.
Nov 19, 2017
0
#8
There is a thread in “chess openings” dedicated to this question. “Is the Sicilian meant for chess experts only?” Your answer will be found there.
BusyBeagle έγραψε:
Just from my past games, am I ready to start learning about openings (and using openings) such as the Sicilian and Caro Kahn?
No.
Well, you've got to reply to 1.e4 with something. Though the Sicilian might not be best right now.
The Caro might not be bad. May want to work on it this way. For every hour you spend studying the opening, go over opening principles for the first 20 minutes then spend the rest explaining each of the first dozen or so moves for both sides based on those principles.
When you play it or practice it. Try to do the same. Give a reason to yourself why you are making a move and try to figure what the opponents move means.
Finally, go over your games where the opening went wrong and figure out why.
After awhile, depending on the effort, you should feel comfortable with the basics of the Caro-Kann and then experience should teach you more.
The main problem at your rating level is not opening but simple tactics. So, focus on tactics.
In general,
1) play e4
2) play lots of blitz.
3) do tactics daily.
Are you ready to play Sicilian?
There is no such thing as being 'ready'.
Anyway, your win percent with black is higher than your win percent with white. That means your white opening is the problem. If you want to learn an opening, then learn Italian - fried liver attack and Giuoco Piano. Having said that, playing Sicilian is perfectly alright. If you wanna play it, then play it. Which Sicilian did you have in mind?
Possibly of interest:
Simple Attacking Plans by Fred Wilson (2012)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140708090402/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review874.pdf
http://dev.jeremysilman.com/shop/pc/Simple-Attacking-Plans-77p3731.htm
Logical Chess: Move by Move by Irving Chernev (1957)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140708104437/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/logichess.pdf
The Most Instructive Games of Chess Ever Played by Irving Chernev (1965)
https://chessbookreviews.wordpress.com/tag/most-instructive-games-of-chess-ever-played/
Winning Chess by Irving Chernev and Fred Reinfeld (1949)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140708093415/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review919.pdf
Back to Basics: Tactics by Dan Heisman (2007)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140708233537/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review585.pdf
https://www.chess.com/article/view/book-review-back-to-basics-tactics
Discovering Chess Openings by GM John Emms (2006)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140627114655/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen91.pdf
Openings for Amateurs by Pete Tamburro (2014)
http://kenilworthian.blogspot.com/2014/05/review-of-pete-tamburros-openings-for.html
https://chessbookreviews.wordpress.com/tag/openings-for-amateurs/
https://www.mongoosepress.com/catalog/excerpts/openings_amateurs.pdf
Chess Endgames for Kids by Karsten Müller (2015)
https://chessbookreviews.wordpress.com/tag/chess-endgames-for-kids/
http://www.gambitbooks.com/pdfs/Chess_Endgames_for_Kids.pdf
A Guide to Chess Improvement by Dan Heisman (2010)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140708105628/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review781.pdf
Seirawan stuff:
http://seagaard.dk/review/eng/bo_beginner/ev_winning_chess.asp?KATID=BO&ID=BO-Beginner
https://web.archive.org/web/20140708092617/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review560.pdf
https://www.chess.com/article/view/book-review-winning-chess-endings
https://web.archive.org/web/20140627132508/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen173.pdf
http://www.nystar.com/tamarkin/review1.htm
lots of gms play the sicilian
Nov 20, 2017
0
#14
coldgoat wrote:
lots of gms play the sicilian
Yep, if you play the Sicilian, you'll be a GM!
Nov 20, 2017
0
#15
I skimmed through 2 of your games. In both, your queen was blundered away. "Is the move I'm planning to play safe...can my opponent reply and simply capture it to his/her benefit?" The question to ask after your opponent's move is "What's the threat?". These are a couple questions you must always ask yourself. My suggestion would be to focus on trying to get to a point where you don't give away even a single pawn for an entire game.
It is possible to spend a little time on openings without spending a lot of time on openings.
"The way I suggest you study this book is to play through the main games once, relatively quickly, and then start playing the variation in actual games. Playing an opening in real games is of vital importance - without this kind of live practice it is impossible to get a 'feel' for the kind of game it leads to. There is time enough later for involvement with the details, after playing your games it is good to look up the line." - GM Nigel Davies (2005)
"... For beginning players, [Discovering Chess Openings by GM John Emms] will offer an opportunity to start out on the right foot and really get a feel for what is happening on the board. ..." - FM Carsten Hansen (2006)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140627114655/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen91.pdf
The usual advice is to start by replying to 1 e4 with 1...e5, but, if one wants to look at some Sicilian games, one might try Starting Out: The Sicilian, 2nd Edition by GM John Emms (2009)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140627122350/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen123.pdf
Nov 20, 2017
0
#17
You need to study tactics first! Trust me on this: I'm not a great player but I coached 700-1400 high school players to 3 consecutive county championships in my state's best-chess county and 3 consecutive State Scholastic Tournament team trophies.
We studied mostly tactics, but also basic endgames (Basic Mates, Principle of the Opposition, Rule of the Square, etc.), positional features to exploit (a good list is here: (https://chesstempo.com/positional-motifs.html), and a few uncomplicated openings - not memorizing long lists of variations but playing according to the ideas behind the openings - from which clear middlegame plans can be put together. For example, as White we played 1 e4 and against 1...e5 we played the Bishop's Opening (2 Bc4, 3 d3, then often 4 Nc3 5 f4), trying to castle Q-side and then Pawn Storm Black's K-side castle. Against the Sicilian Defense we concentrated on controlling the crucial d5 square when it was practical. Against the French or Caro-Kann we played the straightforward Advance Variations and tried to make sure Black couldn't profit by playing ...c5.
As Black we played either the open 1 e4 e5 King's Pawn games or the French or Caro-Kann Defenses against 1 e4 and the Caro's cousin Slav Defense against 1 d4, where getting in ...c5 when possible begins a Q-side counter attack.
SIMPLE CHESS, ATTACKING OR THREATENING WHENEVER POSSIBLE AND POINTING ALL THE PIECES YOU CAN AT THE ENEMY KING!
Your 11 Tactics Trainer problems attempted in 3 years indicates you're not spending time studying tactics and patterns unless, like me, you do also tactics at places like chesstempo.
New openings are fun to explore but they won't improve your chess game like a better recognition of tactics patterns will. They are the main tools of chess and if you can NOT tell the difference between a Skewer and an X-ray Attack or a Dovetail Mate vs a Swallow's Tail Mate or explain the difference in how the two Bishops are used in Boden's Mate compared to the Two Bishops Mate, then you are working without a complete toolkit.
Memorize the Tactical Motifs on these two pages and try to solve at least a few tactics problems each day if you have the time. After you solve the problems, identify which tactics were used by name: that will put a "hook" in your brain from which you can quickly retrieve the information in the future. I do a few tactics problems as a warmup before I look at my daily games each day.
Here are the sites - memorize the names and process/patterns of the tactics:
https://www.chess.com/article/view/chess-tactics--definitions-and-examples
https://chesstempo.com/tactical-motifs.html
Just from my past games, am I ready to start learning about openings (and using openings) such as the Sicilian and Caro Kahn?