At what point should I develop an opening repertoire ?
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Feb 27, 2024
0
#2
Now, but I think best to learn 2-3 openings well as white and black. I use the Reti as white, French Defence if 1.e4 and Queens gambit declined if 1.d4. I don’t see any point at our level learning a bunch of openings, blunders are the biggest source of victory for us mere mortals.
Study one opening for each color & play it. Learn it, know it. Enjoy it!! See where it takes you and then start looking at other openings
Feb 27, 2024
0
#4
EnPassantAvalanche wrote:
I am 1100 rapid rating, and I usually play the italian.
I was wondering whether now I should start studying an opening like the Ruy Lopez, or the KID or Sicilian for black.
I was playing all three (Lopez, KID, Sicilian) by around 1400 or 1500 OTB rating.
Feb 27, 2024
0
#5
EnPassantAvalanche wrote:
I am 1100 rapid rating, and I usually play the italian.
I was wondering whether now I should start studying an opening like the Ruy Lopez, or the KID or Sicilian for black.
What is your purpose? For fun and variety? Yes.. go ahead. Play as many as you want.
For improvement, just study your opening Deeper.
Feb 28, 2024
0
#6
blueemu wrote:
EnPassantAvalanche wrote:
I am 1100 rapid rating, and I usually play the italian.
I was wondering whether now I should start studying an opening like the Ruy Lopez, or the KID or Sicilian for black.
I was playing all three (Lopez, KID, Sicilian) by around 1400 or 1500 OTB rating.
Hi blueemu ! Actually, you were the one that inspired me to play KID. Do you have any thoughts on the Sicilian ?
Feb 28, 2024
0
#7
EnPassantAvalanche wrote:
blueemu wrote:
EnPassantAvalanche wrote:
I am 1100 rapid rating, and I usually play the italian.
I was wondering whether now I should start studying an opening like the Ruy Lopez, or the KID or Sicilian for black.
I was playing all three (Lopez, KID, Sicilian) by around 1400 or 1500 OTB rating.
Hi blueemu ! Actually, you were the one that inspired me to play KID. Do you have any thoughts on the Sicilian ?
Just some general thoughts on the Sicilian Defense opening, as Black?
At our level our only important task in the opening is to reach a middle-game position in which we feel comfortable and confident. Everything else is personal taste, or perhaps fashion.
The most fundamental choice Black faces when choosing an opening pattern to play as Black in the Sicilian is what sort of central Pawn formation you feel most comfortable playing. There are several common central Pawn formations that arise in the Sicilian - half a dozen different ones in the 2 (or 3). ... e6 Kan and Taimanov systems alone - but from personal preference I chose to focus on the 2. ... d6 systems instead, and finally settled on the Najdorf.
If the Black d-Pawn is going to d6 then there are three main possibilities:
1) Leave the e-Pawn on e7. This automatically leads to some sort of Dragon-like formation.
2) Advance the e-Pawn one square. This leads to Scheveningen-like central formations.
3) Advance the e-Pawn two squares. This leads to strong but rigid positions such as the Opovcensky, the Kalasnikov, the Szen, etc.
At this point it's basically a matter of personal choice. Option #1 (some type of Dragon or Fianchetto formation) is very fashionable... but I don't like the weakness of the d5 square. Option #3 is just too rigid and brittle for my tastes, although again it is fairly fashionable. So I eventually settled on Option #2, a Scheveningen-type central Pawn formation but entered via a Najdorf move order.
I could post some of my sample games of playing that f7/e6/d6 central formation as Black in a Najdorf... but you've probably seen most of them already anyway.
Feb 28, 2024
0
#8
blueemu wrote:
EnPassantAvalanche wrote:
blueemu wrote:
EnPassantAvalanche wrote:
I am 1100 rapid rating, and I usually play the italian.
I was wondering whether now I should start studying an opening like the Ruy Lopez, or the KID or Sicilian for black.
I was playing all three (Lopez, KID, Sicilian) by around 1400 or 1500 OTB rating.
Hi blueemu ! Actually, you were the one that inspired me to play KID. Do you have any thoughts on the Sicilian ?
Just some general thoughts on the Sicilian Defense opening, as Black?
At our level our only important task in the opening is to reach a middle-game position in which we feel comfortable and confident. Everything else is personal taste, or perhaps fashion.
The most fundamental choice Black faces when choosing an opening pattern to play as Black in the Sicilian is what sort of central Pawn formation you feel most comfortable playing. There are several common central Pawn formations that arise in the Sicilian - half a dozen different ones in the 2 (or 3). ... e6 Kan and Taimanov systems alone - but from personal preference I chose to focus on the 2. ... d6 systems instead, and finally settled on the Najdorf.
If the Black d-Pawn is going to d6 then there are three main possibilities:
1) Leave the e-Pawn on e7. This automatically leads to some sort of Dragon-like formation.
2) Advance the e-Pawn one square. This leads to Scheveningen-like central formations.
3) Advance the e-Pawn two squares. This leads to strong but rigid positions such as the Opovcensky, the Kalasnikov, the Szen, etc.
At this point it's basically a matter of personal choice. Option #1 (some type of Dragon or Fianchetto formation) is very fashionable... but I don't like the weakness of the d5 square. Option #3 is just too rigid and brittle for my tastes, although again it is fairly fashionable. So I eventually settled on Option #2, a Scheveningen-type central Pawn formation but entered via a Najdorf move order.
That was very useful thanks blueemu.
@1
"At what point should I develop an opening repertoire ?"
++ Do not develop, just play and learn from your lost games.
"I am 1100 rapid rating" ++ Then do not worry about openings.
You do not win or lose because of the opening, but because of tactical mistakes.
"I usually play the italian" ++ Good
"studying an opening like the Ruy Lopez"
++ No. For white it is maybe marginally better than the Italian. For black it is a good choice.
"or the KID" ++ It is very hard to play. More natural is 1 d4 d5.
"or Sicilian for black" ++ It is very hard to play. More natural is 1 e4 e5
good
Feb 28, 2024
0
#12
tygxc wrote:
@1
"At what point should I develop an opening repertoire ?"
++ Do not develop, just play and learn from your lost games.
"I am 1100 rapid rating" ++ Then do not worry about openings.
You do not win or lose because of the opening, but because of tactical mistakes.
"I usually play the italian" ++ Good
"studying an opening like the Ruy Lopez"
++ No. For white it is maybe marginally better than the Italian. For black it is a good choice.
"or the KID" ++ It is very hard to play. More natural is 1 d4 d5.
"or Sicilian for black" ++ It is very hard to play. More natural is 1 e4 e5
OK, so I see general advice is to wait until 1500. Thanks everyone!
I am 1100 rapid rating, and I usually play the italian.
I was wondering whether now I should start studying an opening like the Ruy Lopez, or the KID or Sicilian for black.