Favorite Openings | Forums

[w8ing4u2move]

What is your favorite opening when you play White. What is your favorite defense when you play Black?

(My OTB USCF rating is around 1600. So I'm no expert. These are the ones I like the best)

I like to open with e4. Hopefully a Ruy Lopez.
When playing Black:
If White opens with e4, I like the Sicillian Dragon (c5).
If White opens with d4, I like to play the King's Indian Defense (Nf6)

I think the Ruy Lopez was the first game I learned and has always been my favorite. Later, I learned the Sicillian. Also, it is the defense my best friend plays when I open with e4 (trying to get into Ruy Lopez). I HAD to learn it just to see what he was trying to do.

When playing Black, I like to use the King's Indian Defense if my opponet opens with d4. Even though I cede the center right off the bat, I find that White usually over extends his pawns, making nice targets (and holes in pawn structure for posting pieces in the middle). Also, that defense transposes into many other lines (options galore). But, I always seem to have problems with my white-squared Bishop. (I guess that's why they call it a Bad Bishop).

w8ing4u2move

[E.Thang]

As white I always play 1.e4,
As white I like the Ruy Lopez Exchange
As Black either The Caro-Kann, or The Grunfeld

W8ing - Black always gives up the center in the Kings Indian doesn't he? Black plays for a quick castle and kingside pressure.

[w8ing4u2move]

E.Thang:

Yep.

I need some practice. LOLOLOL.

Had this long explanation about what I do in that opening when I realized, I like the QUEEN'S Indian (not the King's Indian).

I was going to look it up in my Opening Encyclopedia, but I gave all my Chess Books to my son. (No wonder he kicks my B@tt)

w8ing4u2move

[asaiel]

i am obsessively fond of the English Opening when i am white. since it avoids a number of blacks defenses and stakes a quiet share of the center... one thing i notice on most of my games is that before the endgame my bishops are most probably the last pieces to be found. maybe because of the fianchetto variations that allows them to pose long range threats.

when i am black, i prefer the center counter game (if white will accept it) and the caro-kann. i don't exactly know why but instict tells me everytime i have an opportunity.

[w8ing4u2move]

Yeah, some openings just seem to FIT certain players styles. I have tried to study certain openings, but just never FELT comfortable using them.

Both the Caro-Kahn and the English are sure to run a bunch of time off my clock.

I studied the Center-counter in hopes of "springing" it in a tournement game. It is full of traps. The more I studied, the more I liked it for White. So I had to wait until somebody "sprang" it on me. It never happened, LOL.

W8ing4u2move

[asaiel]

center-counter game hopes for a forced tactical game. i hate it when i'm white 'cause the central pawn is gone and now the e-file is half open!

but i love it when i'm black cause even if i am late on development i have an almost centralized queen which is a good thing in the middle game.

[c1arinetboy]

That's interesting, since you usually don't find many people that like that opening. Personally I think it leads to a solid game for white, but in my opinion it's kind of boring.

My favorite opening as black against 1. e4 is the Sicilian or Caro-Kann Defense, and against 1. d4 Nimzo Indian, Queen's Indian, or Dutch Defense. The great thing about the Sicilian Defense is that maybe half the people on Chessmaster play the Bowlder Attack (1.e4 c5 2. Bc4), after which black almost always has an easy win .

[soundofsnow]

Queen's Gambit! I honestly switched to QG because for two trivial reasons ~ Capablanca used it extensively, and the name simply sounds cool. As Black I play Taimanov/Paulsen Sicilian. The good thing about this variation of Sicilian is black can sometimes transpose to some kind of Semi-Tarrasch positions where one could apply Queen’s opening ideas. Its like learning a repertoire where you can apply the ideas for both white and black.

[c1arinetboy]

What about other gambits, anyone? I rarely play any except for the Queen's Gambit and sometimes the Reti Gambit, but a lot of Gambits can lead to really interesting games, for instance the King's Gambit.

[soundofsnow]

My uncle was almost an IM, until he became a drunk. He used to play King's Gambit. Probably the most dangerous if not "unsound" overall. I lose 100% to someone with the same rating whenever I try this gambit. It is very old fashioned. Fact: GM Spassky has never lost using this opening