Is the London system or Botvinnik English better for an attacking intermediate player looking for a • page 3/3 • General Chess Discussion • lichess.org

e4 and getting lots of open games would be my suggestion.

I don't think that London system or Botvinnik English are good choices for an ambitious "intermediate player".
I actually find open games less exciting and attacking than closed games because in open games, attacks on the king can be defended relatively easily, so more attacks are focused on material, while in closed games, such as the king's indian defense or the black lion (aka hanham philidor), I often have a chance to start an attack on my opponent's king, which is quite hard to stop, therefore forcing him into a counterattack on the other flank, his attack worked and wins a lot of material, then my attack worked and checkmates him, this usually won't happen in open games.

@WildTiger said in #14: > 1. e4 and getting lots of open games would be my suggestion. > > I don't think that London system or Botvinnik English are good choices for an ambitious "intermediate player". I actually find open games less exciting and attacking than closed games because in open games, attacks on the king can be defended relatively easily, so more attacks are focused on material, while in closed games, such as the king's indian defense or the black lion (aka hanham philidor), I often have a chance to start an attack on my opponent's king, which is quite hard to stop, therefore forcing him into a counterattack on the other flank, his attack worked and wins a lot of material, then my attack worked and checkmates him, this usually won't happen in open games.

Jenium

#22

@DanielZ42 said in #10:

But I heard that the king's gambit is a highly theoretical opening, especially the main line (3 ... g5) that isn't played so commonly at intermediate level right?

If you like to attack, gambits might be what you want to try. And unless your oppnents are booked up (which most intermediate players are not), general ideas are more important than theory.

@DanielZ42 said in #10: > But I heard that the king's gambit is a highly theoretical opening, especially the main line (3 ... g5) that isn't played so commonly at intermediate level right? If you like to attack, gambits might be what you want to try. And unless your oppnents are booked up (which most intermediate players are not), general ideas are more important than theory.