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Opening by Style

#1

Hi guys,

I am looking to create a new main repertoire for both White and Black pieces, but I am curious what sorts of openings fit certain styles of players.

Do you guys have any advice on which types of openings are suited to specific player styles? And how can you try to diagnose your own style and the openings which would compiment this?

Any responses are greatly appreciated! :)

Hi guys, I am looking to create a new main repertoire for both White and Black pieces, but I am curious what sorts of openings fit certain styles of players. Do you guys have any advice on which types of openings are suited to specific player styles? And how can you try to diagnose your own style and the openings which would compiment this? Any responses are greatly appreciated! :)
#2

I think having a coach go over your strengths and weaknesses would be the best way to elicit good feedback. Barring that, I've taken a look at a smattering of your rapid games and have some suggestions for you:

White:
Have you considered opening with 1.d4 or 1.c4? I notice that you don't have many tendencies to attack your opponent's king -- likewise you seem to come under a lot of pressure when your opponent fully commits to attacking you. There's usually deferred action against kings especially with 1.c4, which may be more comfortable for you when positional play is at more of a premium.

Black against 1.e4:
I notice that sometimes your king comes under a lot of pressure in this opening. In one game I looked at you played the Taimanov Sicilian (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cd4 4.Nc6) and seemed to understand how to play the opening well. I've played the Taimanov and related ...e6 Sicilians for quite awhile and can say that I've been happy with that choice. Although attacking positions can always arise in the Sicilian, I would venture to say that you might find the defensive resources of the Taimanov more natural than those in the French.

Black against 1.d4:
It seems like of all the areas in which you're needing a new repertoire this is probably it.

You had a couple interesting games in the French where you creatively shuffled your pieces around behind your pawns (including a king walk over to the queenside) that reminded me of the kind of maneuvering I'd normally see in a Nimzo-Indian. As with the Sicilian, you must still defend kingside attacks from time to time in the Nimzo, but again you have quite a few defensive resources. Black's plans in the Nimzo, while various, might be more clear to you than the classical (1.d4 d5) structures you've been playing. Your play on the black side of double queen-pawn openings doesn't feel very inspired so it might be good to switch to 1...Nf6.

You can also play Nimzo ideas against the English, which would otherwise target your 1...d5 repertoire.

Sidelines and irregular openings:
They come up and at some point you'll have to learn them. The best advice I can give you here is that certain sidelines come up more often than others and generally require more strict memorization than main lines. Don't waste time learning all the obscure lines that your opponents can play -- instead focus on the most popular lines and learn them well. Some examples:

Smith-Morra gambit - very popular, many tactical traps but black's main line choice, while requiring memorization, will give you a clear path every time you face the opening.

Other anti-Sicilans - the nice thing about the Taimanov Sicilian and other ...e6 Sicilians is that they are generally quite robust against Anti-Sicilians. It would be good to have lines ready against the Grand Prix and Closed Sicilian.

Kingside fianchetto (white) - including the KIA and English, it's probably best to have a single system (if you play the Nimzo, including ...Nf6 and ...e6) that you can rely on against these openings. They're not typically very interactive (white plays the first few moves in his own little world) so any setup you choose should not require a lot of study.

London/Stonewall - openings that employ the c3-d4-e3 pawn structure require some study in their own right because they deviate from white's regular 1.d4 spacegrabbing. Typically a single main line can be memorized from the black perspective to get an adequate position.

I think having a coach go over your strengths and weaknesses would be the best way to elicit good feedback. Barring that, I've taken a look at a smattering of your rapid games and have some suggestions for you: White: Have you considered opening with 1.d4 or 1.c4? I notice that you don't have many tendencies to attack your opponent's king -- likewise you seem to come under a lot of pressure when your opponent fully commits to attacking you. There's usually deferred action against kings especially with 1.c4, which may be more comfortable for you when positional play is at more of a premium. Black against 1.e4: I notice that sometimes your king comes under a lot of pressure in this opening. In one game I looked at you played the Taimanov Sicilian (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cd4 4.Nc6) and seemed to understand how to play the opening well. I've played the Taimanov and related ...e6 Sicilians for quite awhile and can say that I've been happy with that choice. Although attacking positions can always arise in the Sicilian, I would venture to say that you might find the defensive resources of the Taimanov more natural than those in the French. Black against 1.d4: It seems like of all the areas in which you're needing a new repertoire this is probably it. You had a couple interesting games in the French where you creatively shuffled your pieces around behind your pawns (including a king walk over to the queenside) that reminded me of the kind of maneuvering I'd normally see in a Nimzo-Indian. As with the Sicilian, you must still defend kingside attacks from time to time in the Nimzo, but again you have quite a few defensive resources. Black's plans in the Nimzo, while various, might be more clear to you than the classical (1.d4 d5) structures you've been playing. Your play on the black side of double queen-pawn openings doesn't feel very inspired so it might be good to switch to 1...Nf6. You can also play Nimzo ideas against the English, which would otherwise target your 1...d5 repertoire. Sidelines and irregular openings: They come up and at some point you'll have to learn them. The best advice I can give you here is that certain sidelines come up more often than others and generally require more strict memorization than main lines. Don't waste time learning all the obscure lines that your opponents can play -- instead focus on the most popular lines and learn them well. Some examples: Smith-Morra gambit - very popular, many tactical traps but black's main line choice, while requiring memorization, will give you a clear path every time you face the opening. Other anti-Sicilans - the nice thing about the Taimanov Sicilian and other ...e6 Sicilians is that they are generally quite robust against Anti-Sicilians. It would be good to have lines ready against the Grand Prix and Closed Sicilian. Kingside fianchetto (white) - including the KIA and English, it's probably best to have a single system (if you play the Nimzo, including ...Nf6 and ...e6) that you can rely on against these openings. They're not typically very interactive (white plays the first few moves in his own little world) so any setup you choose should not require a lot of study. London/Stonewall - openings that employ the c3-d4-e3 pawn structure require some study in their own right because they deviate from white's regular 1.d4 spacegrabbing. Typically a single main line can be memorized from the black perspective to get an adequate position.
#3

@dRr0x0rZZ Great read, even if this isn't my repertoire you're reviewing! One thing I would add is - if you open with c4, you can often transpose into Maroczy or King's Indian lines, which also suits a positional playstyle, and I recommend you study, as their characteristics will be subtly different to "normal" English positions and help you improve chess understanding as a whole.

I almost always recommend mainlines, so boiling this down to a suggested repertoire:

WHITE: 1. c4
BLACK v e4: Sicilian Taimanov (French transpositions also possible)
BLACK v d4: Nimzo-Indian + Queen's Indian complex

And some book recommendations:
The Dynamic English http://dev.jeremysilman.com/shop/pc/Dynamic-English-The-p3805.htm
The Sicilian Taimanov, Move By Move
http://dev.jeremysilman.com/shop/pc/Sicilian-Taimanov-Move-by-Move-The-p3707.htm
Not sure what's good on the Nimzo side of things.

@dRr0x0rZZ Great read, even if this isn't my repertoire you're reviewing! One thing I would add is - if you open with c4, you can often transpose into Maroczy or King's Indian lines, which also suits a positional playstyle, and I recommend you study, as their characteristics will be subtly different to "normal" English positions and help you improve chess understanding as a whole. I almost always recommend mainlines, so boiling this down to a suggested repertoire: WHITE: 1. c4 BLACK v e4: Sicilian Taimanov (French transpositions also possible) BLACK v d4: Nimzo-Indian + Queen's Indian complex And some book recommendations: The Dynamic English http://dev.jeremysilman.com/shop/pc/Dynamic-English-The-p3805.htm The Sicilian Taimanov, Move By Move http://dev.jeremysilman.com/shop/pc/Sicilian-Taimanov-Move-by-Move-The-p3707.htm Not sure what's good on the Nimzo side of things.
#4

Dearing's book on the Nimzo was pretty good -- it hasn't been a part of my repertoire for a few years so I'm not up-to-date on it.

My best recommendation for the Sicilian would be Delchev's work ("The Most Flexible Sicilian" is the most recent iteration). The structure of the book and the insightful commentary lead me to believe this is one of the best books I own. It also includes Kan lines if you like transpositions.

Very much agree with "The Dynamic English" recommendation -- the lines fight for the initiative and often result in interesting positions.

Dearing's book on the Nimzo was pretty good -- it hasn't been a part of my repertoire for a few years so I'm not up-to-date on it. My best recommendation for the Sicilian would be Delchev's work ("The Most Flexible Sicilian" is the most recent iteration). The structure of the book and the insightful commentary lead me to believe this is one of the best books I own. It also includes Kan lines if you like transpositions. Very much agree with "The Dynamic English" recommendation -- the lines fight for the initiative and often result in interesting positions.
#5

@dRr0x0rZZ Thank you so much for the detailed response! I will definitely take a look at your suggestions! I have been toying with the thought of permanently adding the Taimanov to my repertoire and am going to take a look at some video content on it now :)

I really appreciate the help @dRr0x0rZZ and @Rrhyddhad I think I will start studying then! :D

@dRr0x0rZZ Thank you so much for the detailed response! I will definitely take a look at your suggestions! I have been toying with the thought of permanently adding the Taimanov to my repertoire and am going to take a look at some video content on it now :) I really appreciate the help @dRr0x0rZZ and @Rrhyddhad I think I will start studying then! :D
#6

There are many styles to choose. It all depends on your mood ! First off you need to make the right assumptions about your own play and how you work. If you are a solid player like most underrated players, it might be your chance to turn the sand glass around....Give your opponent some opportunities that will make him feel great or important....he will degenerate into a chess mono-maniac that plays the flute. look for moves that are deep and are the most forcing moves, put all of your pieces in direction of opponents king. When everything is IN PLACE, offer the draw! This must put off the opponent's mind so much that he resigns at move 29.

There are many styles to choose. It all depends on your mood ! First off you need to make the right assumptions about your own play and how you work. If you are a solid player like most underrated players, it might be your chance to turn the sand glass around....Give your opponent some opportunities that will make him feel great or important....he will degenerate into a chess mono-maniac that plays the flute. look for moves that are deep and are the most forcing moves, put all of your pieces in direction of opponents king. When everything is IN PLACE, offer the draw! This must put off the opponent's mind so much that he resigns at move 29.
#9

Hi Arsenalfanrichi,

To create a new repertoire, you need to have some idea of your chess style. After all, in order to play the opening phase successfully, you have to feel comfortable with the positions you get. I have two suggestions for you.

  1. http://www.chesspersonality.com/

Take this quiz. While its not perfect it will give you a general idea of what your chess style is. This will be helpful in selecting an opening.

  1. https://www.chessable.com/blog/2016/10/27/top-ten-chess-players-opening-repertoire/

Now compare what you got with what the best World Champions are playing. That should give you some ideas on what you should play. Hope this helps!

Hi Arsenalfanrichi, To create a new repertoire, you need to have some idea of your chess style. After all, in order to play the opening phase successfully, you have to feel comfortable with the positions you get. I have two suggestions for you. 1. http://www.chesspersonality.com/ Take this quiz. While its not perfect it will give you a general idea of what your chess style is. This will be helpful in selecting an opening. 2. https://www.chessable.com/blog/2016/10/27/top-ten-chess-players-opening-repertoire/ Now compare what you got with what the best World Champions are playing. That should give you some ideas on what you should play. Hope this helps!

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