Article: 3076 of rec.games.chess.analysis
Newsgroups: rec.games.chess.analysis
Path: info!dregis
From: dregis@exeter.ac.uk (D.Regis)
Subject: Re: Good opening against e4.
Message-ID: <Dx952o.Kn0@exeter.ac.uk>
Organization: University of Exeter, UK.
References: <321FA072.2CDC@javanet.com> <50ckmn$11u@news1.halcyon.com>
Date: Thu, 5 Sep 1996 09:01:36 GMT

In article <50ckmn$11u@news1.halcyon.com> tzs@coho.halcyon.com
 (Tim Smith) writes:
>
>I'm amazed at the number of good players (e.g., masters and senior masters)
>who have attempted to answer this question, even though the correct answer
>depends on the strength of Mr. Alves.

Matt Guthrie posted the most helpful commentary I have seen on
questions of this sort a while ago.  I have filed his post (with his
permission) at:

 http://www.ex.ac.uk/~dregis/DR/Openings/19th.html

If you don't have WWW access, he was saying that:

"1. The question "what should I play against..." cannot be adequately
answered without further data. (rating, previously used systems,
goals, etc.)"

 "Goals" means: what do you want to get out of your practice?  I
personally hate 1.e4 games because I have no confidence in my analysis
of tactics ... that's why I have recently started playing 1.e4. 

"2.  There are good reasons to believe that individual progression of
opening understanding can and should mirror historical progression" -
that is, play 19th century openings first, and interpret other
openings in a 19th century way. 


My own take on this is, like Matt's,  still Reti's:

"A knowledge of tactics is the foundation of positional play. This is
a rule which has stood its test in chess history and one which we
cannot impress forcibly enough upon the young chess player. A beginner
should avoid the Queen's Gambit and French Defence and play open games
instead!  While he may not win as many games at first, he will in the
long run be amply compensated by acquiring a thorough knowledge of the
game" - RICHARD RETI

I migrated far too fast from the Giuoco Piano to 1.d4 and then 1.c4,
feeling at each point I was playing a more sophisticated opening.  I
was, but I was entering running races before passing the walking exam. 


-- 
May your pieces harmonise with your Pawn structure and
your sacrifices be sound in all variations

D  _       
 / "()/~   Dave Regis  &8^D*  WWW: http://www.ex.ac.uk/~dregis/DR/chess.html
|| \_/|    = DrDave on BICS 
~\   /                        "...what else exists in the world but chess?"
 _|||__SHEU: ~/sheu.html                                          -- NABOKOV


From info!dregis Mon Sep  9 10:04:54 BST 1996