Openings

Openings for Correspondence Chess

Submitted by DrDave on

James Drake, an occasional correspondent and freelance websoot prifreader, writes:
"I note your recommendation to play open openings when starting out to get more experience with tactics. I wonder if this applies to correspondence games. I've been playing them over the Internet the last few years and am at the stage where I get creamed by opponents who know long lines of the Sicilian or Ruy Lopez. Given that I've been somewhat influence by Purdy's recommended openings in Action Chess

Opening Books to help a solid Black player

Submitted by DrDave on

Pete Henderson writes:
" My question to you is this; I have pretty much settled on the Colle system for my opening but cannot find a defense that I like playing. I am not trying to be a Grand Master or anything I just want to be a good solid player. I've been thinking about the Tarrasch and the Modern. The Modern from what I've read can be used for just about any White opening which I guess is what I would prefer (I'm not sure that is aggressive enough for me). The Tarrasch is just an answer to Queen Pawn openings; then I would have to learn a defense for

Playing 1.d4 for juniors

This could be a short handout, of just one word: "Don't!" But you know I won't stop at one word when a couple of thousand will probably do.

Part I - for starters

Most people suggest that beginning chessplayers should play 1.e2-e4 and aim for a open, attacking style of game.

Some players may like to try 1.d2-d4. I wrote this piece after I watched 3 out of 4 boards at a match open with 1. d2-d4, and in my opinion, played it poorly.

Why might you want to play 1.d2-d4?

Playing White against odd Black defences after 1.e4 (2)

A4. Piece attacks vs. Pirc/Modern 1. e4 ...d6/...g6: 1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. Be3

The trouble with the Pirc is that Black will just lurk behind his pawns, and your pieces won't find much to attack. I play the Pirc/Modern as Black, and am always more impressed by systems which threaten to open lines with pawn breaks than any of the piece play lines. But that's not to say they aren't all dangerous; the player with a plan will always beat the player without one.

Minor Opening Mistakes

Here's another trawl of typical mistakes, this time from the first 20 moves of each game of the WECU Minor Championship at Exmouth in Easter 1999.

The games are appended with notes mostly from DR: "out of book" is Fritz' comment, and Fritz has also blunderchecked the games. Let’s first have a look at which openings were played:

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