Openings

The Bogoljubow Paradox

"When I am White I win because I am White, when I am Black I win because I am Bogoljubow." - Efim Bogoljubow.

I'm still thinking about this, so bear with me, and comments invited...

I pounced on Nunn's Chess Openings when it came out, and found some things that I found puzzling.  Openings like the Dutch Stonewall, which I had always thought of as being fundamentally flawed, were being shown as equal, while the Classical Dutch - which I thought was a superior approach - was coming out as +=.

Opening Workshop 2012

Submitted by DrDave on

Two open gambits

Richard was interested in the Urusoff Gambit and Eddie in the Scotch Gambit. Gambits offer a pawn for fast development and/or control of the centre. I approve very much of this way of playing, and it's the first thing I offer juniors as an alternative to playing Old Stodge with both White and Black in every game.

Here's a starter for each:

Junior Openings - Beginners and Improvers

Basic Opening Repertoire for young players

You want a standard opening to learn? Here is my suggestion:

System for White Scotch Gambit 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exe4 4.Bc4

When Black avoids your main system IQP systems 1.e4 c5 2.c3 & d4

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 exd5 4.c4

1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 cxd5 4.c4

System for Black against 1.e4 French Defence 1.e4 e6

System for Black against 1.d4 Tarrasch Defence 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c5

Modern Classics - the Scotch Gambit

Submitted by DrDave on

The old Italian-style attacking openings for White have not been played at the top level of chess for a long while. Was Jonathan Penrose the last master to venture the Scotch Gambit? Anyhow, even if the masters have got it all under control, the rest of us can still play in the Romantic, gambit style. It's also easy to recommend to juniors. In pursuit of nostalgia, several people have been posting material on the web about the Scotch Gambit and related openings.

Novel Opening Play

Submitted by DrDave on

Jonathan wanted to have something on this session thinking about the English Opening, but, in case you don't play that system, I'll broaden it out a bit.

The experience of meeting novelty

It needn't be a completely new move, of course, just new to you. Let's see if we can create that experience for you. Some examples that we came up with: As White, facing 1.d4 e5!? As White, facing 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4!? As Black, facing 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nf6 3.d4!? Some examples for more experienced players, can be found in

Opening development and coordination

Submitted by DrDave on

Summary

There are useful opening 'rules' (really, guidelines) which should be known and adopted at least until you know better.  Sadly, even strict obedience to the rules can lead to trouble, so you have to learn some specific opening lines.  You don't have to know every opening, but you need at least one system for White and a couple as Black.  Which ones you choose depends on your style and your appetite for study.

Opening principles

It's useful to review and rehearse the reasons for the

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