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Posted by andy94
schoolfundingservices.org

11/03/2008
10:32:20

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Subject: 1.e4= Best by test.

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1.e4 is the most used first-move in chess. But someone (like me) plays other openings like 1.c4 or 1.d4 or even 1.e3. But if they say e4 is the best move, why so much people uses other openings? Maybe 'cause a player feels better with c4 or d4....(like for me), but I'd like to compare me with you, Gameknot users! What do think?
My idol, Bobby Fischer said 1.e4 was best by test and other famous Grandmasters think the same thing. So, I repeat, I would like to know what do you think about it and what move do you play. Thanks for reading.


Posted by throneseeker
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11/03/2008
14:07:39

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Why I like it.

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I find that I can get into more tactical type games by starting with e4 than d4 or c4. There is nothing wrong with going with them but it seems they lead to games (at least for me) more dependent on strategical positions than tactical thrusts. However, I am blessed with poor opening knowledge and typically consider myself lucky to get to move 15 or 20. I am sure someone with far superior knowledge than myself will answer your question for the benefit of both of us.

Posted by blake78613
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11/03/2008
14:40:20

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I like 1 e4 in correspondence play because it leads to sharp positions and I can research the opening. Over the board I play d4 because it's not so necessary to memorize the latest theory and you can usually get a playable game no matter what your opponent tries to throw at you.
———
A Miracle Escape on a Day of Draws at London Chess Classic — All four games were drawn Tuesday in the penultimate round of the London Chess Classic, but that was only because Vladimir Kramnik of Russia badly miscalculated in his game against Magnus Carlsen of Norway, allowing him to escape from a lost position. Heading into tomorrow’s final round, Carlsen remains tied with Viswanathan Anand of India, the world chess champion, and Luke McShane of England. Carlsen has the better tie-breakers, however, so if the three should remain tied, Carlsen, the defending champion, would claim the title. Kramnik is tied for fourth with Hikaru Nakamura of the United States, Michael Adams of England is sixth, David Howell of England is seventh, and Nigel Short, ...
Posted by ionadowman
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11/03/2008
22:33:44

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To some extent...

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... one might tend to play other things in order to avoid theory. That's why I adopted the English - something less well-trodden that 1.e4. But a glance at my game record on GK will show I play 1.e4 more often than anything else (1.c4 a distant second). The reason: I feel more "at home" in 1.e4 lines than 1.d4 lines, and the theory is more accessible these days than 20 years ago.

These days I very rarely play the more eccentric first moves, sticking with 1.e4, 1.c4, 1.Nf3 and 1.d4 in roughly descending order of frequency.

But is 1.e4 "best by test"? In terms of White's success rate in actual play, this is probably true. What other evidence is available? But there may be other, objective or subjective, criteria measured against which some other debut might prove the better.

Cheers,
Ion
———
Two Tied for Lead of Elite Russian Championship — For decades, the chess championship of the Soviet Union was considered one of the world’s strongest tournaments, if not the strongest. After the breakup of the U.S.S.R. scattered many of the world’s best chess players back to their native lands, it was inevitable that the national championships of each former Soviet country would not be as formidable as the collective one held by the Soviets. It is not surprising, however, that the one that has come closest is Russia’s. Russia has more of the world’s top chess players than any other country and is ranked No. 1 among countries, according to the World Chess Federation. Russia’s national championship, which started Saturday, includes seven chess players rated ...
Posted by schnarre
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11/03/2008
23:23:14

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Playing Style

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seems a factor in what I've seen in most games.

For me, however, 1. e4 has failed me virtually every time--I've usually only won if my opponent was clearly weaker, or if they played the French Defense. I have therefore shunned that opening move, but I'm an exception to a long-standing school of thought. I have, at times, essayed 1. d4 (intending a Torre Attack), but not frequently.

My starting move is usually Anderssen's 1. a3
———
Onetime Chess Prodigy Shows Renewed Signs of Promise — Tennis players fantasize about drubbing the top-ranked Rafael Nadal. Luke McShane, an English grandmaster, got to live out the chess version of such a dream last week at the London Chess Classic, where he soundly defeated Magnus Carlsen, the world’s No.1 chess player, in the first round. McShane, 26, is on the outskirts of the game’s elite, ranked No. 100 in the world. But when he was a boy, he was anointed as England’s next great chess prodigy. He won the under-10 world championship when he was 8 and became a grandmaster by 16 — the youngest, at the time, to ever do so in his homeland. He has not achieved what has been expected of him. Maybe he was not as talented as ...
Posted by wulebgr
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11/04/2008
07:51:45

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1.e4 c5 and

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White is already in trouble. Bobby Fischer claimed that 1.e4 is best by test. New in Chess showed that 1.d4 scores better, principally because 1...c5 dramatically cuts White's percentage.
———
Interview with Magnus Carlsen — The world's best chess player on modelling for G-Star Raw, psychological ploys, and why he's not big on Christmas. Q: Hello Magnus ... MC: Hello Small Talk. Q: How does it feel to be back for the London Chess Classic? MC: It feels good. Last year's tournament was really enjoyable and very successful for me too. Q: The Russian world champion Mikhail Botvinnik used to get training partners to deliberately blow smoke in his face to prepare for opponents who may try to unsettle him. Is there anything you do to prepare for psychological tricks or gamesmanship? MC: Thankfully, one cannot smoke at the board now so I don't have to worry about that. I try to focus on the game rather than ...
Posted by ccmcacollister
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11/04/2008
12:14:23

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Then again ...

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Fischer, Tal and I all played e4 ...and everyone has kidney disease?! hmmm. Something to think about there. Even young Kramnick is getting a weak bladder according to the Topalov camp. Is that from sitting on the edge of the seat?
———
McShane Retains Lead at London Classic; Anand Beats Carlsen — Luke McShane, who won his first two games, did not win in Round 3 of the London Chess Classic on Friday. But he managed to draw against Vladimir Kramnik of Russia, the former world chess champion, and thus remained in the lead. After three of the four games in each of the first two rounds ended decisively, Friday was relatively quiet, with three games ending in draws. The exception was a win by Viswanathan Anand of India, the world chess champion, over Magnus Carlsen of Norway. It was the second loss for Carlsen, who actually had an advantage early in the game before making two bad moves that allowed Anand to shatter his kingside pawns and then infiltrate with his queen and rook. Carlsen could ...
Posted by ccmcacollister
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11/04/2008
12:15:50

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No no no ...

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At the BOARD, silly~! ...Not in the break room

Posted by naamloos
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11/04/2008
12:26:04

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Lately I have been preferring d4 over e4. I have the feeling that to gain an advantage against a decent player with e4 is tougher for me and seems to need more memorization. With d4 I can gain an advantage ( admittedly a slight one ) without knowing much theory but mainly using strategic and positional feeling.

In OTB-chess I play c4 quite often too, usually when my opponent is strong or/and gives a strong preference to open tactical play. I have managed to frustrate quite a few gambit-players with the ultra-solid approach, they always feel the need to do something aggressive and unsound. I can usually count on getting a very solid middle-game with the English, even though I know nothing about it. Downside is that many times I don't get an actual advantage with the English, just a comfortable, solid game.

I have tried Nf3 a few times, but in the end I decided that c4 was better for solid, positional play.


Posted by spurtus
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11/05/2008
01:22:19

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My personal style is I avoid playing e4 myself and usually meet it with Nf6 Alekhine.

I actually quite like playing e4 but in general at my playing level I find I get 'out booked' with e4 and get myself into trouble fast.

d4 is a better choice if you want a slower semi-open game.

c4 is a d4 player's transpose weapon.

But there is nothing like playing e4 boldly and relying on your general principles of chess to produce a good game. Its a 'gutsy' first move.

spurtus.


Posted by naamloos
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11/05/2008
09:29:36

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"c4 is a d4 player's transpose weapon. "

Not necessarily. Many times (especially after e5) I continue with: g3, Bg2, d3, e3, Nge2, 0-0, a3, b4 etc. with decent play on the queen side. No chance on transpositions to d4-theory here.
And after [1. c4 c5] I think one is more likely to transpose to e4-theory (Sicilian accelerated fianchetto, Marockzy bind) than to d4-theory if one is going to transpose. Furthermore, the English gives decent independent options when black tries to enter the Gruenfeld, the Nimzo-Indian or the Kings-Indian.


Posted by ionadowman
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11/06/2008
01:07:23

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"c4 - the d4 player's transpose weapon -

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It is true that as a 'c4' player I was generally comfortable with transpositions. I did decide after one not-very-successful encounter that I didn't want to spend time learning the Grunfeld, so worked out ways to avoid that.

I also steered clear of most QGD lines, though there were some QGD type lines that I learned to avoid even though I was generally successful in them - I generally felt uncomfortable in such positions, and that White ought to have something better. I failed to realise at the time that uncomfortable positions had a tendency to concentrate the mind and I usually did rather well with them. Hence my better success with the Black pieces over the years, I suspect - including a 6-round Easter tournament in which Black won all 6 of my games! I should have stuck to the English in that tournament (I lost the one I played, but I had eschewed a forced draw for a non-existent win - this against the eventual tournament winner. Well - I had played just the one game in the previous 12 months...). The other two losses as White? Oh, yeah. They began with 1.e4... :(

Cheers,
Ion


Posted by blake78613
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11/06/2008
08:10:03

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I think with c4 you have to some knowledge about a lot of openings, if for no other reason, not to transpose into them without knowing it.

Posted by ionadowman
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11/07/2008
12:23:37

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But a lot of that knowledge...

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... need only be at a fairly cursory level. I had to know eough about the Grunfeld to be able to avoid it; but that's far from any kind of in-depth knowledge!

A lot of my early Englishes went something like this -
1.c4 e6 2.Nc3 d5 3.cxd5 exd5 4.d4 c6
Now this position could very easily arise from a QGD. Not that I was especially aware of this, and used to play these games entirely by ear. Seemed to work!
It was only later that I switched to this sort of thing:
1.c4 e6 2.e4!?
with rather indifferent success...
Cheers,
Ion


Posted by blake78613
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11/07/2008
15:28:04

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4 c6 is relatively passive and wouldn't be a problem. I would expect something like 4 ... Nf6 with ideas of ...B-b4 trying for a Nimzo-Indian or ...c5 trying to get into a Benoni

Posted by neilskye
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11/20/2008
15:08:55

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After 1.c4 e6 2.e4?!

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2...c5 is surely a good move for black, who then controls d4. Furthermore, the fact that black has not committed to e5 means he can still fight for control of d5. I wonder if there is any theory in that particular line, I think (although I have done absolutely no analysis) that if black could engineer a d5 break then he would have a very comfortable game.

Posted by blake78613
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11/20/2008
15:49:37

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The pawn wedge with pawns at e4, d3, and c4 was used by Nimzowitsch and further developed by Botvinnik. Botvinnik would also use e5, d6, c5 as Black and used it (as Black) to good effect against Smyslov.

Posted by ionadowman
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11/20/2008
21:55:22

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But...

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... neilskye is correct in that the control over d4 is not to be sneezed at, and it is something of a dark side to the Nimzovitch/Botvinnik set-up. Of course, that one assset isn't going to be enough on its own...
Cheers,
Ion


Posted by ketchuplover
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11/21/2008
05:00:23

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It's not what you play but how well you understand.

Posted by blake78613
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11/21/2008
08:10:20

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According to Botvinnik the hole created at d4 in the Nimzowitsch/Botvinnik center is immaterial since this square can be adequately covered by the White pieces. The main method for Black to try to control d4 is playing Nge7, g6 and Bg7. This way the c6 knight can go to d4 and the e7-Knight can go to c6. This setup does create a Black weakness at f6. Black can also maintain symmety with d6 and e5.

Posted by pavel76
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11/22/2008
07:23:31

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1e4 or 1d4 is a simply type of choice what kind of game you prefer to play.
e4 - you can expect mainly an open game, sharp if the opponent response with sicilian or with strategic background if caro-can or French. I think a lots of the top players avoid recently 1.e4 when they play for a win , because of Petrov defense which is consider to be a very drawish..
d4 - presume rather slow maneuvering and strategic game but balck also has a choice if he wants to sharpen the game - like Benoni or Volga gambit for example :)


Posted by pavel76
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11/22/2008
07:23:49

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1e4 or 1d4 is a simply type of choice what kind of game you prefer to play.
e4 - you can expect mainly an open game, sharp if the opponent response with sicilian or with strategic background if caro-can or French. I think a lots of the top players avoid recently 1.e4 when they play for a win , because of Petrov defense which is consider to be a very drawish..
d4 - presume rather slow maneuvering and strategic game but balck also has a choice if he wants to sharpen the game - like Benoni or Volga gambit for example :)