Markovich wrote on 04/07/09 at 19:57:33:


Nope, the question is:

1) why you and several others keep saying more or less the same thing over and over in different threads. It's just your opinion, not the Truth. Even beginners are individuals and what fits one may cause some other to give up the game. There are strong grandmasters who grew up playing double fianchettos against everything as white.

2) do other openings than the Ruy have the right to exist? - or will y'all keep nagging that 'expert opinion' says that the Spanish is better than the Vienna, KG, Scotch, Ponz, Two Knights etc etc ad nauseum?

There are pros and cons of every opening, and judging them by words like which is stronger, better, more ambitious, interesting etc will always have a measure of subjectivity.

Diversity makes the game richer, if everyone always opened 1.Nf3 chess would be more boring for it. Even if one could make the claim that it may be the "strongest" first move in several senses.

And if several people took upon themselves to add to every thread on 1.e4, 1.e4 c5, 1.e4 e5 etc that 1.Nf3 is much more exact as it avoids the Sicilian where white has problems scoring more than 50%, I'm sure it would bore & annoy most of the people reading those threads.

3) What it boils down to: is Chess a Sport, an Art or a Science?

If it's a sport then people will choose the openings that will increase their chances in a given situation against a given opponent.

If it's an art then openings away from the well trodden popular paths will increase the chance to create something new.

Even for a machinelike 'scientist' the factor of allowing the opponent to prepare well into the middlegame, would matter - if he cares about his results. Would Fischer won i '72 if he'd started out playing what he was known for? I doubt it.

How strange... You tell us you've observed TalJechin's post to be parody and then plows on with silly arguments that demonstrate the opposite.
Every statistic will tell you that 1.d4 scores better than 1.e4 so why play 1.e4?

I for one thought the parody to be hilarious.

The strength of chess moves cannot be decided by simple statements like "2.Nf3 is better than 2.f4". Chess moves are played in chess games with real opponents, real clocks etc.
If you want to discuss specifics, why certain variations are best suited for blitz or against defensive opponents that's another matter.
But I think we've had enough of the "opening x is unplayable because grandmaster y said so" hyperbole.
One is allowed to disagree which openings are a reasonable choice in any specific game, but if you want to make sweeping statements, then please present your evidence!

And rhetorical devices like "expert opinion" does not count!
(Let me help you a little bit here: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 0-0 8.c3 d5!= now tell me which variation after 2.f4 gives Black more than that!)

A few of us now have suggested the modern variation and I still think that's the best practical decision.  I know when I'm playing speed games (I haven't been playing any real chess lately.) the reply I hate to face is the Modern.  It's equal but in many of the lines Black is having more fun and generally I'd say the black pieces is easier to play.

ghenghisclown wrote on 04/04/09 at 20:19:16:

Roger Williamson wrote on 04/04/09 at 13:53:40:


Yes, an unfortunate writing style and manner has dear SF. Usually makes it seem like our friend is addressing someone's slightly retarded dog.

Hoity toity.

A writing student of mine wanted to write a poem about some ducks in the pond in her backyard.

I of course told her: No, no, no!  I then explained to her that Hemingway is the greatest author ever, and if she wants to ever become a great writer she should not try to express her own personality, instead she should try to express the personality of the greatest writer ever, Hemingway's. Poetry these days doesn't sell well at all, while novels do sell, so choosing the novel genre instead was the first step...

I then recommended writing a piece of about 100 000 words containing at least three bull fighting scenes and five scenes with an old man alone at sea and if she could find a way to combine these two themes - for example with bull fighting on a ship she could qualify for extra credit. My suggested title for this future epic story was The Sun Rises Again and Again. Strangely, I haven't heard from her since...  

Another (former) friend of mine wanted to make music inspired by Mozart. He claimed that Amadeus is the best composer ever in his (of course, uneducated) opinion and added that there are even studies that show that listening to his music actually make you smarter and more harmonic.

Naturally, I felt that it was my responsibility to save his musical career. So I pointed out to him that Mozart is both very old and very dead, and any musical ideas he could have had surely can't be worth water these days.

People today are so much more sophisticated and educated compared to those half-apes way back then. Today we have Computers and the Internet - if Mozart had been alive today he might have been able to use those to produce some excellent popular dance music, but he isn't so he won't. So, forget about him.

Instead - since the only reason to make music is naturally to make the biggest amount of money on it - I recommended that he'd listen to the best contemporary artist who has sold the most music. The best (richest) of the contemporary artists on the top ten lists is probably Madonna, so there is absolutely no need to listen to any of the other millions of artists who are not Madonna.

I then suggested that he'd marry and divorce a man called Ritchie, adopt a couple of children from Africa and get a breast implant. I felt that this was very good advice indeed, but that ungrateful *** didn't follow it one bit! Instead he chose to write and perform that outdated classical music - even though he will never be as rich or famous as Madonna. A highly illogical decision in my opinion.  

I could go on all day, but I think you've got the hang of it now, and are ready to help other people around you with good advice on how to become the best actor, scientist or human ever.

Just try to figure out who the best actor/scientist/human etc is/was and then make ludicrous assumptions based on copying!