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Hot Topic (More than 10 Replies) Best opening nobody plays (Read 7725 times)
TonyRo
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Re: Best opening nobody plays
Reply #16 - 05/22/09 at 14:57:33
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That is absolutely incredible. It turns out that there are 12 other people that are also certifiable, standing in line directly behind Markovich in the "accepting that I'm going to suffer" line.  Grin

Just kidding (a little bit).
  
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Markovich
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Re: Best opening nobody plays
Reply #15 - 05/22/09 at 12:35:33
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trw wrote on 05/21/09 at 22:04:55:
I just went through and calculated. In my active 36 games 1.e4 white games. I have 12 Alekhines. 13 Sicillians. 2 Caro Kanns. 1 e5.  7 Frenchs. 1 Pirc.


Un freaking believable!  What version of Alekhine's are they playing?

My own practice is no indication, since I always play 1.d4.
  

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TN
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Re: Best opening nobody plays
Reply #14 - 05/22/09 at 08:38:55
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I know a very interesting variation that has not occured once in practice, but I would prefer to save it up for another opponent. It's not a new idea, but rather a modification of a very fashionable opening.
  

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Smyslov_Fan
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Re: Best opening nobody plays
Reply #13 - 05/22/09 at 03:41:54
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I think the all time best opening that "nobody" plays is:

The Queen's Gambit Classical Variation.

That is, after 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Be7, since 2003 there have been less than 50 games between two players over 2500 using that exact line. 

By comparison, the Marshall Gambit of the Spanish has seen more than three times that number using the same parameters.  (I thought the Marshall might be a good bet, but it's been revived in the last couple of years after neither side wanted to play it in the early part of the decade.)

I have a feeling there are plenty of other excellent openings that nobody plays right now.
  
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flaviddude
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Re: Best opening nobody plays
Reply #12 - 05/22/09 at 03:26:34
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In correspondence as white I have

3 Sicilians 

3 French

1 Caro - Blackmar-Diemer Gambit hybrid

1 Kings Gambit

1 Modern

However I have some games that have not reached move two and have another tournament starting soon.
  

I am hopelessly addicted to the King's Gambit
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trw
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Re: Best opening nobody plays
Reply #11 - 05/21/09 at 22:09:38
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how are the numbers changing?
  
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HgMan
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Re: Best opening nobody plays
Reply #10 - 05/21/09 at 22:07:36
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The numbers are changing...   Roll Eyes
  

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trw
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Re: Best opening nobody plays
Reply #9 - 05/21/09 at 22:04:55
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Markovich wrote on 05/21/09 at 20:29:54:
I find it quite incredible, trw, that you face Alekhine's one time in three!  I play informal cc on net-chess.com (I play more formally on ICCF and IECG-), where you can view high-rated games.  You really don't see it there, except as played by me.

Special sample I admit, but even so your claim seems outlandish.  What about all those 1...e5 and 1...c5 players?  Caro?  French?  All are more popular than Alekhine's, and that's already way more than 4:1.

Anyway I thought it was referring to GM practice, where essentially no one plays Alekhine's.


On GM level you are definitely right. I see alekhine and sicillian one out three. e5 I see almost never. Caro and french I'd wager 1/6


EDIT: I just went through and calculated. In my active 36 games 1.e4 white games. I have 12 Alekhines. 13 Sicillians. 2 Caro Kanns. 1 e5.  7 Frenchs. 1 Pirc.
  
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Markovich
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Re: Best opening nobody plays
Reply #8 - 05/21/09 at 20:29:54
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I find it quite incredible, trw, that you face Alekhine's one time in three!  I play informal cc on net-chess.com (I play more formally on ICCF and IECG-), where you can view high-rated games.  You really don't see it there, except as played by me.

Special sample I admit, but even so your claim seems outlandish.  What about all those 1...e5 and 1...c5 players?  Caro?  French?  All are more popular than Alekhine's, and that's already way more than 4:1.

Anyway I thought it was referring to GM practice, where essentially no one plays Alekhine's.
  

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flaviddude
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Re: Best opening nobody plays
Reply #7 - 05/21/09 at 11:57:26
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HgMan wrote on 05/20/09 at 18:19:11:
Okay.  Strange question, but I keep seeing references to openings that are probably better than their reputation.  And I'm always looking for options in correspondence chess that can get opponents out of theory as quickly as possible.  Any thoughts?  Modern?  Benko?  English/Owen Defense?  Bird?


It has to be the King's Gambit 

"My subjective feeling is that the King's gambit is unjustly neglected nowadays" Mihail Martin in "Beating the Open Games".

In my opinion it is very good for correspondence. I have one game that I cannot quotes as it is still in progress where we were out of the books after 7 moves.
  

I am hopelessly addicted to the King's Gambit
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Re: Best opening nobody plays
Reply #6 - 05/21/09 at 01:07:36
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Hippo is actually played by the infamous Smallville.
  
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Re: Best opening nobody plays
Reply #5 - 05/20/09 at 22:26:02
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Hippo ...
  
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trw
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Re: Best opening nobody plays
Reply #4 - 05/20/09 at 21:45:08
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Markovich wrote on 05/20/09 at 19:55:15:
I think Alekhine's is the best opening nobody plays.



thats not true I see the Alekhine as the response to my 1.e4 in correspondence one out of every three games.



I would say the sicillian wing gambit but since I started playing it on the correspondence server I play on... at least 6 different people i've beaten with it have taken up the mantle. 

Honestly just search for unexplored waters and try to make your own improvements. I find this is the most fun anyways. You won't always get advantage but you'll learn why you didn't.
  
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Markovich
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Re: Best opening nobody plays
Reply #3 - 05/20/09 at 19:55:15
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I think Alekhine's is the best opening nobody plays.
  

The Great Oz has spoken!
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TonyRo
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Re: Best opening nobody plays
Reply #2 - 05/20/09 at 18:40:02
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Sicilian Kalashnikov.
  
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