(UTC)
  ChessPub Forum › General › General Chess › Best opening nobody plays
(Moderators: proustiskeen, trw, RoleyPoley)
‹ Previous Topic | Next Topic ›
Page Index Toggle Pages: [1] 
Topic Tools
Hot Topic (More than 10 Replies) Best opening nobody plays (Read 7723 times)
TonyRo
God Member
*****
Offline


I'm gonna crack your skull!

Posts: 1846
Location: Cleveland, OH
Joined: 11/26/07
Gender: Male
Re: Best opening nobody plays
Reply #16 - 05/22/09 at 14:57:33
Post Tools
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).
  
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
Markovich
God Member
*****
Offline



Posts: 6099
Location: Columbus, Ohio
Joined: 09/17/04
Re: Best opening nobody plays
Reply #15 - 05/22/09 at 12:35:33
Post Tools
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.
  
The Great Oz has spoken!
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
TN
God Member
*****
Offline



Posts: 3420
Joined: 11/07/08
Gender: Male
Re: Best opening nobody plays
Reply #14 - 05/22/09 at 08:38:55
Post Tools
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.
  
All our dreams come true if we have the courage to pursue them.
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
Smyslov_Fan
God Member
Correspondence fan
*****
Offline


Progress depends on the
unreasonable man. ~GBS

Posts: 6902
Joined: 06/15/05
Re: Best opening nobody plays
Reply #13 - 05/22/09 at 03:41:54
Post Tools
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.
  
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
flaviddude
Senior Member
****
Offline


I love ChessPublishing.com!

Posts: 329
Location: Australia
Joined: 01/12/04
Gender: Male
Re: Best opening nobody plays
Reply #12 - 05/22/09 at 03:26:34
Post Tools
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
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
trw
YaBB Moderator
*****
Offline


I Love ChessPublishing!

Posts: 1414
Joined: 05/06/08
Gender: Male
Re: Best opening nobody plays
Reply #11 - 05/21/09 at 22:09:38
Post Tools
how are the numbers changing?
  
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
HgMan
God Member
*****
Offline


Demand me nothing: What
you know, you know

Posts: 2330
Location: Up on Cripple Creek
Joined: 11/09/04
Gender: Male
Re: Best opening nobody plays
Reply #10 - 05/21/09 at 22:07:36
Post Tools
The numbers are changing...   Roll Eyes
  
"Luck favours the prepared mind."  --Louis Pasteur
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
trw
YaBB Moderator
*****
Offline


I Love ChessPublishing!

Posts: 1414
Joined: 05/06/08
Gender: Male
Re: Best opening nobody plays
Reply #9 - 05/21/09 at 22:04:55
Post Tools
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.
  
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
Markovich
God Member
*****
Offline



Posts: 6099
Location: Columbus, Ohio
Joined: 09/17/04
Re: Best opening nobody plays
Reply #8 - 05/21/09 at 20:29:54
Post Tools
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.
  
The Great Oz has spoken!
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
flaviddude
Senior Member
****
Offline


I love ChessPublishing.com!

Posts: 329
Location: Australia
Joined: 01/12/04
Gender: Male
Re: Best opening nobody plays
Reply #7 - 05/21/09 at 11:57:26
Post Tools
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
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
Uruk
Senior Member
****
Offline



Posts: 351
Joined: 02/03/09
Re: Best opening nobody plays
Reply #6 - 05/21/09 at 01:07:36
Post Tools

Hippo is actually played by the infamous Smallville.
  
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
glut
YaBB Newbies
*
Offline


I Love ChessPublishing!

Posts: 43
Joined: 11/12/08
Re: Best opening nobody plays
Reply #5 - 05/20/09 at 22:26:02
Post Tools
Hippo ...
  
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
trw
YaBB Moderator
*****
Offline


I Love ChessPublishing!

Posts: 1414
Joined: 05/06/08
Gender: Male
Re: Best opening nobody plays
Reply #4 - 05/20/09 at 21:45:08
Post Tools
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.
  
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
Markovich
God Member
*****
Offline



Posts: 6099
Location: Columbus, Ohio
Joined: 09/17/04
Re: Best opening nobody plays
Reply #3 - 05/20/09 at 19:55:15
Post Tools
I think Alekhine's is the best opening nobody plays.
  
The Great Oz has spoken!
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
TonyRo
God Member
*****
Offline


I'm gonna crack your skull!

Posts: 1846
Location: Cleveland, OH
Joined: 11/26/07
Gender: Male
Re: Best opening nobody plays
Reply #2 - 05/20/09 at 18:40:02
Post Tools
Sicilian Kalashnikov.
  
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
JEH
God Member
*****
Offline


"Football is like Chess,
only without the dice."

Posts: 1456
Location: Reading
Joined: 09/22/05
Gender: Male
Re: Best opening nobody plays
Reply #1 - 05/20/09 at 18:26:08
Post Tools
1. a3

It's the best opening alphabetically  Wink
  
Those who want to go by my perverse footsteps play such pawn structure with fuzzy atypical still strategic orientations

Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right, stuck in the middlegame with you
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
HgMan
God Member
*****
Offline


Demand me nothing: What
you know, you know

Posts: 2330
Location: Up on Cripple Creek
Joined: 11/09/04
Gender: Male
Best opening nobody plays
05/20/09 at 18:19:11
Post Tools
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?
  
"Luck favours the prepared mind."  --Louis Pasteur
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
Page Index Toggle Pages: [1] 
Topic Tools
‹ Previous Topic | Next Topic ›
Bookmarks: del.icio.us Digg Facebook Google Google+ Linked in reddit StumbleUpon Twitter Yahoo
 
  « Board Index ‹ Board Top  

ChessPub Forum » Powered by YaBB 2.6.12!
YaBB Forum Software © 2000-2026. All Rights Reserved.

Valid RSS Valid XHTML Valid CSS Powered by Perl Source Forge