Alapin's recommendation was (2.Ne2) Bc5 3.f4 d6 4.c3, but the PC has some complaints, so today 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 should be seen as critical. This is "equivalent" to 2.d4 exd4 3.Nf3, an interesting attempt to reach certain Open Games and avoid others. In two games Alekhine replied 3...Bc5 4.Nxd4 Nf6, which is the main reason why authors said that 2.d4 gives Black "additional options". In a way they are right, but I don't think that Nf6 is objectively stronger than standard Scotchs after 4...Nc6. - Similarly, I don't claim that 2...Nf6 3.d4 (or 3.f4) wins or something. But 2.Ne2 can definitely be a way to trick Petrov players out of their usual repertoire. If Kaissiber is too inexpensive (or too German), a later SOS has also covered 2.Ne2 in an article. 

Stefan Buecker wrote on 01/31/10 at 15:37:30:


Very interesting - by this logic the Alapin could be an anti-Petroff system for Scotch players!?

Stefan Buecker wrote on 01/31/10 at 15:37:30:

If in doubt, obfuscate. Alapins Opening can also transpose to the Vienna Opening as well but this really does not answer the question that was asked....
HTH

Stefan Buecker wrote on 01/30/10 at 20:24:13:


Whilst on the subject, I believe that 5.Be3 Qf6 6.c3 Nge7 7.Qd2 will become the new main line of 4...Bc5 by 2018, with 5.Nb3 Bb6 6.Qe2 being the most popular alternative. 

Also, 'The System' is superannuated, since Berliner didn't have access to very strong chess engines or a blackberry when he wrote the book. 'My System' suffers a similar fate, since Nimzowitsch didn't have access to a computer or blackberry when he wrote his book.

Quote:
 

Unfortunately, even the Zilbermints Gambit doesn't work against the computer, which now has the Anti-Zilbermints_Gambit opening book installed: ...g6/b6/Bb7/Bg7, followed by declining all sacrifices if possible.

Win with the Blackberry Attack

Mr. A, who became a Grandmaster recently at the age of 11, takes the developments of modern chess theory over the last 10 years (the rest is unimportant since it was played before his birth) and explains which moves work in the professional chess circuit, and which moves don't. Highly detailed home preparation, hypertheory, technology-assisted philosophy, early draws and convoluted mathematical formulae are all evident here, and Mr. A shows how you can become a stronger player by knowing how your first moves will decide the game. 

The book is written for players of all levels, from those with multi-processor blackberries running Rykba 8, to those who still study chess on the redundant laptop. 

• Detailed opening trees to guide you through the opening
• Over 50 complete games
• Learn secret novelties from the Grandmaster's kitchen

Published January 2020, February 2020

Excerpt:

'Now that we have covered the most important opening developments in the last 10 years, we can move on to finding the penultimate truth in chess. The ultimate truth can't be found under the current capacity of the universe, unfortunately. 

If you want to win as White, play 1.e4, 1.d4 or 1.Nf3. Other moves give Black chances of an advantage, e.g. 1.c4 e5 and the parameters of 'c' (centre), 'y' (potential) and 'd' (weakened squares) equal -1x-1x-1, equals -1. Therefore Black is slightly better. 

After 1.e4, all moves other than 1...c5, 1...e5 and 1...g6 lose. For the refutation of 1...e6, see the game Carlsen-Nakamura, 2019. 

...

After 1.d4, don't play 1...Nf6, since after 2.c4 Black is forced to weaken his position. Let's show this through our formula: c = 2, y = 1, and d= -1. What I forgot to mention is that d is actually squared, so 2x1x(-1)^2 = 2. Therefore, Black is already clearly worse and likely to lose. 

Play 1...d5, and then after 2.c4, 2...c6 is forced since 2...e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.cd5 gives White a decisive central majority. After 2...c6, 3.Nc3 dc4 has been worked out to a forced draw in the Kramnik-Svidler match of 2013, so 3.Nf3 is the only way to play for a win. 3...Nf6 4.Nc3 e6 and now my blackberry still hasn't worked out whether the position is better for White or equal. '

___

P.S: Jonathon Speelman once joked that the starting position is actually a mutual zugzwang and that Black wins. 

All high ranked player are totally dependent on the computer and are playing as one themselves. It means they start with any opening and calculating to the end with help of home preparation.

All we other patzers below 4600+ will play Zilbermints Gambit becasue that is the only one the computer won't understand and playing the Zilbermints Gambit against the computer will totally eat up all its memory and it will go into flames.

The typical 1.e4 game of the future will go 1.e4 e5 (hoping for the Petrov) 2.Ne2! (avoids the Petrov) Nc6! (best, cf. Kaissiber) 3.d4! exd4 (best) 4.Nxd4 reaching the Scotch. And then the adventurous players will try 4...Qh4, others will play something dry, such as 4...Bc5 5.Nb3 Bb6 6.c4 d6 7.c5 with rough equality. 1.d4 is unsound, of course.