ChessPub Forum - C20-C99: Switching to e4

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Question: Which opening do you recommend to someone switching to e4?


* This poll has now closed *
Vienna 5 (9.8%) King's Gambit 7 (13.7%) Scotch 5 (9.8%) Scotch Gambit / Göring Gambit 1 (2.0%) Italian / Two Knights 10 (19.6%) Evans Gambit / Two Knights 3 (5.9%) Ponziani 0 (0.0%) Ruy Lopez Exchange 2 (3.9%) Ruy Lopez Worrall 4 (7.8%) Ruy Lopez "Classical" 14 (27.5%) Total votes: 51 « Last Modified by: thibdb13 on: 06/22/10 at 08:16:47 »

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C20-C99: Switching to e4 (Read 45651 times)

Jupp53 YaBB Moderator Offline be Posts: 988 Location: Frankfurt/Main Joined: 01/04/09 Gender:	Re: Switching to e4 Reply #18 - 06/19/10 at 07:24:41	Post Tools	Print Post
	@ thibdb13: At your level of play and on the search for something new and with a preference to offer a pawn for attack instead of grabbing one I'd recommend to have a look in The Alterman Gambit Guide - White Gambits http://www.schachhaus-maedler.de/shopsystem/product_info.php?products_id=1837&XT... for some ideas. I fell into it in a local book store and till now it is my opening book of the year for players beyond 2000 Elo. The book doesn't offer a complete repertoire. But you get something to start with. It is an (imo excellent) introduction to a number of combinational lines with 1.e4 and is a teaching principles of the opening in a very practical way. Alterman has his scope on the accepted gambit lines. So you have to search further material. Reading this book with a board will be fun anyway.

	Medical textbooks say I should be dead since April 2002. Dum spiro spero. Narcissm is the humans primary disease.
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TN God Member Offline Posts: 3420 Joined: 11/07/08 Gender:	Re: Switching to e4 Reply #17 - 06/19/10 at 06:35:12	Post Tools	Print Post
	1. The Ruy Lopez 2. Italian Game 3. Ignore the rest. Within the Ruy Lopez, play the cutting-edge main lines. Start with ECO C and a good repertoire book.

	All our dreams come true if we have the courage to pursue them.
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Markovich God Member Offline Posts: 6099 Location: Columbus, Ohio Joined: 09/17/04	Re: Switching to e4 Reply #16 - 06/19/10 at 02:57:01	Post Tools	Print Post
	There is no single answer, because it depends on the strength of the player. But for a strong player, it should be the main lines of the Spanish.

	The Great Oz has spoken!
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SWJediknight God Member Offline Alert... opponent out of book! Posts: 916 Joined: 03/14/08	Re: Switching to e4 Reply #15 - 06/18/10 at 22:50:09	Post Tools	Print Post
	Stefan Bücker has illustrated ways to reach gambit style lines after 3...Nf6 4.d4 exd4 5.0-0: 5...Bc5 6.e5 (6.c3 is a decent alternative) 6...d5 7.exf6 dxc4 8.fxg7 Rg8 9.Bg5 (or 9.Re1+ and 10.Bg5). Or see here for 5...Nxe4: http://www.chesscafe.com/kaissiber/kaissiber53.htm


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thibdb13 God Member Offline Tal was the best Posts: 974 Location: Mechelen Joined: 01/25/07 Gender:	Re: Switching to e4 Reply #14 - 06/18/10 at 22:18:00	Post Tools	Print Post
	Conquistador wrote on 06/18/10 at 18:25:51: Actually you are correct kylemeister. White grabs a pawn and proceeds to hold on to it. What I meant to say it was aggressive in its intentions. Not really what I was hoping for I'd rather sacrifice a pawn for the initiative.

	Yusupov once said that “The problem with the Dutch Defence is that later in many positions the best move would be ...f5-f7” but he is surely wrong.
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Conquistador Junior Member Offline WWAD-What Would Alekhine Do? Posts: 53 Joined: 11/29/09	Re: Switching to e4 Reply #13 - 06/18/10 at 18:25:51	Post Tools	Print Post
	Actually you are correct kylemeister. White grabs a pawn and proceeds to hold on to it. What I meant to say it was aggressive in its intentions.


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kylemeister God Member Offline Posts: 4989 Location: USA Joined: 10/24/05	Re: Switching to e4 Reply #12 - 06/18/10 at 18:01:34	Post Tools	Print Post
	I wouldn't think of 4. Ng5 as attacking, rather the opposite ...


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Conquistador Junior Member Offline WWAD-What Would Alekhine Do? Posts: 53 Joined: 11/29/09	Re: Switching to e4 Reply #11 - 06/18/10 at 16:56:47	Post Tools	Print Post
	Against the Two Knights Defense, I attack with 4.Ng5. Against the Italian, I play straightforward with c3 and build my position in the classival Italian. Few people actually know how to play it correctly. The style of the Italian allows for aggressive play, but it also allows for quiet positional play depending on your preference. The Italian has lines for really any style you want. What is your style?


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thibdb13 God Member Offline Tal was the best Posts: 974 Location: Mechelen Joined: 01/25/07 Gender:	Re: Switching to e4 Reply #10 - 06/18/10 at 16:30:14	Post Tools	Print Post
	Conquistador wrote on 06/18/10 at 15:51:55: Well I find playing against 1.e4 e5 is pretty easy. I have always used the Italian Game and that has worked well for me over the years. It has some theory to it, but you can control what lines you need to study. Of course I play 1.e4 e5 as black as well so I find it intuitive. In my mind, the Italian has the strongest pieces, but the Ruy Lopez has the strongest center. The Italian requires precision, so at your level it would still be strong. If you want to play the Ruy Lopez, you have to have a lot of experience to understand the subtile patterns. What are you playing against the 2 knights? And if black plays Bc5, are you going for a "classical" Italian or for the Evans Gambit? Can you play the Italian on a quite aggressive way or is it more positionnal?

	Yusupov once said that “The problem with the Dutch Defence is that later in many positions the best move would be ...f5-f7” but he is surely wrong.
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Conquistador Junior Member Offline WWAD-What Would Alekhine Do? Posts: 53 Joined: 11/29/09	Re: Switching to e4 Reply #9 - 06/18/10 at 15:51:55	Post Tools	Print Post
	Well I find playing against 1.e4 e5 is pretty easy. I have always used the Italian Game and that has worked well for me over the years. It has some theory to it, but you can control what lines you need to study. Of course I play 1.e4 e5 as black as well so I find it intuitive. In my mind, the Italian has the strongest pieces, but the Ruy Lopez has the strongest center. The Italian requires precision, so at your level it would still be strong. If you want to play the Ruy Lopez, you have to have a lot of experience to understand the subtile patterns.


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zoo Ex Member	Re: Switching to e4 Reply #8 - 06/18/10 at 15:48:11	Post Tools	Print Post
	Either King's Gambit or Scotch. Both require problem solving from White at move 1, which can be a virtue for an e4 newbie. Also try to find an opening where Black's ...Bc5 is not bothersome. You can check your intended openings against Marin's 1...e5 books, which are great except for the Vienna & KG parts (he relies on a ...Bc5 KG which is not problematic for White). Spanish games with ...Bc5 also are a nuisance for White. Finally, prepare for the Philidor, no longer a lame opening and a favourite of Master vs Patzer.


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thibdb13 God Member Offline Tal was the best Posts: 974 Location: Mechelen Joined: 01/25/07 Gender:	Re: Switching to e4 Reply #7 - 06/18/10 at 15:07:57	Post Tools	Print Post
	@dfan: My main problem is to know why I should play against e5. I have always played half-closed opening with black against e4 (Pirc, French, Sicilian, Caro-Kann and now Alekhine) and I am quite confident about those openings (except maybe for the French). But e4-e5 is totally unknown territory for me. The last time I played e4 in a serious game, it was in the mid-eighties when I was playing my fisrt games in a club. Long, long ago

	Yusupov once said that “The problem with the Dutch Defence is that later in many positions the best move would be ...f5-f7” but he is surely wrong.
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dfan God Member Offline "When you see a bad move, look for a better one" Posts: 766 Location: Boston Joined: 10/04/05	Re: Switching to e4 Reply #6 - 06/18/10 at 14:44:07	Post Tools	Print Post
	I see that you mention only 1.e4 e5 lines in your poll. I'm sure you are aware that there are other responses on move 1 for Black When I switched to e4, I used Emms' Attacking With 1 e4, which is a complete not-very-theoretical repertoire, and once I was comfortable with it, I started switching parts of it out for more dynamic options (e..g., Closed Sicilian -> Open Sicilian, KIA vs e6 -> Tarrasch). It's a good baseline if you don't mind a little "wasted" work, and you can always keep it around as a backup repertoire. I'm 1800 and I like it for my level. Its response to 1...e5, by the way, is the Bishop's Opening, usually transposing into a KGD.


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TonyRo God Member Offline I'm gonna crack your skull! Posts: 1846 Location: Cleveland, OH Joined: 11/26/07 Gender:	Re: Switching to e4 Reply #5 - 06/18/10 at 14:42:42	Post Tools	Print Post
	If you don't mind theory heavy, critical lines that may be closed or open, it has to be the Ruy Lopez!


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thibdb13 God Member Offline Tal was the best Posts: 974 Location: Mechelen Joined: 01/25/07 Gender:	Re: Switching to e4 Reply #4 - 06/18/10 at 14:20:19	Post Tools	Print Post
	TicklyTim wrote on 06/18/10 at 14:01:34: Do you like your theory heavy or light? Do you want your lines to be critical and on a knife-edge? Do you want the position to open in the centre or stay relatively closed? Do you mind sacrificing pawns for the initiative? Do you have a prefence to Bishops or Knights? Theory might be heavy for so far it is not too difficult to understand I quite like critical lilnes Center may be closed or open, I don't mind but it is true I like to put some pression to/through the center I do not mind sacrificing pawns for the initiative at all No real preference to bishops or knights but by experience I know I play better (= I get better positions) with the bishops pair

	Yusupov once said that “The problem with the Dutch Defence is that later in many positions the best move would be ...f5-f7” but he is surely wrong.
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