So what does it say about me that I've actually played half the openings mentioned in this thread?

As to the original question, I have no answer. There are some things I can't imagine myself ever trying, like the Bongcloud Opening, but I could imagine myself maybe trying even the silly stuff once in a casual game just to see what happens. I just can't imagine ever ruling out any possible opening and saying that I'll never play it.

The list of openings that you would never play is a reflection of the limitations of your playing style and chess culture. 

That said, I would never intentionally play bad moves in a tournament game.

Jupp53 wrote on 08/08/11 at 17:07:16:


The Nd4 is in a powerful position, much more than Nf3. It can only be attacked straightaway by e5 which is slightly weakening for black. The centre is generally the most powerful place for knights (or any piece), it's just that usually it's hard to keep them there. 

The point of having central pawns is to control central squares. In the closed Sicilian you give up the d4 square, in the open you control it. So it seems to me like the open sicilian is the more principled choice.

You need to know it well to get good results but this goes for any sharp opening that a lot of people know very well. 

MNb wrote on 08/07/11 at 12:16:00:


Also, I would say you should play sound openings to get better. That is why I don't understand why 1.d4, 1.c4 or Open Sicilians would not be good openings even if you are less than 2200 in rating.

Or a Sicilian or French as Black for that matter.

fling wrote on 08/07/11 at 10:23:15:


Look in this forum to the topics about the repertoires in context of getting a better player. If you want to get better some openings aren't good for you.

Till I reach 2200+ FIDE in tournament games (in 5 min games I play everything)
- as white:
1.c4
1.d4
1.Nf3
1.g3
Any open sicilian

- as black
any fianchetto opening
any asymmetric against 1.e4 and 1.d4

I'm simply too weak for that stuff. 

Smyslov_Fan wrote on 08/06/11 at 20:59:24:

That happened to me quite often indeed. But hey, shouldn't we make a risky statement here (just for fun) and possibly have to swallow it within 20 years iso bringing up the obvious, like "I never would play the Elephant Gambit"?
So guys, show some courage and name something mainstream, I challenge you.

Anyhow, before I begin to play a new opening I need a lot more than just a video (I dislike chessvideo's) and internet-blitzgames (I hate blitz). Trw comes a lot closer.

This question is easier for people with a fixed taste and repertoire. I play all kinds of stuff to be unpredictable, and who knows what I'll do in the future?!

6 years ago I wowed that I would never play the Caro-Kann or the Grünfeld. My thoughts then were that the CK was just a boring drawing attempt and the Grünfeld so theoretical that it would have to be my sole defence to 1.d4, and I wanted more variety. Since then I've played the Grünfeld maybe 10 times in tournament play; I like many of the positions I got but I still think it's too theoretical so I gave it up again! And now I've come to appreciate the value of a solid backup defence, so I'm seriously considering taking up the Caro-Kann! If so I would probably include some offbeat lines to begin with, to reduce the memory load.

Current list:

- dubious gambits, especially with White (I value the advantage of the White pieces too much for that)
- the Exchange Slav (W)
- the Closed Sicilian (W)
- the Grünfeld (B) once again!
- the Benkö Gambit (B) - White seems to have several good tries for advantage atm
- the Petroff (B)
- the French with 3...dxe4 (B)
- the Open Ruy Lopez (B) - Why accept a position with such serious weaknesses and then hope for a draw in some long theory line? Not my idea of fun.
- the Sveshnikov Sicilian (B) - For much the same reasons as the Open Ruy.
- the RL Marshall Attack (B) - Too much theory while still basically playing only for a draw. Maybe I'll reconsider this when i reach 2600
- the Queen's Indian (B)
- the Chigorin Queen's Gambit (B) - Too many bad losses with this years ago as a junior; besides I've become a fan of the bishop pair over the years
- the Symmetrical English, especially the Black side