Correspondence Chess Game: Which opening is best?

Question

Hi, I'm playing a correspondence chess game with a friend of mine, and I'm the player with black pieces. My friend started pawn to e4. He usually goes for the Italian opening, Fried Liver Attack, or the Lolli Attack. I usually start e5 or d5. What would be a good opening?

Answer 1

Correspondence or otb chess game, it's always wise to avoid your opponent's favorite openings (if known). Beyond that, you won't be able to surprise an opponent in correspondence play because he or she has all kinds of time to research "best" replies in opening books or internet pgn databases. Choose an opening for the right reasons, namely, because you (1) understand the middlegame positions that are likely to arise, and (2) enjoy playing those kinds of positions. Playing some opening because Bobby Fischer was successful with it, or because some opening book recommends it, is just plain silliness. Know yourself, know your style and select opening lines that are compatible with your temperament.



To win in correspondence play, opening knowledge is obviously important, but you must also be extremely accurate in your assessment of positions. If you make an unsound but trappy move (you know, the sloppy stuff you see in blitz chess games), your opponent is sure to find the refutation.

Answer 2

The Sicilian Defence is the best reply to 1.e4 c5 solid you do have to do some studying and work to understand the ideas and themes but you'll be well rewarded if you do.



How to Play the Sicilian Defence by David Levy and Kevin J.O'Connell



http://www.amazon.com/Play-Sicilian-Defence-David-Levy/dp/4871878066/ref=sr_1_22?ie=UTF8&qid=1389144214&sr=8-22&keywords=the+sicilian+defence



I recommend this book because like Reuben Fine and Zonosko Borovosky said Chess is a game of understanding not memorization and this book by Levy and O'Connell was written along the same line of thinking.



If you just memorize and memorize and memorize variations will you remember it all? you'll forget it in a couple of weeks but the ideas behind the Sicilian Defence the pawn structures the stuff you should know you'll retain up here in your head and never forget.



Tutorial on the Sicilian on You Tube:



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzydxPgPKzs



Good luck with your game!

Answer 3

start with the bobby fisher open defense, its about the best, its what you do later that counts.