I totally agree - At any level below Master, the best you can get from the opening is to get your opponent out of their comfort zone while remaining somewhat in your own. With black, I play the Black Lion. It is an unsound opening, if the opponent plays the critical line. Only once have any opponent played the critical line against me, and this was in a daily game against a WFM.
First off, nice work making so much progress in just a few years. Second, totally agree. In fact, I play basically only 1. b4 with White, and it's fine and good. And with Black I play whatever I feel like. It literally doesn't matter, everyone under 2200 (including me) is terrible and routinely loses games from plus 2 or more. Actually, I'll go further. I think it's valuable and important to actively stay away from studying openings until you're coming up on IM/GM type levels. The sooner you get YOURSELF out of book, the better. Let your opponents do the studying for you - they can show you why you shouldn't play this or that (or can they...) (about 2100 rapid, been playing for a long time)
Thank you! Depends on how you study openings, studying theoretical lines may not be useful, studying the most popular moves in the Lichess database at your level might give more benefit. Well done on becoming a strong player.
I've been going for E4 and you get a closed scandi, which I actually find really fun to play, especially if they go D4 you get to tango the knight and you get a fun position.
I used to play this. e6 - b6. i saw Levy's video way earlier when i was around 1500-1600.. now i am 1900 and i currently play caro kann, sicilian against 1.E4 and QGD and nimzo against 1.D4.
I recommend a simple black repertoire to all my students using 1...d6 with the idea of delaying then forcing e5 no matter what white does. Works especially well against the London! It can also be played as white with 1.d3.
@@LightSquares No g6 (too much to know)! 1) Always work to master tactics (all games are won/lost due to tactics). 2) Go for delayed Philidor or Czech Pirc. Easy to learn and to understand the key ideas and pawn breaks. They always get equalish and playable middle games. 3) This results in getting a safe king. 4) The general rule is that if black can get e5 in a Q-pawn game, they generally equalize. 5) Remember (and as you know), under 2000, openings don't matter!
After wasting a lot of time switching between main lines and more offbeat stuff I've come to the conclusion that it doesn't really matter what I play so long as I have some idea how to play the middle game. For me this is slightly easier in main line stuff since I can find more model games in, say, the giuoco pianissimo than in something like the Nimzo-Larsen, but of course I also give up the advantage of putting my opponent in a middle game they don't know how to play. Really a matter of taste, your philosophy definitely worked pretty well when I played that way and seems like the most practical approach for those who want to minimize their time spent on openings (which we should all strive for to some extent)
Thanks! Time spent on openings for me is drastically reduced since d4 players will often play e4 in response to b6 and e4 players will often play d4. Basically, I see the same stuff over and over again.
People are way too obsessed with avoiding theory. Being scared of the fact that your opponent knows more theory is holding many people back of playing great positions.
Playing offbeat openings may have another advantage. If you study one of these openings properly, you'll be better prepared to face it yourself when playing opposite colour. And if you play the best lines (the ones you fear the most to face when playing opposite colour) and meet considerable opposition, this may give you new knowledge and better understanding to play these lines later yourself. In fact it seems to serve me well sometimes that some people try to evade my go-to opening for Black against e4, the Scandinavian Defense, by transposing to BDG, which is what I play as White. But I have yet to find a way to make the Leningrad Dutch work for me as Black against d4, and I struggle against b6 when I'm playing White... So I guess the stars have aligned for me to adopt b6 as Black 😉
Offbeat does not equal unsound. The Grob? Yes latvian gambit? Yes. But Birds opening, 1N3 1B4 1B3 are all slightly off beat and get played 1% of the time. So you play it 100% of the time and your opponents see it once every 100 games. My local club has a older Fide master that plays the Bird and the leningrad dutch.
Recently, to mix things up, I started playing 1..g6 against everything. Once I got comfortable playing against 1.e4 2.d4, I switched to the Sicilian against 1.e4, keeping 1..g6 against 1.d4 (my nemesis to face as black). I’ll let you know in a year how it’s working out! 🤣
I recently started playing ...b6 and I feel icky getting into the cramp positions I get into. Good for you guys go for systematic rubbish but everyone plays mainlines against me. My results have been fairly good but thats more due to my level of play (1900s Slow) but after the opening im often like um.....
How do you feel about longer time controls helping your game and/or rating? (30/0,60/0 cc). It seems that there are some serious sweats at around 1300 and I’m like should I go faster time controls or what. At the same time I don’t have time for such long games, but also want to get better!
For context I’ve been grinding puzzles (2000 lichess 2700 cc, 1600 chesstempo) and I’ve done books like amateurs mind, logical chess, silmans endgames. I play the scotch and 4 knights sicilian, with tarrasch defense against qgd.
I no longer play slow rapid online. A 10 minute time control with no increment will teach you to a) recognise tactics quicker b) manage time and c) get comfortable with your openings. These are fundamentals in chess. I play OTB classical to train my calculation. Maybe play Lichess classical e.g. 30 minute if you can't get to the OTB scene. Good luck!
@LightSquares I learned how to play the dutch against pretty much everything except obviously 1e4. And the dutch is basically the bird with one less tempo so by default I also now know how to play the bird.
some unsolicited advice, lawrence trent is a racist terrible person, there are definitely some better books for you! completely agree with your philosophy :) (as a 2250 whos writing a book on 1.f4)
Fantastic video.....I was worried of just Jobava - London...and this your video is sooooooo helpful !! Thank you very
much
Worried about playing it or facing it?
I totally agree - At any level below Master, the best you can get from the opening is to get your opponent out of their comfort zone while remaining somewhat in your own. With black, I play the Black Lion. It is an unsound opening, if the opponent plays the critical line. Only once have any opponent played the critical line against me, and this was in a daily game against a WFM.
Exactly, we give a little away to ensure our opponent thinks for themselves.
I think "offbeat" is especially effective in Blitz and Bullet, as your opponent is forced to generate a plan, consuming lots of time.
Even in 10 minute rapid, players waste time trying to find refutations against rare openings.
@@LightSquares I've played it in over-the-board as well with outstanding results.
@@belaji interesting, what time controls?
Play 1b6 against everything. Got it.
not if u havent binged lightsqares or got the course
Another way is to play anything solid e.g. Sicilian but find an offbeat sideline nobody knows.
i personally like to play main lines cos if the opponent obliges with the yuguslav attack against the dragon if very dynamic and incredibly fun
@@Xaviercommentsection Under 2000, openings don't matter. Why? You will ALWAYS win or lose due to tactics.
@ i strongly disagree i have a 66% winrate with the dragon and a 70% one with nimzo larson (only 10 games with that one tho)
First off, nice work making so much progress in just a few years. Second, totally agree. In fact, I play basically only 1. b4 with White, and it's fine and good. And with Black I play whatever I feel like. It literally doesn't matter, everyone under 2200 (including me) is terrible and routinely loses games from plus 2 or more.
Actually, I'll go further. I think it's valuable and important to actively stay away from studying openings until you're coming up on IM/GM type levels. The sooner you get YOURSELF out of book, the better. Let your opponents do the studying for you - they can show you why you shouldn't play this or that (or can they...)
(about 2100 rapid, been playing for a long time)
Thank you! Depends on how you study openings, studying theoretical lines may not be useful, studying the most popular moves in the Lichess database at your level might give more benefit. Well done on becoming a strong player.
It's like you read my mind, literally today been thinking of trying to go off beat with the van geet as white and nimzowitch as black.
Interesting. After 1 Nc3 d5, are you not forced to play d4 in which case you have a type of d4 opening?
I've been going for E4 and you get a closed scandi, which I actually find really fun to play, especially if they go D4 you get to tango the knight and you get a fun position.
I used to play this. e6 - b6. i saw Levy's video way earlier when i was around 1500-1600.. now i am 1900 and i currently play caro kann, sicilian against 1.E4 and QGD and nimzo against 1.D4.
Long term, your approach might be more sustainable.
@LightSquares thanks.
I recommend a simple black repertoire to all my students using 1...d6 with the idea of delaying then forcing e5 no matter what white does. Works especially well against the London! It can also be played as white with 1.d3.
Interesting, I guess your students would be playing g6 in many of the susbsequent lines. What is the reason to not begin with that?
@@LightSquares No g6 (too much to know)! 1) Always work to master tactics (all games are won/lost due to tactics). 2) Go for delayed Philidor or Czech Pirc. Easy to learn and to understand the key ideas and pawn breaks. They always get equalish and playable middle games. 3) This results in getting a safe king. 4) The general rule is that if black can get e5 in a Q-pawn game, they generally equalize. 5) Remember (and as you know), under 2000, openings don't matter!
After wasting a lot of time switching between main lines and more offbeat stuff I've come to the conclusion that it doesn't really matter what I play so long as I have some idea how to play the middle game. For me this is slightly easier in main line stuff since I can find more model games in, say, the giuoco pianissimo than in something like the Nimzo-Larsen, but of course I also give up the advantage of putting my opponent in a middle game they don't know how to play. Really a matter of taste, your philosophy definitely worked pretty well when I played that way and seems like the most practical approach for those who want to minimize their time spent on openings (which we should all strive for to some extent)
Thanks! Time spent on openings for me is drastically reduced since d4 players will often play e4 in response to b6 and e4 players will often play d4. Basically, I see the same stuff over and over again.
People are way too obsessed with avoiding theory. Being scared of the fact that your opponent knows more theory is holding many people back of playing great positions.
This could be true, 'major theoretical openings' probably give the player enough resources to play a good position.
Playing offbeat openings may have another advantage. If you study one of these openings properly, you'll be better prepared to face it yourself when playing opposite colour. And if you play the best lines (the ones you fear the most to face when playing opposite colour) and meet considerable opposition, this may give you new knowledge and better understanding to play these lines later yourself.
In fact it seems to serve me well sometimes that some people try to evade my go-to opening for Black against e4, the Scandinavian Defense, by transposing to BDG, which is what I play as White.
But I have yet to find a way to make the Leningrad Dutch work for me as Black against d4, and I struggle against b6 when I'm playing White... So I guess the stars have aligned for me to adopt b6 as Black 😉
Add to your first point that it broadens our understanding of chess and helps us internalise why the major openings are so solid. Good luck!
Offbeat does not equal unsound. The Grob? Yes latvian gambit? Yes. But Birds opening, 1N3 1B4 1B3 are all slightly off beat and get played 1% of the time. So you play it 100% of the time and your opponents see it once every 100 games. My local club has a older Fide master that plays the Bird and the leningrad dutch.
Recently, to mix things up, I started playing 1..g6 against everything. Once I got comfortable playing against 1.e4 2.d4, I switched to the Sicilian against 1.e4, keeping 1..g6 against 1.d4 (my nemesis to face as black).
I’ll let you know in a year how it’s working out! 🤣
It's good for our education to try things even if it doesn't work. I also experiment with 1... g6 from time to time. Good luck!
How about the Modern & the Dutch from the perspective of Black?
Go for it, but you will need to understand lines common at your level.
I recently started playing ...b6 and I feel icky getting into the cramp positions I get into. Good for you guys go for systematic rubbish but everyone plays mainlines against me. My results have been fairly good but thats more due to my level of play (1900s Slow) but after the opening im often like um.....
Ok, what are some example lines that make you feel uncomfortable?
Excellent video - what openings are you looking at for black?
Play anything solid e.g. QGD but find an offbeat sideline nobody knows.
How do you feel about longer time controls helping your game and/or rating? (30/0,60/0 cc). It seems that there are some serious sweats at around 1300 and I’m like should I go faster time controls or what. At the same time I don’t have time for such long games, but also want to get better!
For context I’ve been grinding puzzles (2000 lichess 2700 cc, 1600 chesstempo) and I’ve done books like amateurs mind, logical chess, silmans endgames. I play the scotch and 4 knights sicilian, with tarrasch defense against qgd.
I no longer play slow rapid online. A 10 minute time control with no increment will teach you to a) recognise tactics quicker b) manage time and c) get comfortable with your openings. These are fundamentals in chess. I play OTB classical to train my calculation. Maybe play Lichess classical e.g. 30 minute if you can't get to the OTB scene. Good luck!
@@LightSquares thanks for the response! I’ll give it a shot!!
Bird best opening
I play 1 b3 and after 1 b3 d5, many lines end up with f4, which is effectively a delayed bird. It works well against passive players.
@LightSquares I learned how to play the dutch against pretty much everything except obviously 1e4. And the dutch is basically the bird with one less tempo so by default I also now know how to play the bird.
you dont look 40 years old you look maybe 33, 34
some unsolicited advice, lawrence trent is a racist terrible person, there are definitely some better books for you! completely agree with your philosophy :) (as a 2250 whos writing a book on 1.f4)
The Duras is the GOAT
ua-cam.com/users/shortsF_LBp24iItQ?si=XvpBfL3BoIxzIa55