Do You have different opening repertoires when playing an OTB game
versus equal/weaker [1] players and stronger players [2] ?

For example (in my case):

With white against 1.e4 e6

[1] Kings Indian Attack
[2] Exchange Variation

With black after 1. e4 c5 2. Kf3......

[1] Najdorf Variation
[2] Sicilian Hedgehog (with the known formation a6,b6,d6,e6...)

With white after 1.e4 e5 2.Kf3 Kc6 3.Bb5 a6

[1] standard ruy lopez opening (4. Ba4.....)
[2] exchange variation (4. Bxc6)

I tend to play with active pressure versus equal or weaker players and
against stronger opponents I try to achive quiet (or rather very
solid) middlegame positions.

Can You list the most interesting differences in Your opening
repertoire like the above example.

Hakan Sart

Hakan Sart wrote in message . ..
Do You have different opening repertoires when playing an OTB game
versus equal/weaker [1] players and stronger players [2] ?

For example (in my case):

With white against 1.e4 e6

[1] Kings Indian Attack
[2] Exchange Variation

With black after 1. e4 c5 2. Kf3......

[1] Najdorf Variation
[2] Sicilian Hedgehog (with the known formation a6,b6,d6,e6...)

With white after 1.e4 e5 2.Kf3 Kc6 3.Bb5 a6

[1] standard ruy lopez opening (4. Ba4.....)
[2] exchange variation (4. Bxc6)

I tend to play with active pressure versus equal or weaker players and
against stronger opponents I try to achive quiet (or rather very
solid) middlegame positions.

Can You list the most interesting differences in Your opening
repertoire like the above example.

Hakan Sart

I think it's quite typical for players to adjust their repertoire
based on the specific need (i.e., needing a win or satisfied with a
draw) or opponent (either based on their ability or preferred style of
play).

In my case, when I was playing a lot of tournament chess I would
fiddle around with 1.e4/d4 Nc6 as black against lower rated players.
Throughout most of my career I've used 1.e4 c5 and 1.e4 d6/g6 fairly
interchangably. The Pirc has some lines where it's hard for black to
generate winning chances, so I usually saved it for high rated
opponents when a draw was an acceptable result.

Likewise, I used to fiddle around with 1.d4 f5 followed by
....d6...c6...Qc7 with black playing for ...e5 (Christiansen and Silman
call it the Hort-Antoshin variation in their book on the Dutch). I
shelved it because I regularly got miserable positions, even against
lower rated opposition.

With white, although I'm mostly a 1.e4 and 1.c4 player, I trotted out
1.g3 quite a bit against lower rated players. I was amazed at how
often 1.g3 e5 2.c4 took them out of their opening preparation!

Randy Bauer

On Sun, 27 Jul 2003 22:27:29 +0000 (UTC), (Ed
Gaillard) wrote:

In my opinion, this should be the other way around: play the very
sharp, complicated stuff against the _stronger_ players, and the
quieter lines against the _weaker_ ones (what you do against your
equals is a matter of taste).

Very interesting suggestion. I fear that playing sharp lines against
stronger players increase the possibilities of counterattack where
stronger players often be merciless. On the other hand it could be
better to go in a tactical infight (from the opening to the
middlegame) than beeing crushed to death in a positional fight.

In the next otb game I try to attack the first opponent with ELO 2100
where I have nothing to lose :-)

Hakan

On 27 Jul 2003 10:58:11 -0700, (Randy Bauer)
wrote:

With white, although I'm mostly a 1.e4 and 1.c4 player, I trotted out
1.g3 quite a bit against lower rated players. I was amazed at how
often 1.g3 e5 2.c4 took them out of their opening preparation!
Randy Bauer

In some Open tornaments I saw IM's or FM's playing
fianchettoe-openings against lower rated players. I have to admit that
I am feeling uncomfortable to play against someone who begins with
1.g3 particularly if he is 200 points stronger. Some players
fianchettoes both bishops. It looks like an "barbed wire"-opening.

Hakan