@UnsidesteppableChess
@pfren
I appreciate the info.
I play a transposition via the Reti, funny enough.
I actually enjoy playing Dragon/Catalan and Katalimov positions with both colors.
https://www.chess.com/game/live/63683863197
https://www.chess.com/game/live/57631848627
https://www.chess.com/game/live/57543991889
Nf3 g3 Bg2 d4 and I work from there, although that’s hardly a system.
Barzca is lame, and I dislike people who play the botvinnik and stonewall, I used to play the colle but I also no longer like that. So I think I’ll go with the Barzca anyways
The Keep It Simple 1 d4 book uses 1 d4 2 Nf3 3 g3 4 Bg2 5 0-0, and then 6 c4 most of the time. The move order avoids a few black defenses. And it's systematic, no? But there are exceptions. 6 c4 isn't always played, depending on what black has done. And if black plays a quick ....c5 the move order is derailed. The author covers the exceptions.
There is no one system opening that is good against everything black plays, white needs to adapt at times.
Isn’t that a Catalan transposed?
You avoid most variations of the open Catalan, all that QGA stuff, some Queen's Gambit lines, the ...Ba6 Queen's Indians... plus many more.
It is a sound approach which cuts down the material to be learned a lot, but I am not sure that it is suitable for low/intermediate players: Those Catalan / Fianchetto systems require subtle positional handling, and after playing competitive chess for almost 50 years I still have not seen one player of that league to handle a Catalan ending properly (truth be told, I was also mishandling them quite badly while rated 2200+ FIDE).
Which book ( or other resource ) do you recommend to study the Catalan endgame?
The Keep It Simple 1 d4 book uses 1 d4 2 Nf3 3 g3 4 Bg2 5 0-0, and then 6 c4 most of the time. The move order avoids a few black defenses. And it's systematic, no? But there are exceptions. 6 c4 isn't always played, depending on what black has done. And if black plays a quick ....c5 the move order is derailed. The author covers the exceptions.
There is no one system opening that is good against everything black plays, white needs to adapt at times.
Isn’t that a Catalan transposed?
You avoid most variations of the open Catalan, all that QGA stuff, some Queen's Gambit lines, the ...Ba6 Queen's Indians... plus many more.
It is a sound approach which cuts down the material to be learned a lot, but I am not sure that it is suitable for low/intermediate players: Those Catalan / Fianchetto systems require subtle positional handling, and after playing competitive chess for almost 50 years I still have not seen one player of that league to handle a Catalan ending properly (truth be told, I was also mishandling them quite badly while rated 2200+ FIDE).
Which book ( or other resource ) do you recommend to study the Catalan endgame?
Chesspublishing.com, Section 7?
The Keep It Simple 1 d4 book uses 1 d4 2 Nf3 3 g3 4 Bg2 5 0-0, and then 6 c4 most of the time. The move order avoids a few black defenses. And it's systematic, no? But there are exceptions. 6 c4 isn't always played, depending on what black has done. And if black plays a quick ....c5 the move order is derailed. The author covers the exceptions.
There is no one system opening that is good against everything black plays, white needs to adapt at times.
Isn’t that a Catalan transposed?
You avoid most variations of the open Catalan, all that QGA stuff, some Queen's Gambit lines, the ...Ba6 Queen's Indians... plus many more.
It is a sound approach which cuts down the material to be learned a lot, but I am not sure that it is suitable for low/intermediate players: Those Catalan / Fianchetto systems require subtle positional handling, and after playing competitive chess for almost 50 years I still have not seen one player of that league to handle a Catalan ending properly (truth be told, I was also mishandling them quite badly while rated 2200+ FIDE).
Which book ( or other resource ) do you recommend to study the Catalan endgame?
Chesspublishing.com, Section 7?
Refraining from chesspub is a conscious decision to avoid completely unnecessary mentals loops on opening theory 😁, which tbh I don't need. It's not a theoretical line I want to look into, it's annotated thematic games on that endgame that I'm after
If you had to choose just ONE opening system EXCEPT London for rapid play, what would it be and why ?
I'd feel quite sad if I had to play only a single opening all the time. Chess would get boring quite quickly, I believe ...
Though, if I were forced to choose a single opening system, I'd go with the Hippo. It, at least, offers a lot of chances for dynamic play and potential variety.
The Keep It Simple 1 d4 book uses 1 d4 2 Nf3 3 g3 4 Bg2 5 0-0, and then 6 c4 most of the time. The move order avoids a few black defenses. And it's systematic, no? But there are exceptions. 6 c4 isn't always played, depending on what black has done. And if black plays a quick ....c5 the move order is derailed. The author covers the exceptions.
There is no one system opening that is good against everything black plays, white needs to adapt at times.
Isn’t that a Catalan transposed?
You avoid most variations of the open Catalan, all that QGA stuff, some Queen's Gambit lines, the ...Ba6 Queen's Indians... plus many more.
It is a sound approach which cuts down the material to be learned a lot, but I am not sure that it is suitable for low/intermediate players: Those Catalan / Fianchetto systems require subtle positional handling, and after playing competitive chess for almost 50 years I still have not seen one player of that league to handle a Catalan ending properly (truth be told, I was also mishandling them quite badly while rated 2200+ FIDE).
Which book ( or other resource ) do you recommend to study the Catalan endgame?
GM Grigorov has collected several instructive Catalan endgames, and presented them at a collaborative Catalan workshop which is still on sale by Modern Chess, HERE.
Thank you 🙃
London is a good solid opening sure! But it's WAY too popular and I think even toddlers now days know how to properly play against it.
I've seen Rey Enigma (2700+lichess) plays Colle system successfully against IMs and GMs , out of all systems he chose Colle I wonder why?
What about KIA or Stonewall attack? Or BARCZA SYSTEM perhaps?
If you had to choose just ONE opening system EXCEPT London for rapid play, what would it be and why ?
London is a good solid opening sure! But it's WAY too popular and I think even toddlers now days know how to properly play against it.
I've seen Rey Enigma (2700+lichess) plays Colle system successfully against IMs and GMs , out of all systems he chose Colle I wonder why?
What about KIA or Stonewall attack? Or BARCZA SYSTEM perhaps?
If you had to choose just ONE opening system EXCEPT London for rapid play, what would it be and why ? I did NOT write all that. London overrated. I've beaten it enough times using Nh5.
London is easy to BEAT. Won vs it enough times.
Lately, I have been experimenting with what I call the Barcza Grunfeld. Instead of going for a KIA I try to throw my C and D pawns into the middle like a Grunfeld. I can get a Catalan, Grunfeld reversed, Reti, English, etc. This is not simple but is somewhat systematic. The biggest challenge is vs the Slav, but isn't that always the case, lol.
I've seen Rey Enigma (2700+lichess) plays Colle system successfully against IMs and GMs , out of all systems he chose Colle I wonder why?
If you had to choose just ONE opening system EXCEPT London for rapid play, what would it be and why ?
I play the Colle
However, The Colle, isn't really a system. Against 1...d5 one has know when to transpose into a Queens Gambit to avoid lines favorable to Black. e.g. the Chigorin and the Slav... also one will have to learn a few decent Anti-Colle lines...
One can not just play the first 4-6 moves in route fashion playing the Colle...
I play the Koltanowski variation... Rudel's work on the Koltanowski showed that one doesn't have to fear the ...Nc6 lines anymore.
IMHO ... There are a lot of practical advantages to playing 1.d4 2.Nc3 3.e3.
The Keep It Simple 1 d4 book uses 1 d4 2 Nf3 3 g3 4 Bg2 5 0-0, and then 6 c4 most of the time. The move order avoids a few black defenses. And it's systematic, no? But there are exceptions. 6 c4 isn't always played, depending on what black has done. And if black plays a quick ....c5 the move order is derailed. The author covers the exceptions.
There is no one system opening that is good against everything black plays, white needs to adapt at times.
Isn’t that a Catalan transposed?
Depends on what black plays. If black plays the setup...d5 ...nf6 ...e6 ...Be7 ...0-0 it becomes a Catalan.
Recently another book - Strategic Play with 1 d4 - has become available that also uses the sequence 1 d4 2 Nf3 3 g3 4 Bg2 5 0-0 6 c4. There are exceptions to the entire sequence being played. Strategic Play with 1 d4 is also a white opening repertoire but it's in complete games format. The Keep it Simple 1 d4 repertoire book doesn't use the complete games format.
The Strategic Play with 1 d4 book is 280 pages and being complete games means less opening theory on those pages, in case someone found the 400 pages of theory in Keep It Simple 1 d4 a bit much.
Despite both books using the same sequence they vary in choices during lines. It appears to me the Strategic Play with 1 d4 is, generally speaking, a simpler repertoire. Both books are very good though, and I'm using both.
My preference is to use Strategic Play with 1 d4 as my primary repertoire book because it seems simpler to me in general and that suits me better. The Keep It Simple 1 d4 book as my backup since it's more complete during the opening phase and for when I might not prefer a move/line in Strategic Play with 1 d4, and also for when I want to play both books' moves in a line.
Having said that, I could see someone else preferring the Keep It Simple 1 d4 book as their primary (or standalone) and Strategic Play with 1 d4 as backup.
The Keep It Simple 1 d4 book uses 1 d4 2 Nf3 3 g3 4 Bg2 5 0-0, and then 6 c4 most of the time. The move order avoids a few black defenses. And it's systematic, no? But there are exceptions. 6 c4 isn't always played, depending on what black has done. And if black plays a quick ....c5 the move order is derailed. The author covers the exceptions.
There is no one system opening that is good against everything black plays, white needs to adapt at times.
Isn’t that a Catalan transposed?
Depends on what black plays. If black plays the setup...d5 ...nf6 ...e6 ...Be7 ...0-0 it becomes a Catalan.