Comments on: On The Importance Of Openings http://www.thechessmill.com/2007/03/07/on-the-importance-of-openings/ Ramblings and ruminations on chess in SE Wisconsin, the USA and the World Fri, 16 May 2008 04:07:04 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Administrator http://www.thechessmill.com/2007/03/07/on-the-importance-of-openings/#comment-10602 Administrator Sat, 24 Mar 2007 04:02:43 +0000 http://www.thechessmill.com/2007/03/07/on-the-importance-of-openings/#comment-10602 If they're really telling you why you're making the move, you have some exceptional opening books. Most don't bother much beyond a couple of sentences. For example, I don't think too many opening books tell you why you should answer 1 d4 Nf6 with 2 c4, although they pretty much all tell you to do that. You're going about opening study the right way, and I applaud you for that; the ideas in an opening are at least as important as the moves themselves. But I suspect the improvement in your middlegame is more related to having a better position coming out of the opening than it is to improving your skill at playing one. As for the rating improvement, congratulations, but it's not unexpected. One of the Quotes I've been going to post here comes from a local player, Bill Williams, who has been state champion at least once in each of the past five decades. I asked him years back about what I should study, and he answered that it depended upon my goals: "To improve your results, study openings. To understand chess, study endgames." This isn't to say one should never study openings. Results are important, even when they improve faster than one's actual skill at chess may be improving. I can remember when I got my hands on the Schwarz book on the Caro-Kann. My results improved, which in turn made my rating jump. And both improved much faster than my skill at playing chess did. I thought at the time that just confirmed the fact I was underrated. Now I realize it's because my skill didn't really improve all that much. But at the time, the illusion gave me the motivation to keep playing through those dark days when I would win only one or two games in a whole tournament. If they’re really telling you why you’re making the move, you have some exceptional opening books. Most don’t bother much beyond a couple of sentences. For example, I don’t think too many opening books tell you why you should answer 1 d4 Nf6 with 2 c4, although they pretty much all tell you to do that. You’re going about opening study the right way, and I applaud you for that; the ideas in an opening are at least as important as the moves themselves. But I suspect the improvement in your middlegame is more related to having a better position coming out of the opening than it is to improving your skill at playing one.

As for the rating improvement, congratulations, but it’s not unexpected. One of the Quotes I’ve been going to post here comes from a local player, Bill Williams, who has been state champion at least once in each of the past five decades. I asked him years back about what I should study, and he answered that it depended upon my goals: “To improve your results, study openings. To understand chess, study endgames.”

This isn’t to say one should never study openings. Results are important, even when they improve faster than one’s actual skill at chess may be improving. I can remember when I got my hands on the Schwarz book on the Caro-Kann. My results improved, which in turn made my rating jump. And both improved much faster than my skill at playing chess did. I thought at the time that just confirmed the fact I was underrated. Now I realize it’s because my skill didn’t really improve all that much. But at the time, the illusion gave me the motivation to keep playing through those dark days when I would win only one or two games in a whole tournament.

]]> By: Vegard http://www.thechessmill.com/2007/03/07/on-the-importance-of-openings/#comment-10595 Vegard Fri, 23 Mar 2007 21:50:49 +0000 http://www.thechessmill.com/2007/03/07/on-the-importance-of-openings/#comment-10595 When I am studying openings, I find that my midgame improves. Why? Because most books tell you why you are doing the move you are doing, you get more positions into your database, and also most books tell what plans you can have in the certain position. When I started reading some books about openings, my rating went from around 1000 to 1400. When I am studying openings, I find that my midgame improves. Why? Because most books tell you why you are doing the move you are doing, you get more positions into your database, and also most books tell what plans you can have in the certain position. When I started reading some books about openings, my rating went from around 1000 to 1400.

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