English Chess Forum

There are plenty of books on openings and most popular are the wild and exciting types or in vogue. Could someone write a book on Beating Boring Openings or How to win dull as ditch water positions? Examples could include any opening with exchange in the title (please replace exchange with limp). Usually openings where pawns haven't moved except the centre ones and they have probably gone or moving no where. Any IM worth his weight in gold should be able to knock one out in 5 mins. Unfortunately it may not contain any real excitement or a Greek Bishop Sac, but technically it would be interesting!

Books on the following should be banned:
French exchange
Spanish exchange
London System
Catalan (played by Kramnik and he helps me sleep at night)
4 Knights
BG5 in D4 openings full stop any variation (Torre)

There are several DVDs and books on this subject.

Annoying d Pawn Openings
Dealing with d Pawn Deviations

immediately spring to mind.

I would also include the Sicilian Alapin in the banned list!

Please do not ban the London System as I like a free point as Black!

There are no boring openings, only boring players.

Interesting players can make any opening interesting.

Gavin Strachan wrote: BG5 in D4 openings full stop any variation (Torre)

Whoa, hang on. What's wrong with this:

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6 5. Bg5 h6

That can get very interesting. After 6. Bh4 dxc4 7. e4 g5 8. Bg3 b5, the game is hardly dull, black is a pawn up, but with a dodgy position. White has better central control. It leads to quite interesting games. 6. Bxf6 is OK too.

Richard James wrote:There are no boring openings, only boring players.

Interesting players can make any opening interesting.

How about the Bg4 line in the Spanish Exchange that quickly ends in a draw by repetition?

Is that interesting?

Alex Holowczak wrote:
1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6 5. Bg5 h6

You have already chosen the duller alternative. 5..dc: is much more fun! The Moscow can transpose into the Botvinnink of course.

Moscow is interesting, BG5 really just Torre.

John Upham wrote:

Richard James wrote:There are no boring openings, only boring players.

Interesting players can make any opening interesting.

How about the Lg4 line in the Spanish Exchange that quickly ends in a draw by repetition?

Is that interesting?

But ...Bg4 in the Spanish Exchange has recently discovered new levels of interesting (at least by Spanish Exchange standards). After h3, instead of ...h5, Black can sac a pawn with ...Bh5 7. g4 Bg6 8. Nxe5 Qh4 9. Qf3 f6 etc., as in Turner-Hammer 4NCL 2010, round 11 (http://www.4ncl.co.uk/0910_div1-11viewer.htm)

I'd be interested in a book which gave hints on how to get something out of the opening if your opponent decides to go the boring route. For example idea on how to play the black side of the exchange French.

John Upham wrote:There are several DVDs and books on this subject.

Annoying d Pawn Openings
Dealing with d Pawn Deviations

immediately spring to mind.

I would also include the Sicilian Alapin in the banned list!
Please do not ban the London System as I like a free point as Black!

OI!!!!!!!!!!!

It was inevitable somebody would include it of course

I have, of course, played loads of interesting and at times exciting games in said opening - as have all the fellow devotees I know of. Seriously, I don't see how it can really be compared to dross like 1d4 d5 2e3 stodges or the Exchange Slav/Ruy/French/QGD (the last named being what Fischer famously once described as epitomising all he disliked about chess, IIRC) But as ever, each to their own

Jon,

There is a good chapter in Neil McDonald's book on how to play the black side against the French Exchange

Also to John U, I don't think you can transpose to the Botvinnik if you play the Moscow because after black plays g5 white has to play Bg3. Personally from the stuff I have been looking at recently, the Botvinnik is a very dodgy opening to play with black, and the Moscow is the safer alternative

Black can transpose from the Moscow to the Botvinnik by playing 7...b5, if he wants. Your mileage may vary on whether he would want to.

Gavin Strachan wrote:Books on the following should be banned:
French exchange
Spanish exchange
London System
Catalan (played by Kramnik and he helps me sleep at night)
4 Knights
BG5 in D4 openings full stop any variation (Torre)

Please don't ban the 4 Knights, since I don't know much Petroff theory I play 3. Nc3 against it to frustrate an opponent who probably does!

Gavin Strachan wrote:Books on the following should be banned:
French exchange
Spanish exchange
London System
Catalan (played by Kramnik and he helps me sleep at night)
4 Knights
BG5 in D4 openings full stop any variation (Torre)

Bit unfair on the Catalan - which can often lead to very sharp positions.

The Kramnik bashing is rather 2005, too