Nice games. But people are more likely to experiment in a rapid tournament - far more likely than they are to actually prepare for a rapidplay, that's for sure!IM Jack Rudd wrote:I have a feeling James Byrne and Theo Slade prepared for me today. I mean, since when does Theo play 1...e5 as black?
I find that preparation is more a ritual than anything else. Occasionally I've been able to catch people playing lines that are both sharp and dubious and chalk up an easy point, but often I only discover a couple of moves for my troubles. That doesn't matter though - only when I think I won't be surprised do I feel ready to play. My experience is that many/most people have a very narrow opening repertoire, which obviously helps a lot.