Thank you for filling in the opening questionnaires online, and I'm sorry we didn't get time to look at your responses on Saturday. But here is what I might have said:
Systems for White
Scotch Game (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4)
My main recommendation for a first opening system, leading to an open game with chances to attack. Good stuff, just the style you should use when you start playing chess.
Colle System (1.d4 with Nf3/e3 and without c4)
A good first opening system -- develop and attack!
London System (1.d4 with Bf4 and without c4)
Not a bad first opening system. The good thing about it is, you can play the same moves against everything, but that's also the bad thing about it -- you can plod through the opening moves without thinking and without adjusting to what's happening on the board. For example, in the London System White usually plays, in some order, d4 Nf3 Bf4 e3 c3 Nbd2 and Bd3. Nothing wrong with that, but c3 is useful only as a reply to ...c5 or ...Nc6. If your opponent doesn't play ...c5, you can save a move. So, play it with thought, and notice what might be different about the position in front of you today.
Queen's Gambit (1.d4 d5 2.c4)
A fine opening -- maybe not for your first opening system, but surely for your second, once you know how to attack.
Facing Black dodges: quite a few 'play the same moves as I usually do' replies there -- and you really need to play a different way to get your pieces out. For example, 1.e4 2.Nf3 and 3.Bc4 is fine against 1...e5, but against the Sicilian 1...c5 it can walk into 2....e6 and 3...d5, upsetting your plans. 'I play the main lines' -- perfect.
Most of you are playing 1.d4, it seems -- which was a bit of a surprise. It's more solid than 1.e4 but less exciting and not so good for practising the things most people need to practise -- development, open lines, tactics and attacking play.
Systems for Black
Facing 1.e4
Not too many named systems in there!
Four Knights' Game (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6)
that's White's choice not yours! I recommend after 4.Bb5 you play 4...Nd4.
Two Knights'/Giuoco Piano (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 with 3...Nf6 or 3...Bc5)
both fine and just the sort of style you should be playing. (Usually you choose one or the other.)
French Defence (1.e4 e6)
very good, solid and with chances to attack, not easy to play against.
Sicilian Defence (1.e4 c5)
an excellent though difficult defence, which will last you for life.
Caro-Kann (1.e4 c6)
a fine and even fashionable defence, but you don't usually get chances to attack, so wouldn't be my recommendation.
Facing 1.d4
The only things with a name I see are:
Dutch Defence (1.d4 f5)
An excellent unbalancing and dynamic defence. It's likely to work well against a player that has started playing 1.d4 too early in their development.
Queen's Gambit Declined, Orthodox Defence (1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6)
A good first defence to 1.d4, solid and logical, and might last you all your life.
I suspect the rest of you are making it up as you go, which is likely to lead to trouble against the Queen's Gambit (1.d4 d5 2.c4). Pick a system -- the most common are the Slav Defence (2...c6) and the Orthodox Defence (2...e6, of which the Swiss Defence (7...a6) and All-Purpose Defence (...b6) are variations), and stick to it. You can usually play the moves of a defence to the Queen's Gambit against everything apart from 1.e4.
I'm happier for you to pick a solid style as Black -- it's a dangerous world out there when you are Black, and a solid approach can give you confidence.
Here are your replies (rows) with my individual comments:
| Main White Opening e.g. Scotch Game | DR comments | What do you do when Black dodges*? | DR comments | Defence as Black against 1.e4 e.g. French Defence | DR comments | Defence as Black against 1.d4/2.c4 e.g. Swiss Defence | DR comments |
| Scotch Game | Great | I play the same moves as I normally do | That's not going to work against everything, maybe not against anything! | French Defence | Great | Make it up | Do learn a proper system with a name |
| London system | Fine to start with you might need something chewier later | I play the same moves as I normally do | Probably OK | Caro-kann defence | Great | The Dutch defence | Great |
| London system | Fine to start with you might need something chewier later | I play the main lines | Probably OK | e5 | OK | c3 | Not sure what you mean? |
| london system | Fine to start with you might need something chewier later | I play the main lines | Probably OK | have not decided on one opening as I tend to try different ones | Hmm - pick a system and stick to it is my advice! | have not decided on one opening as I tend to try different ones | Hmm - pick a system and stick to it is my advice! |
| The Queen's Gambit | Great | ? | c5 | Great | c5 | Fits | |
| 1.e2e4,2.f1d3 and g1f3 | Bf1d3 won't do you any favours unless you play d2d4 first | I play the same moves as I normally do | That's not going to work against everything, maybe not against anything! | unknown | Needs a look! | unkown | Needs a look! |
| Queens gambit | Great | I play the same moves as I normally do | Not bad, but might need some care against eg. Nimzo-Indian | Four nights | OK | Slav defence | Fine |
| London | Fine to start with you might need something chewier later | I do something else (please tick then describe below) | ? | 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 | OK | Queens Gambit Declined or Slav Defence | Fine |
| Queen’s Gambit | Great | I play the main lines | Grear | Two knights defence or Guiccio Piano game | Giuoco! But all good | Slav defence or Caro-kann | Also good |
| Queens Gambit | Great | I play the main lines | Great | Im trying to learn karo-kann | Good | If c4 i play e5 and d4 i play d5 | Fine |
| Attempting the Colle | Great | I play the same moves as I normally do | Probably OK | depends | Hmm - pick a system and stick to it is my advice! | depends | Hmm - pick a system and stick to it is my advice! |