Work in progress…
How to decide if the Dutch Defence is good for you
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Just taking the Dutch Defence as an example…
Do you think it suits you? (Do your friends think it suits you?)
Do the ideas you read about go into your memory?
Do the ideas you remember actually turn up in your games?
Do you get good results with it?
Do the results in your games have anything to do with the opening?
Can your opponents avoid the lines you like to play?
Philidor’s Defence — see recent post
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http://exeterchessclub.org.uk/content/lessons-philidors-defence-live-act…
London System
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Some opening systems are ‘good’: they are played by Grandmasters and
have enough point to give other Grandmasters some problems in getting
equality as Black.
Some opening systems are not so good: they are rarely played by GMs and
don’t have enough about them to give other GMs problems.
What does all this have to do with club players?
A good opening for a club player is one that gives your opponents problems.
And the London System? It’s not generally considered to set enough
problems to be played against GMs, although some GMs will use it as a
‘rabbit-bashing’ system, keeping out of theory and known equalising and
simplifying lines.
In amateur play, it may be possible to learn a a defence against the
London System which is enough to put White off playing it. If your
opponents don’t know any such defence, your greater familiarity with the
system may give you great practical chances.
A good example of White’s practical chances:
A good example of Black’s strongest defence:
But can White avoid this defence by a clever move order?!
Does it matter if Black can equalise with …Bd6?
Scheveningen Sicilian for Black: move order issues
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Scheveningen
Paulsen/Taimanov
Nadforf
The original Scheveningen was
Approaching via Najdorf move order
avoid g4, allow Bb5+
Approaching via Taimanov move order
take sting out of g4, allow c4