The Search for the Holy Grail

Chess begins with the opening. The search for the right opening is like the search for the Holy Grail. It is a never ending quest for wanderers like me. Chess is a journey. And all the Chess authors out there can be grateful for players like me.

I respect and admire people who have one opening and stick to it. I just can't do it. I am as faithful to opening systems as Casanova on Viagra. I have learned to accept this about myself. I am not a professional. I am a coffeehouse player. I can play what I want.

I have come to the point where I tell myself, "All openings are bad." I believe I will never find the Holy Grail, that perfect match, descending from above. Instead I will be wonderfully making do with this and that. Perhaps some day I will settle down. In order to play well in a real tournament, I know I must. But it is hard. The grass always looks greener, somewhere else.

About all openings being bad... Offbeat openings tend to play out quickly. They are not suitable for the long haul. Simple solid universal systems may suffer the same fate unless they can be broadened later. And Main Lines have so much to learn. It is overwhelming.

Here we go. 1.e4 You must have an answer to the Sicilian, Open, French, Caro-Kann, Scandinavian, Pirc, and Alekhine specialists. The Alapin can make the Sicilian player groan. The Open has the Spanish or Scotch Four Knights, or the Glek as a forcing line. The French is a Wench. Black has so many options it is hard to find a long term playable line that gives you the repertoire preparation study edge. (Perhaps the Advance?) I like Peter Wells suggestion (Grandmaster Secrets, The Caro-Kann, Gambit 2007) 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.c3 Nc6 5.Be2 Pretty much leaving ...Bf5 6.Nf3 e6 and a straight forward Short System. There is the Alekhine exchange. And the Pirc-Modern is another slippery beast to manage. 1.e4 is a lot of work, even with this very limiting repertoire.

1.d4 main lines mean, one has to be prepared for the Gruenfeld, King's Indian, and Benoni, as well as the Slav, Semi-Slav, Queen's Gambit declined, and Dutch. Plus if Black plays something like 1...e6, 1...c6, 1....d6, 2.e4 may be the best response which begs the question, "Why not just play 1.e4 then? It dodges the Sicilian? Even that is not always true, as some Black ...c5 moves are best met by a transposition into an Accelerated Dragon.

1.c4 According to Roman is the easiest way to play for an opening advantage. But truly that is a slippery beast to handle from both sides. Black has numerous solid and adventurous responses. I personally have had problems with the reversed sicilian where Black pretty much puts me on my toes on the kingside.

I could go on.

For now I have decided to play the most humble chess possible. Following the advice on Jeremy Silman's website, I am playing the Queen's Gambit Declined, and Caro-Kann as black, and the Colle-Torre as white.

I am hoping that Caissa will be like God who is "Opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble."