Chess Openings

I have done a few posts on chess since I started this blog and I feel I need to at least go off a little on openings and defences...but quickly I got to say something.

Apparently some woman is screaming that she has the "love child" of Bobby Fischer...so they are gonna dig his ass up and do some damn DNA crap. I know it's law and shit but damn folks...this just has a tint of sacreligious to me. I am going to say one thing about Bobby and then I will rest. He was the best...bar none. Karpov, Kasparov, Anand...I don't give a damn. Bobby was the BEST. As for his role in life apart from the 64 squares...I do not like one bit of it. Remember folks...there is a fine line between genius and stone cold fuck nuts...he passed it.

Remember him for his contribution to the 64 squares...and let's all try to forget the other crap.

Ok...as most know I play on Gameknot. There is another chess site that I actually helped build...but we won't talk about that one. So let's talk some openings.

When I was a kid I learned the Ruy Lopez for white and the Sicillian Najdorf for black ( both of Fischer's faves ). I used these two for years and then one day I made an order to Chess Digest and Ken Smith picked up the phone...he was one of Bobby's buddies back in the day. He started telling me that I will never get better untill I start putting gambits into my repertoire. He said, "Dave, you will fight alot harder being a pawn down".

I took that shit to heart. Tactics and strong endgame play are what make a chess player. Not memorizing 30 moves deep on the QGA. So I started playing around with openings that not alot of people played. I fell in love with the Philidor...and 15 years later it is still my main defence against 1.e4, and in a speed game I will throw the Philidor Counter Gambit on your ass and you will walk away mumbling...I almost beat Asa Hoffman with it. The Scotch Gambit! Took GM Gregory Kaidanov to about move 63 before I lost on time with that bad boy. The Balogh ( 1.e4 d6 2.Nf3 f5! ) spent alot of time talking and working with FM Keith Hayward on that one.

Against 1.d4 I almost always play the Benko Gambit now...got to meet Pal Benko when he had a layover at Charlotte Douglass airport...an amazing man.

So I guess what I am trying to say is don't always play the solid lines...play some shit that opens things up. You might lose but damn..it's just a game! Have fun!!

The masterpieces come from the obscure...not the things that have been analyzed to death.

Life is short my friends...and if you want to paint a picture...don't be afraid to play something that states, "Hey...either you get me or I am gonna get you...no draws today by God!!"

Once again a look into the mind of not only YOUR friendly Neighborhood comic...but your chess master as well.

Dave