Many chess gamers, myself included, are obsessive about discovering the “greatest” openings to play.

The rationale for this obsession is sensible. In the event you get an incredible place out of the opening, play will likely be simpler.

It’s notable that issues are totally different when enjoying White or Black. The truth is, the “greatest” openings are extra relevant for Black, because it’s Black who chooses the way to react to White’s first transfer.

So let’s take a look at these greatest openings for Black.

The previous couple of a long time clarified quite a lot of issues within the openings. Due to the engines, we are able to now be virtually sure about many openings and variations.

It began in 2000 with Kramnik’s genius thought to play the Berlin towards Garry Kasparov. Garry couldn’t break The Wall and ever since then no one got here even shut. Truly, the Berlin has established itself as one of many “greatest” openings for Black towards 1.e4.

Laptop video games and evaluation have crystallised which openings are higher and that are worse. In opposition to 1.e4, alongside the Berlin, we have now the Petroff, the Najdorf and the Sveshnikov. These openings have proved to be one of the best ones in terms of statistics, security of Black’s place and lack of probabilities provided to White. Naturally, all of them differ of their essence and character, however that is for every participant to determine.

In opposition to 1.d4, we have now a greater diversity. The primary line of defence goes to the Queen’s Gambit Declined, the Nimzo-Indian and the Ragozin mixture and the Semi-Tarrasch after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 c5 5.cxd5 cxd4! (as an alternative of the extra common 5…Nxd5). Shut to those is the Slav complicated and the Grunfeld.

I’ve witnessed and was a part of the Kasparov period within the Nineties when opening preparation consisted of digging issues up with engines and springing surprises on the unsuspecting opponents. It required work to search out new concepts for each colors. These days, nonetheless, the hassle to search out new concepts has elevated, however solely when enjoying with White!

When enjoying with Black, the participant doesn’t really want new concepts. The rationale for that is that the huge quantity of idea, with the numerous pc video games forming it, as soon as memorised, is definitely adequate to acquire a very good recreation with out inventing new concepts. Merely following the idea is sufficient for Black.

That’s the reason all of the onus is on White. It’s White who should attempt to discover new concepts, however in all of the openings talked about above, no new thought will change the analysis of a well-established variation. What we have now then, is a scenario the place White hopes that his new thought would set Black pondering and hopefully result in impartial play, whereas Black, confronted with a brand new thought, is aware of that his place is greater than wonderful despite being stunned within the opening.

This sense of being secure with Black even when stunned is just not one thing that existed within the Nineties. Again then, each time confronted with a ready shock, you’d assume that your opponent has refuted the road!

That is why the talked about openings are one of the best ones. No shock will ever refute them. A shock generally is a huge one and even win a recreation, however the opening won’t ever be in peril. As a typical instance of such an thought, that finally gained a recreation, however didn’t even come near shaking the idea within the opening is Caruana’s 16.c3 within the sharpest Poisoned Pawn variation within the Najdorf, performed towards Vachier on the Ekaterinburg Candidates Match. The transfer shocked Vachier, but it surely’s clear that the transfer was simply neutralised as quickly as the sport completed, so it didn’t have an effect on the Najdorf in a single bit.

That’s the reason virtually all of White’s concepts these days are principally one-game concepts. It’s a hit-and-run method and it requires quite a lot of work to stockpile a bunch of concepts to have at one’s disposal.

The most recent illustration of those totally different approaches with White and Black had been the final two World Championship matches. Nepomniachtchi caught to his Petroff towards Carlsen and obtained equal positions with out demonstrating something new and simply following idea. Each Ding and Carlsen diversified their White openings in an try and catch Nepo on unfamiliar floor and it needs to be admitted that Ding was extra profitable than Carlsen, as he managed to acquire many promising positions with the white items by enjoying sidelines.

To conclude, enjoying one of the best openings with Black will make your life simpler, particularly towards opponents who haven’t ready a shock, when following established idea will suffice. And when confronted with a shock, the participant ought to keep in mind the inherent solidity of the opening to have the idea to efficiently navigate the shock he’s dealing with. Typically this gained’t be straightforward, however when you understand the reality is there within the place, it’s simpler to search for it and, hopefully, discover it.