#10 I would argue that the best opening is the one which allows the players and spectators to best enjoy the game.
#5 I like your "Zaitzev's attack"! I'll have to start playing it. :-)
@ArveTheNewbornI think I must write " ! " because, it has very aggresive ideas, and, with accurancy, you can develop -in blitz- very powerful ideas.
1.h4 is not as bad as you might think.
This posting shows nice won games for white :
http://www.chess.com/forum/view/chess-openings/the-hnerf-attack?page=1Having said that, years ago I knew a FM (and a good blitz player, winning lots of otb blitz tourneys) who told me that he had played 1.h4 and 2.a4 in national otb chess team competition games and scored very well with it.
The "best" opening is only "best" per person, per style, per time control.
A Capablanca/Karpov/Petrosian fan might prefer 1.d4,
while a Kasparov/Alekhin/Shirov fan might prefer 1.e4.
YMMV.
Yéh, indeed. There are openings even for every time rate. You will not play -well, chess is an universe and, its players creates the multiverse- a very solid one; in blitz you will play aggresive, understanding the positional psychology...
For me, the second move (h4!) against the Nf3 (Zukertort's, and, my favourite...) is just a very powerful attack, and a psychological trick, because, my opponents tend to "tear down" the -h pawn and they don't take care about their development, and the control of the center.
Best openings? The best openings does not exists; two perfect chess players -engines, one day...- will draw the game 'till eternity, even with a white's superiority, chess tends to be a drawable game -indeed, not for us, just for the future engines-.
P. S. I use to play Zukertort's because it's awesomely flexible!
the idea of h4/a4 is to play with black pieces + extra move h5/a5, but i am sure that setups are possible where these extra moves turn out to weaken g5/b5.
Probably ..f5 against h4 and ..c5 against a4 is strong, to control these squares.
It of course is not trivial in blitz/bullet.
#16 Sorry, I do not have the faintest idea what this means!
What do you not understand? Eg. the position after 1.h4 is the same position as the startposition, with the difference that the black pawn is on h5 instead of h7. Just mirrored.
(BTW, maybe it is not true, that ..f5 against h4 and ..c5 against a4 is strong, as it would also be nice for black to put the bishop on b4/g4)
Lets play this through:
If in the startposition the black pawn was on a5:
I play 1.e4.
1...Nc6: i can transpose to Ruy Lopez or Scandinavian, see below.
1...Na6: becomes a bit stronger but still not impressive.
1...b6: doesnt seem to provide any advantages for black, except the b5 square is a bit weaker.
1...c6: may be useful, on the other hand ..Qa5 is not possible any more and ..0-0-0 is dangerous.
1...c5: No. Weakens b5.
1...d6: all setups with ..a6 and ..b5 not possible any more.
1...d5: 0-0-0 is not possible any more.
1...e6: 3.Nc3: Botwinnik: All ..Qa5 variations not possible, ..b6 and ..Ba6 maybe stronger. Steinitz: ..a6, ..b5 ideas not possible any more. Rubinstein: No.
1...e5: Ruy Lopez: Bb5 can not be chased away with ..a5. Petroff: Probably more a weakness in these open positions. Philidor: like in Kings indian, weakens d5 a bit as i can play dxe5 and if ..dxe5 and ..c6 then Be3, Na4-b6
1...Nf6: Maybe useful, but makes it not really a better opening.
1... g6, see 1...d6
If in the startposition the black pawn was on h5, i play 1.d4, because i know no black setup against, where 1...h5 makes any sense (But this may be due to the fact that i dont play 1.d4 regulary).
Against 1.e4 there are setups where h5 fits. Eg. advance Caro Kann (or lines from the modern, where black later plays ..c6 and ..d5), Sicilian Dragon, Najdorf (sometimes). On the other hand in Sicilian maybe Alapin or Morra becomes stronger. And in Caro-Kann white does not have to play 3.e5. If eg. he opens the game with 3.exd5 and 4.c4 then ..h5 also looks weird.
In general, if the opp plays 1.a4 or 1.h4 (or 1...a5 or 1...h5), i would try to develop, play agressively in center and open the position. Then these pawn moves tend to become weaknesses.
How about the Hammerschlaug Fried fox/Pork chop opening: 1.f3 e5 2. Kf2 ....
