Which openings do you most dislike playing against?

[PyramidScheme]

I also hate seeing that slav stuff. I really don't know the names of openings, but I also hate when people as white do that london system crap or anything that doesn't involve open game in general.

[Gorgonian]

The Winawer and Advance are so much fun, I could never bring myself to play the stupid exchange as white (French).

[meekrab]

Not a fan of facing the Pirc though my results are pretty decent against it.

I both hate seeing the English and score poorly against it so I've been working on that. >_>

[KyleJRM82]

Originally Posted by Gorgonian

The Winawer and Advance are so much fun, I could never bring myself to play the stupid exchange as white (French).

I just can't seem to get them right. Well, that's not entirely true. I win a decent amount of games against the French outside of the exchange. But they are usually from bad positions. 1. e4 e6 2. d4 is basically just a gambit for me. I will lose a central pawn at some point and I will try to get piece activity and kingside attack as compensation.

The exchange is just a spite move. You annoyed me by playing the French, but who is annoyed now?

[KyleJRM82]

Originally Posted by meekrab

Not a fan of facing the Pirc though my results are pretty decent against it.

I both hate seeing the English and score poorly against it so I've been working on that. >_>

I have a running joke that I always forget the Pirc is a real opening. It just looks so much like one of those awful "I'm a bad player and I'm scared so I'm going to turtle in the opening and hope you get bored and make a big mistake" openings that I forget sometimes it is a for-real opening with theory and everything. Anything hypermodern against 1. e4 makes me feel like a bull who has seen a red flag. At the master level, it's awesome. But how many players at my level can afford to cede the center and invite a kingside attack?

I play a game with the English: I always try to force them to transpose to some sort of d4 line. I don't know why, but it's fun to try.

[Do it Right]

Originally Posted by KyleJRM82

I just can't seem to get them right. Well, that's not entirely true. I win a decent amount of games against the French outside of the exchange. But they are usually from bad positions. 1. e4 e6 2. d4 is basically just a gambit for me. I will lose a central pawn at some point and I will try to get piece activity and kingside attack as compensation.

The exchange is just a spite move. You annoyed me by playing the French, but who is annoyed now?

Have you tried out: 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 c5 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 Ne7 7. Qg4

That leads to some very wacky and dynamic positions. And even though the positions are really crazy the amount of requisite theory is not huge - it's not like the botvinnik semi slav or spanish marshall gambit for instance.

As for when players try to avoid the sharp lines and play more stodgy stuff - the games of Kasparov are, as always, incredibly instructive. He has an incredible record against the French and the games are invariably very forceful and clear guides in how to attack!

[KyleJRM82]

Actually, yes, I have tried that one. It's nice and fun

[TexAg06]

DiR, you weren't kidding about the early Ne4 in the exchange Slav. Over the weekend I had some time to look at the opening in-depth in Chessbase and I couldn't believe some of the names playing that early line; Kasparov, Kramnik, Anand, Shirov, and the list goes on. That's absolutely going to be my weapon of choice from here on out. I'm surprised that move doesn't get more attention. Thanks again for the recommendation.