Jeremy,

I doubt this problem plagues experienced players, but this one is giving me headaches at this stage of my chess study. What general advice can you give regarding how to play against an unfamiliar opening? I am in my first year of serious study and playing, and I know there will be many times when an opponent will play an opening with which I am not familiar. In general I enjoy the challenge of playing against something new, but not so much when my analysis fails in the worst possible way.

For example, I recently played in a game in which I was Black. I declined the King's Gambit, horribly!
1. e4 e5
2. f4 d6?
The only two proper responses, which I found from reading later, were …d5 and …Bc5. It was downhill from there.
Thanks!
Joe
Minneapolis, MN

Silman replies:

Thanks for posing a question that “speaks” to the vast majority of players! First, you must understand that screwing up your openings is the main way you learn. Very few people (of any strength!) can memorize everything they need and then play the opening correctly. Instead, one needs to pick up the basics (i.e., ideas, structures, typical tactical motifs that arise, and plans), play their system(s) as often as possible (in tournament play and in blitz, which is a great way to painlessly practice one’s lines), and then look up the replies that give you trouble (as quickly as possible, while it’s still fresh in your mind!).

By having direct experience with a move, you will be able to memorize it and understand it on a much deeper level. As time goes on and your experience with an opening deepens, so will your skill at playing it correctly, and in replying to off the wall replies.

Having said that, let’s take this to another level. You MUST understand that the vast majority of your opponent’s won’t know the book moves. Thus, they will always deviate early, often by trotting out some theoretical abomination (That’s why memorizing tons of lines is a waste of time. NOBODY will be kind enough to follow your analysis!). If you understand the basic ideas (not moves…ideas!) of the system you are playing, then you will be able to reply accordingly. Your answer to his “ugly” move might not be the very best, but who cares? All you want is a playable position where you can show your stuff and enjoy the rush of battle.

Let’s look at a couple of examples:
1.e4 e5
You have just decided to answer 1.e4 with …e5. Grabbing a book, you learn the starting position of a line in the Ruy Lopez that attracted your attention (2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6).

Flush with the excitement of trying something new, you immediately log onto the World Chess Network (or some other playing site) and give it a go, KNOWING FULL WELL that you haven’t looked at any reply other than 2.Nf3. Sure enough, your opponent tosses out the King’s Gambit with:
2.f4
The first thing that crosses your mind is, “This is HIS system, not mine!” And sure enough, you are now at a huge disadvantage since he (supposedly) knows what he’s doing, while you don’t have a clue!
Your initial reaction is to play:
2…d6
and if you do so it will be a lesson well learned, even if you get wiped off the board (it’s just a blitz game, so who cares). If this does happen, you should leap on your books as soon as the game is over, figure out what you want to do against 2.f4, and then get back on-line and pray someone plays 2.f4 again!
This time, your game goes:
1.e4 e5
2.Nf6 Nc6
3.d4
The Scotch Game. Doesn’t anyone play the Lopez anymore? No matter, look for a reply that smacks of logic and do it. This time you’re more on target:
3…exd4
Refusing to lose time by defending the e-pawn, you make him move his Knight again if he wishes to regain the pawn. You are expecting 4.Nxd4, when 4…Bc5 strikes you as reasonable (remember: simple, logical moves will usually do the job). However, yet another surprise awaits you:
4.c3
Another gambit! Again you get blasted off the planet, and again you log off and turn to your beloved book (NCO or MCO being fine). After brushing up on the Scotch (4.Nxd4) and on 4.c3, you get online yet again and the process continues over and over.

This is how you learn. It takes practice, pain (losing is part of the equation), and a desire to invest a bit of time into the process.

Let’s do it one more time. Here we have a player that enjoys the Colle System as White. He’s learned the key positions and feels very comfortable after:
1.d4 d5
2.Nf3 Nf6
3.e3
When 3…e6 4.Bd3 with 5.0-0, 6.Nbd2 and a quick e3-e4 is exactly what White wants. If Black now plays some Bozo move like 3…h6, simply continue with your normal plans. If he doesn’t get in your way, don’t veer off the course you originally set for yourself.

However, if Black plays:
3…Bg4
you must take notice! Now, following your usual ideas won’t get the job done since his move is both logical and good. Thus, 4.Bd3 (4.Be2 is much too passive, giving Black more respect then he deserves! Try hard not to react in a defensive manner and allow your opponent to dominate you mentally.) 4…Nbd7 5.c3 e5 and Black has beaten you to the punch. This will likely happen to you, but live and learn. Next time you will be prepared:
4.c4
The usual recommendation. The idea is to follow up with 5.Qb3, trying to take advantage of his unprotected b-pawn (in other words, you are hoping to label his …Bg4 as a mistake!). This is a good approach, and it also gives you some useful guidelines to follow: “If Black moves his Bishop out early, change plans with c2-c4 followed by Qb3 and Nc3, putting immediate pressure on d5 and b7.”
Such verbal ideas are extremely important in your understanding of the openings you choose, so try and learn as many as possible.

By the way, I've always liked playing 4.h3 here, with the idea of answering 4.Bh5 with 5.g4 Bg6 6.Ne5 when Black has some nasty problems to deal with: 6.Nbd7 7.h4! (This forces Black to move his h-pawn, and allows White to take on g6 and ruin the enemy structure after .fxg6. Taking on g6 right away by 7.Nxg6 is very nice for Black if he can reply with 6.hxg6) 7.h5 (and not 7.Nxe5 8.dxe5 when the dual threats of 9.exf6 and 9.h5 forces the win of material) 8.Nxg6 fxg6 9.Bd3 (Threatening a "tiny" mate on g6.) 9.Kf7 10.g5 and Black is already lost after 10.Ne4 11.Qf3+.

This isn’t best play, of course, but it shows you how you can turn an initial bad experience (answering 3…Bg4 with 4.Bd3) into something very positive (winning subsequent games with 4.c4 or 4.h3).

Jeremy Silman