Buridan’s ass

Yesterday the club started a four round G/40 Swiss (two games a day, over two Mondays). I won both games, and as White I stuck with playing 1. e4.

I feel more comfortable playing 1. e4 at the club under faster time controls (especially against lower rated players). The amount of theory needed to play accurately against the Sicilian, French, Caro-Kann…it’s just too much for me to keep track of. Which is why I am looking at (and currently studying) the Reti. But I am not at the point where I feel comfortable with the various Black responses to 1. Nf3, and against players at my level and below the game rarely goes down the mainlines (and when it does neither player knows what to do after the last memorized move is made).

So I feel somewhat torn between my previous intention to pick up and play the Reti, and my success with 1. e4 against players around my level. I could just find a variation for each defense that is fairly easy to remember, with well-developed plans (forget trying to squeeze the first move advantage and just get to a playable middlegame). Or I could get more comfortable with the Reti, try it out at the club, and maybe I’ll have even better results. Or maybe I am trying to chase after an opening that may only make a difference against strong well-booked opponents, and is it a good use of my time to switch from 1. e4 just because in one every 50 games of tournament chess I’ll face a Master? Obsessing over openings is stupid.

We’ll see how I do next week, when I will likely face the top-rated player (and my current nemesis). Hopefully I’ll be White. And I’ll try to get a chess game viewer installed here so I can add something of interest besides the whining about what my first move should be.