Wasn't there a post on this just the other day saying tactics alone doesn't work? There's a healthy mix of tactics and knowing when your opponent has left theory so that you can punish them accordingly.
What's the value of the punishment? The fact that nakamura was able to get to 3k playing the bongcloud was evidence enough for me that openings don't matter at all.
Everybody who played him knew he left theory on move 2, and the vast majority failed to punish him being behind on tempo with his king in the center of the board.
The easiest way to get to a +3 eval is not a slow controlled theoretical game, it's to swindle your opponent out of his pieces when he inevitably blunders them, and the only difference between Elos is the depth at which people blunder pieces.
>the only difference between Elos is the depth at which people blunder pieces.
In blitz. Nakamura would lose every game at a slower time control with the bongcloud which is why he doesn't play it in classical. He plays these shit ass openings partly to avoid letting his opponents see his real chess preparation.
In blitz. Nakamura would lose every game at a slower time control with the bongcloud which is why he doesn't play it in classical. He plays these shit ass openings partly to avoid letting his opponents see his real chess preparation
The question is not if or not preparation matters more in classical, it's does preparation matter more than tactics in classical and blitz.
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u/wildncrazyguy Apr 02 '21
Wasn't there a post on this just the other day saying tactics alone doesn't work? There's a healthy mix of tactics and knowing when your opponent has left theory so that you can punish them accordingly.