But it is a skill available to many chess players, at least from a purely chess viewpoint.
All that is needed is a popular database - ChessBase's 2020 Mega database is the obvious choice - with a sufficient number of our own games.
I have 923 games in Mega20 which, considering it is easily twice more than Paul Morphy's total in the same database, is a good sample size of what I play.
Preparing to, as it were, play against oneself is a good way to see our chess selves as others see us.
Here is a repertoire based on my games in Mega20, using the same formula I employed for world champions in my Champion Repertoire series.
White
Open 1.e4, aiming to play the Spanish Exchange: 1...e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.Nc3!? Meet 5...f6 with 6.d4 exd4 7.Qxd4 Qxd4 8.Nxd4, continuing against 8...Bd7 and 8...Bd6 with 9.Be3 and continuing against 8...c5 with 9.Nb3. Meet 5...Bg4 with 6.h3 Bxf3 7.Qxf3 Qf6 (the only move faced by Spanton in Mega20) 8.Qg3. Meet 5...Bd6 with 6.d4 exd4 7.Qxd4 and meet 5...Qd6 with 6.d4 exd4 7.Qxd4.
Against the Schliemann: 3...f5 play 4.d4!? fxe4 5.Bxc6 dxc6 6.Nxe5.
Against the Smyslov: 3...g6 play 4.d4 exd4 5.Bg5, meeting 5...Be7 with 6.Bxe7 and meeting 5...f6 with 6.Bh4.
Against the Classical: 3...Bc5 play 4.c3 Nf6 5.d3, meeting 5...d6 and 5...Qe7 with 6.Be3.
Against the Berlin: 3...Nf6 transpose into the Spanish Four Knights with 4.Nc3, meeting 4...Bb4 with 5.0-0 0-0 6.d3 d6 7.Bg5, meeting 4...Bc5 with 5.Nxe5!? Nxe5 6.d4 and meeting 4...d6 with 5.d4.
Against the Bird: 3...Nd4 play 4.Nxd4 exd4 5.0-0 bc5 6.d3.
Against the Petrov: 2...Nf6 play 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.Qe2!? Qe7 6.d3.
Against the Latvian Gambit: 2...f5 play 3.Nxe5 Qf6 4.d4.
Against the Philidor: 2...d6 play 3.d4.
Against the Sicilian: 1...c5 play 2.Nf3 and aim for Bb5(+) lines.
After 2...d6 3.Bb5+ meet 3...Bd7 with 4.Bxd7+, continuing against 4...Qxd7 with 5.0-0 Nc6 6.Qe2!? and continuing against 4...Nxd7 with 5.c4. Meet 3...Nc6 with 4.d4 cxd4 5.Qxd4 Bd7 6.Bxc6, continuing against 6...Bxc6 with 7.Nc3 and continuing against 6...bxc6 with 7.c4. Meet 3...Nd7 with 4.d4 Ngf6 5.Nc3 cxd4 6.Qxd4.
After 2...Nc6 3.Bb5 meet 3...g6 with 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.d3 Bg7 6.h3, continuing against 6...Nf6, 6...e5 and 6...Nh6 with 7.Nc3. Meet 3...e6 with 4.Bxc6 bxc6 5.d3, continuing against 5...d6 with 6.Nc3 and continuing against 5...Ne7 with 6.Qe2. Meet 3...e5 with 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.0-0, while 3...d6 transposes to a line already covered.
After 2...e6 transpose to a King's Indian Attack with 3.d3, meeting 3...Nc6 with 4.c3!?, meeting 3...d5 with 4.Qe2!?, meeting 3...g6 with 4.c3 and meeting 3...b6 with 4.g3.
After 2...g6 play 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.Nc3 Bg7 6.Nxc6!? bxc6 7.Bc4.
After 2...Nf6 play 3.e5 Nd5 4.d4!? cxd4 5.c4.
Against the French: 1...e6 play for a King's Indian Attack with 2.d3 d5 (2...c5 3.Nf3 transposes to Sicilian lines with 2...e6) 3.Nd2, meeting 3...Nf6 and 3...c5 with 4.Ngf3, usually followed by 5.g3.
Against the Caro-Kann: 1...c6 2.d4 d5 play the Panov-Botvinnik Attack: 3.exd5 cxd5 4.c4 Nf6 5.Nc3, meeting 5...e6 and 5...Nc6 with 6.Nc3 and meeting 5...g6 and 5...Bf5 with 6.Qb3.
Against the Pirc: 1...d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 and the Modern: 2...g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 play 4.Nf3. Meet the Pirc set-up (...d6, ...g6, ...Bg7, ...Nf6) with 5.Be2 0-0 6.0-0 Nc6 7.Bg5 and meet the Modern set-up (...d6, ...g6, ...Bg7, ...a6) with 5.a4, continuing against 5...b6 with 6.Bc4 and continuing against 5...Nc6 with 6.a5!? (apparently a Spanton novelty).
Against the Alekhine: 1...Nf6 play 2.Nc3!?, meeting 2...d5 with 3.exd5 Nxd5 4.Bc4 and meeting 2...e5 with 3.Nf3 and a likely transposition to the Spanish Four Knights or Philidor.
Against the Scandinavian: 1...d5 2.exd5 Nf6 play 3.Nc3!? when 3...Nxd5 transposes to the Alekhine line 2.Nc3!? d5. Against 2...Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qa5 (no games with 3...Qd6 or 3...Qd8) play 4.d4, meeting 4...Bf5 with 5.Nf3 and meeting 4...e5 (no other moves played against Spanton in Mega20) with 5.dxe5.
Against 1...Nc6 play 2.Nf3, meeting the independent 2...d6 with 3.d4.
Black v 1.e4
Play 1...e5, planning to meet the Spanish: 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 with the Berlin: 3...Nf6.
In the mainline Berlin Wall: 4.0-0 Nxe4 5.d4 Nd6 6.Bxc6 dxc6 7.dxe5 Nf5 8.Qxd8+ Kxd8 meet 9.Nc3 with 9...Ke8, continuing against 10.b3 with 10...a5, continuing against 10.h3 with 10...Be6 and continuing against 10.a3 with 10...Be7. Meet 9.Bg5+ and 9.Bf4 with 9...Ke8.
Against 5.Re1 play 5...Nd6, meeting 6.Nxe5 with 6...Be7 and meeting 6.Bxc6 dxc6 7.Nxe5 with 7...Be7.
Against 5.Qe2 play 5...Nd6 6.Bxc6 dxc6 7.Qxe5+ Qe7.
Against 4.d3 play 4...Bc5, meeting 5.0-0 with 5...Nd4 and meeting 5.c3 with 5...0-0.
Against a transposition to the Spanish Four Knights with 4.Nc3 play 4...Bb4.
Against the Scotch: 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 play 4...Bc5, meeting 5.Nxc6 and 5.Be3 with 5...Qf6 and meeting 5.Nb3 Bb6 6.Nc3 (only move faced by Spanton in Mega20) with 6...Nf6, meeting 7.Bg5 with 7...h6 and meeting 7.Bd3 with 7...0-0.
Against the Scotch Gambit: 4.Bc4 play 4...Bc5, meeting 5.c3 with a transposition to the Giuoco Piano with 5...Nf6.
Meet the Italian Game: 3.Bc4 with 3...Bc5, when 4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 exd4 is the old mainline Giuoco Piano. Continue against 6.cxd4 Bb4+ 7.Bd2 with 7...Bxd2+ 8.Nbxd2 d5. If 7.Kf1 (no games with 7.Nc3) play 7...d5. Continue against 6.e5 with 6...d5 7.Bb5 Ne4 8.cxd4 Bb4+ 9.Nbd2 (no games with 9.Bd2) Bd7!?
In the modern Italian Game with 4.d3 Nf6 5.c3 (White's fourth and fifth moves are often transposed) play 5...a6, meeting 6.0-0 and 6.b4 with 6...Ba7 but meeting 6.Bb3 with 6...0-0.
Meet the Evans Gambit: 4.b4 with 4...d5!?
The Spanish Four Knights: 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bb5 has already been covered as a transposition from the Spanish Berlin. Meet the Scotch Four Knights: 4.d4 exd4 5.Nxd4 with 5...Bb4.
Meet the Ponziani: 3.c3 with 3...d5 4.Qa4 (only move faced by Spanton in Mega20) f6.
Meet the King's Gambit: 2.f4 with 2...Bc5 3.Nf3 d5!?, continuing against 4.exd5 with 4...e4 and against 4.Nxe5 with 4...dxe4!?
Meet the Vienna: 2.Nc3 with 2...Nf6, continuing against 3.Bc4 with 3...Nxe4, continuing against 3.g3 with 3...d5 and continuing against 3.f4 with 3...d5 4.fxe5 Nxe4, and if 5.Nf3 play 5...Be7, if 5.d3 play 5...Nxc3 6.bxc3 d4 and if 5.Qf3 play 5...Nxc3 6.bxc3 Be7.
Meet the Bishop's Opening: 2.Bc4 with 2...Bc5.
Against 1.d4 and Others
Against 1.d4 play 1...d5 with the aim of heading down the main line of the QGD Exchange: 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Bg5 Be7 6.e3 0-0 7.Bd3 Nbd7, meeting 8.Nge2, 8.Nf3 and 8.Qc2 with 8...Re8.
Against 4.Nf3 play 4...c5 5.cxd5 cxd4!?, meeting 6.Qxd4 exd5 7.Bg5 with 7...Be7. If 7.e4 play 7...dxe4 or 7...Nc6 and if 7.e3 or 7.g3 play 7...Nc6. Meet 6.Nxd4 with 6...Nxd5 and meet 6.Qa4+ with 6...Bd7 7.Qxd4 exd5.
Against 4.Bg5 play 4...c5!? 5.cxd5 cxd4, meeting 6.Qxd4 with 6...Be7 and meeting 6.Qa4+ with 6...Qd7 7.Qxd4 Nc6. If 5.e3 play 5...cxd4 6.exd4 (only move played against Spanton in Mega20) Bb4.
Against 3.Nf3 play 3...Nf6, meeting the Catalan: 4.g3 with 4...c5!?, continuing against 5.cxd5 with 5...cxd4!? 6.dxe6 Bxe6 and continuing against 5.Bg2 with 5...Nc6 6.0-0 cxd4!?
Against 2.Nf3 play 2...Nc6!?, meeting 3.Bf4, 3.e3, 3.c3, 3.g3, 3.b3, 3.c4 and 3.a3 with 3...Bg4!?
Against the New London: 2.Bf4 play 2...Nf6, meeting 3.e3 and 3.Nf3 with 3...e6 followed by ...Bd6.
Against the Trompowsky: 2.Bg5 play 2...Nf6, meeting 3.e3 (the only move against Spanton in Mega20) with 3...Nc6!?
Against the Veresov: 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Bg5 play 3...c6 or 3...c5.
Against the Blackmar-Diemer Gambit: 2.e4 dxe4 3.Nc3 play 3...e5!?
Against the English: 1.c4 play the Symmetrical: 1...c5, meeting 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 (White's second and third moves are often transposed) with 3...g6. Against an early g3 imitate White's moves, eg 2.g3 g6 3.Bg2 Bg7 4.Nc3 Nc6 5.Nf3 Nf6 6.0-0 0-0. If 7.d4 play 7...cxd4 8.Nxd4 Nxd4 9.Qxd4 d6. If 6.d4 play 6...cxd4 7.Nxd4 0-0 with a likely transposition. If 5.e3 play 5...d6 6.Nge2 e5 7.0-0 Nge7. If 5.a3 play 5...d6 6.Rb1 a5.
Against 1.Nf3 play 1...Nc6!?, meeting 2.c4, 2.g3 and 2.e4 with 2...e5. If White stops ...e5 with 2.d4, play 2...d5, transposing into lines already covered.
Against the Bird: 1.f4 play the From Gambit: 1...e5.
Against 1.g3 play 1...c5 2.Bg2 Nc6 with a likely transposition into an English or a Closed Sicilian.
Against 1.b3 play 1...d5 2.Bb2 Nf6, meeting 3.e3 and 3.Nf3 with 3...Bf5.
Against 1.b4 play 1...e5.
Here Spanton uses his unusual line against the King's Gambit to score a quick win.
Richard S Jones (2075) - Spanton (2065)
Newport (Wales) 1997
King's Gambit Declined
1.e4 e5 2.f4 Bc5 3.Nf3 d5!?
This counter-gambit initiates sharp play and can be thought of as a delayed Falkbeer.
4.exd5
The most-popular choice in Mega20 but 5.Nxe5 is a major alternative.
4...e4 5.Ne5 Nf6 6.Nc3!?
Again the most-popular choice in Mega20, but my main analysis engines Stockfish11 and Komodo11.01 prefer 6.d3 or 6.d4.
6...0-0 7.d4
7.Bc4!? to hold on to the d5 pawn does not appear in Mega20. The engines reckon Black has an edge after 7...Re8 8.Na4 Bd6.
7...exd4!?
Komodo11.01 likes this but Stockfish11 prefers 7...Bb4, which was played by a 2300 in the only previous game to reach this position in Mega20.
8.Bxd3
Subsequent games mostly saw 8.Qxd3!?, when Black also seems to have good compensation for the pawn-minus.
8...Re8 9.Ne4?
White indirectly protects d5 by attacking the black dark-square bishop, one point being that 9...Nxe4 10.Bxe4 gives d5 two defenders. There is a fatal flaw, but even so the best the engines come up with is 9.Kf1, when Black's compensation is obvious.
 |
| Black to play and win |
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
9...Nxe4 10.Bxe4 Rxe5! 11.fxe5 Qh4+ 12.Kd2 Qxe4 13.Re1?!
This accelerates the end but White is busted anyway.
13...Qd4+ 14.Ke2 Bg4+ 0-1
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