Know Thyself

PROBABLY the most-popular use for ChessBase's 2021 Mega database is to prepare for upcoming opponents.

But it also makes sense to prepare to play oneself - in other words to work out what Mega21 tells future opponents about you.

In my case opponents will learn my highest elo was 2147 in July 1999, when I was 42 years old.

I score "badly" (43%) as White; "below average" (40%) as Black.

As White I mostly play 1.e4 (262 games), scoring 40% with an elo performance of -7, ie my performance is seven points below my average rating.

But as White I also play 1.c4 (112 games), scoring 45% with an elo performance of +20, 1.d4 (67 games), scoring 48% with an elo performance of +25, and 1.Nf3 (16 games), scoring 53% with an elo performance of +48. It seems the less I play an opening move, the better I do.

There is also a handful of games starting with 1.g3, 1.Nc3, 1.b3, 1.e3 and 1.c3.

As Black I meet 1.e4 with 1...e5 (105 games), scoring 37% with an elo performance of +12, 1...c5 (103) games, scoring 42% with an elo performance of -42, and 1...e6 (17 games), scoring 32% with an elo performance of -172.

I meet 1.d4 with 1...d5 (133 games), scoring 43% with an elo performance of +22, and 1...Nf6 (25 games), scoring 32% with an elo performance of +31. There are also two games with 1...e6.

And so it goes on, but the key point is that to see ourselves as others see us must be advantageous, if not always very pleasant.