He also advised not to use opening encyclopedias; they are nothing more than selective data. These days databases have taken over books, but the idea is the same.
According to Schroeder, only after you become completely knowledgeable of how to checkmate and thoroughly understand the endgame and have played through at least a thousand master games are you are ready to study the openings.
Openings based on cheap traps are appealing, but you are wasting your time because if you cannot refute a bad move over the board you will never be a good player, said Schroeder.
The late Senior Master Kenneth Smith gave the same advice. He emphasized tactics, making the point that tactics will overcome a bad opening, a poor middlegame and lack of endgame knowledge. Smith's advice was similar to Schroeder's: only when you reach Expert can you stop devouring everything on tactics.
The following Blitz game is proof of their advice. I played the horrible 1...h5 and won against a player that appears to have been of at least average (say 1600) strength. It just emphasizes the point that for we non-Masters openings don't matter.
The Goldsmith Defense (1...h4) is a weak response to whatever first move white plays. It’s a rather useless move that does nothing to control the center and it does not aid in development. It also seriously weakens the K-side. Also. bringing the R into play via h6 is pointless and weakening.
Guest–Tartajubow0–1B00Chess Hotel2024Stockfish 16
Goldsmith Defense 1.e4 h5 This is the dubious Golsmith Defense.
2.c4 h6 Let's call this the Tartajubow Variation. 2...d6 3.f3 g4 4.h3 xf3 5.xf3 e6 6.0-0 White has no more than hig usual opening advantahe
here. g5 7.d3 d7 8.g3 h6 9.f4 h4 10.f2 h7 11.fxg5 xg5 12.xg5 xg5 13.c3 a6 14.d4 g7 15.e2 e7 16.f4 g6 Now, after 17.Nxg6 the game
would be even. Instead white makes an unsound sacrifice. 17.xe6 Black has
a decisive advantage. Horina,M-Srebro,M Bjelovar 2008 3.d4 f6 Giving up a
P, but there is more to come. 4.xh5 xf2 This is a losing move, but it
sometimes gains psychological and time advantages, especially in blitz games
where white often uses extra time looking for an immediate win. 5.xf2 e6 6.e5 My first thought was that this is a waste of time and he should have
played a developing move. But...surprise! It's Stockfish's top choice. d5 7.b5+ Better was 7.Bd3 c6 8.a4 Not really bad, but d3 was still
a better square for the B. b5 9.b3 a5 10.c3 c5 Hoping to open up a file
on the Q-side. 11.g5 A better plan might have been Nh3-g5, but after this
white still has what should amount to a winning advantage. b6 12.f3 c6 13.d1 White has successfully defended the attack on d4 and there is little that
black can do now, but a move must be made, so... b7 14.h8 After this
white is still winning,m but the engine found a clever continuation.
A surprising move. 14.xd5 exd5 15.e6 The K will escape the clutches of
white's pieces, but black will still be a R down with nothing to show for it. h6 16.xh6 0-0-0 16...gxh6 17.xf7+ d8 18.d7# 17.f4 fxe6 14...cxd4 15.cxd4 15.xg8 also works. dxc3+ 16.e3 xe3+ 17.xe3 cxb2 18.c3 bxa1 19.xa1 White is a Q ahead. 15...ge7 16.xe7 xe7 17.c3 a4 18.c2 a3 19.b3 c8 White can ignore this attack on his N and win in a couyple
of ways, but with little time to think he played a natural move defending the
attacked N and B. That said, inbly an engine can calculate the alternatives
quickly and accurately, so white is not to be faulted for playing 20.Rd3 20.d3 20.g5 xc3 21.h7 d8 22.h4 c6 23.g8 e7 24.g1 b6 25.h5 d8 26.xf7 d7 27.h8 b4 28.e8+ c7 29.xe6+ xe6 30.xe6 20.h7 xc3 21.g5 d8 22.h4 c6 23.g8 d7 24.xf7 e7 25.xe6+ c7 26.xd8+ xd8 27.f5 b6 28.ac1 b4 29.f3 c6 30.g4 a5 31.h5 f8 32.e6 White is
winning. 20...b4 Black regains a piece. 21.a4 This move puts the N out
of play and must be considered a blunder because now black equalizes. 21.Rad1
keeps the advantage. xc2+ 22.e3 White probably thought the K
was safe here plus on e3 it defends the d-Pawn, but now it's white who is lost.
Correct was 22.Kg1 after which the chances would have been equal. f5+ 23.f4 Suddenly white's K has become fatally exposed. b5 24.ad1 xa2 This is
mot nearly as good as 24...Rxg2, but only an engine can thread its way through
the complications. White now started using precious time trying to get out of
his jam. 25.c5 xg2 26.h3 b2 27.xb7 xb7 28.f1 g6 Brings the B into
play. 29.b1 h6+ 30.g5 xg5+ 31.xg5 e7+ 32.f4 h4+ 33.f3 White
resigned before black could play 33...Qe4# 0–1
get a life
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