Hikaru, please do not play the Alekhine defence. It is totally not you and besides it sucks. Play the petroff dude. or play spanish marshall or something as a second to your najdorf.
The Alekhine does not suck. It is in fact quite a solid reply to 1.e4. I've played CC games where I simply could not break black's defense when they employed the Alekhine. In Hikaru's case, his loss had nothing to do with the opening. It was purely a middlegame plan where he went for a win that wasn't there and ended up losing. That can happen in any good opening.
Just posting this update in that Hikaru just beat a 2600 GM (Tigran Petrosian) using the Alekhine defense. Goes to show its all about the middle and endgame and that there is nothing wrong with this defense.
You are too funny! The Alekhine is a very fundamentally solid opening for black, besides at least I can play for a win unlike in the Petroff. Last I checked, my name was Nakamura not Drawamura!
Nice put. But - why does no other (well-known) GM play it regularly? Do you think you are the only one who plays for a win with black?
P.S. I hope you don't "live up to your name" completely. As for being "in the middle" of the "village" :)
That's part of Hikaru's appeal, he's not a regular GM type, he has his own style which makes him fun to watch and follow.
Hikaru no pun intended but when you got beat by an IM, whom you were clearly stronger than I definitely feel it was a result of opening selection. That was my opinion. I realized u tried too hard to win and all but ur position didnt have any good active counterplay. I realize that you then made a fool out of me by playing it once again against Petrosian and winning with it but his variation selection was poor you have to admit g3 idea is probably just not good. So only time will tell if this defence will bring u credibility
in the meantime keep playing fantastic chess :) im rooting for ya !
Nakafan,
Jimmie