Answers.Body: <p>I actually like playing against opponents who attempt to play the same way that I play with their color. </p>
  
  <p>The important part however is to not follow your favorite lines to the very end. As you said, there is a reason you consider them worthwhile. Instead, use your knowledge about which moves you consider <em>unpleasant</em> when playing that variation. Chances are that your opponent, who apparently likes the style of a line you like, will dislike this deviation as well and will be just as uncomfortable as you. Keep calm, and you might be the one with the psychological high ground.</p>
  
  <p>Playing against your own weapons also is a good way of sharpening them. Best case, one of your chess buddies plays the same variation. Then both of you can play a lot of practice games against each other starting with this variation with alternating colors and test possible ways your opponent might attempt to counter your strategy. I think you learn more by literally putting yourself in the opponent's skin and <em>really</em> trying to find winning moves against your variation rather than by just assuming their moves while exclusively playing your own side in training, which might lead to some bias ("hopefully he'll continue with this move in this line..").</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2017-09-29T09:36:44.093Z
Answers.Text: I support this answer very much: there is a clear advantage in having to play *against* your own variations, namely that you already know what the plans of both colours are and what the position is. Moreover, this helps to even avoid any particular tacticism or trick (because you are supposed to already know how they arise, as by hypothesis you are the one looking for them when playing the other colour).
Answers.UserDisplayName: gented
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2017-09-29T09:32:39.707Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2017-09-29T09:32:39.707Z
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Body: <p>It's not a technically oriented question but rather a "psychological" one. 
  Personally, I don't especially like to play against my own lines especially sidelines. </p>
  
  <p>If I decided to play a precise line (ex : Malaniuk variation in the Scotch, but it does not matter here), it's because I consider it to be good, sound, enjoyable or whatever. But I have to play against it, I feel uneasy, like I'm playing myself. Am I the only one in this case ? Facing its own "weapons" could be an excellent way to improve though.
  What would be your take on this ?</p>
  
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2017-09-29T13:46:33.527Z
Comments.Text: IM John Bartholomew has mentioned this on a few of his videos - not just the psychological factor of "oh, he's playing a good opening" (e.g., "my" opening), but also the "I don't want to reveal all my tricks!" factor.  Most of those comments are in passing while he's discussing other things, so this isn't an answer.
Comments.UserDisplayName: Ghotir
Tags: <opening><psychology>
Title: Facing its own weapons
ThreadText: # Facing its own weapons
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2017-09-29)
  
  It's not a technically oriented question but rather a "psychological" one.
  Personally, I don't especially like to play against my own lines especially sidelines.
  
  If I decided to play a precise line (ex : Malaniuk variation in the Scotch, but it does not matter here), it's because I consider it to be good, sound, enjoyable or whatever. But I have to play against it, I feel uneasy, like I'm playing myself. Am I the only one in this case ? Facing its own "weapons" could be an excellent way to improve though.
  What would be your take on this ?
  
  **Tags:** opening, psychology
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_1**: IM John Bartholomew has mentioned this on a few of his videos - not just the psychological factor of "oh, he's playing a good opening" (e.g., "my" opening), but also the "I don't want to reveal all my tricks!" factor.  Most of those comments are in passing while he's discussing other things, so this isn't an answer.  
  
  ---
  
  ## 1 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_2 on 2017-09-29. Score: 8 | Accepted answer
  
  I actually like playing against opponents who attempt to play the same way that I play with their color.
  
  The important part however is to not follow your favorite lines to the very end. As you said, there is a reason you consider them worthwhile. Instead, use your knowledge about which moves you consider *unpleasant* when playing that variation. Chances are that your opponent, who apparently likes the style of a line you like, will dislike this deviation as well and will be just as uncomfortable as you. Keep calm, and you might be the one with the psychological high ground.
  
  Playing against your own weapons also is a good way of sharpening them. Best case, one of your chess buddies plays the same variation. Then both of you can play a lot of practice games against each other starting with this variation with alternating colors and test possible ways your opponent might attempt to counter your strategy. I think you learn more by literally putting yourself in the opponent's skin and *really* trying to find winning moves against your variation rather than by just assuming their moves while exclusively playing your own side in training, which might lead to some bias ("hopefully he'll continue with this move in this line..").
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_3**: I support this answer very much: there is a clear advantage in having to play *against* your own variations, namely that you already know what the plans of both colours are and what the position is. Moreover, this helps to even avoid any particular tacticism or trick (because you are supposed to already know how they arise, as by hypothesis you are the one looking for them when playing the other colour).  
  
  ---
  
  