It was a sunny afternoon back in 2017. I had just bought a Subway sandwich, steak and cheese. It the normal type of sandwich, with American cheese because FREEDOM, on an italian bread because the United States is a melting pot. Toasted of course because that's how I feel every day in Texas. As for veggies, of course I add lettuce to pretend I'm eating healthy, and onions because then I can say I ate the onion.
After eating this delicacy, I decided it was time to play some bullet chess. I started playing with good success, but while facing two players that played the Pin Variation of the Sicilian as Black. I was shocked. I couldn't believe how these people were playing such garbage tier openings. And then it hit me. I also played some garbage openings, mainly the Scotch Gambit. I realized if I wanted to "git gud" if you will, I would have to stop handicapping myself by playing garbage.
My next White game, my opponent played 1...e5. I played 2.Nf3 and he responded with 2...Nc6. I knew I had to stop playing the garbage Scotch Gambit. And that's when I had a moment of inspiration. I played 3.Bb5!! The Ruy Lopez. I felt like it was time to channel my inner Garry Kasparov from when he outplayed Karpov in the Zaitsev. Unfortunately, I couldn't channel the skills of my BFF Gary Chess. Turns out when you play an opening you don't know, chances are you will not know it better than your opponent. I was getting outplayed, but I managed to flag the person. Not a great success, but it was the start of a beautiful journey towards not playing garbage tier openings.
5 years later, do I play garbage tier openings? I am proud to say that I do not. I have been very fortunate to not fall prey to those clickbait YouTube videos on the Stafford, Traxler, O'Sullivan, Vienna, Englund and all those garbage tier openings. Maybe some day I will become mentally weak and play for tricks. Who knows, maybe I'll even try to Lefong people because I don't have enough skill to outplay them. But for now, my mind is in peak shape and I don't find refuge in those dirty cheapos and garbage openings which I consider a moral and cultural degradation to the game of chess.