user5791: What are some openings that normally a player with less or no understanding of opening theory would suffer agonizingly? Or perhaps, openings that are extremely confusing to play against?
To me, the Latvian Gambit/French Defense is one of the most confusing openings. 

user6945: I quite like the polish 1.b4 opening. The oddness catches some newer players off guard and it's not unusual for players to leave their rook wide open after going for your exposed b4 pawn.
It's actually quite a fun opening to use generally. You're sacrificing the middle for early development on the flank, I think its weakness is it gives away your intentions early on in the game.
Then there's always the fried liver attack, I think someone mentioned it above; It's straight on the attack and if you've never played against it the pressure is agonizing.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sokolsky_Opening
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two_Knights_Defense,_Fried_Liver_Attack

user6922: Depends if you have the white pieces or the black pieces;
white: 1. Nf3 - Versatile, deceptive, unassuming. Typically, blacks first move dictates the style and nature of the game. However, with 1. Nf3, white has countless systems at his disposal depending on how black responds. 


b3 (Nimzovich-Larsen attack)


g3 (King's Indian attack)


c4 (English opening)


black: 
against e4: 1... Nf6 - Alekhine's defense. From move number one, black is directly attacking white's center. Many novice players will over-extend themselves and start pushing their pieces hastily. Alekhine's defense is a tricky, formidable response to 1. e4, as Bobby Fischer showed us in 1972 against Boris Spassky.
against d4: 1...f5 - Dutch defense. The Dutch defense, whose famous practitioners include  Aleksander Alekhine, Mikhail Botvinnik, and Hikaru Nakamura, is a dangerous response to 1. d4. Black is taking dead aim at white's kingside and, specifically, the e4 square. 

5791: <p>What are some openings that normally a player with less or no understanding of opening theory would suffer agonizingly? Or perhaps, openings that are extremely confusing to play against?</p>

<p>To me, the Latvian Gambit/French Defense is one of the most confusing openings. </p>
 6945: <p>I quite like the polish 1.b4 opening. The oddness catches some newer players off guard and it's not unusual for players to leave their rook wide open after going for your exposed b4 pawn.</p>

<p>It's actually quite a fun opening to use generally. You're sacrificing the middle for early development on the flank, I think its weakness is it gives away your intentions early on in the game.</p>

<p>Then there's always the fried liver attack, I think someone mentioned it above; It's straight on the attack and if you've never played against it the pressure is agonizing.</p>

<p><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sokolsky_Opening" rel="nofollow">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sokolsky_Opening</a>
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two_Knights_Defense,_Fried_Liver_Attack" rel="nofollow">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two_Knights_Defense,_Fried_Liver_Attack</a></p>
 6922: <p>Depends if you have the white pieces or the black pieces;</p>

<p>white: 1. Nf3 - Versatile, deceptive, unassuming. Typically, blacks first move dictates the style and nature of the game. However, with 1. Nf3, white has countless systems at his disposal depending on how black responds. </p>

<ul>
<li><ol start="2">
<li>b3 (Nimzovich-Larsen attack)</li>
</ol></li>
<li><ol start="2">
<li>g3 (King's Indian attack)</li>
</ol></li>
<li><ol start="2">
<li>c4 (English opening)</li>
</ol></li>
</ul>

<p>black: 
against e4: 1... Nf6 - Alekhine's defense. From move number one, black is directly attacking white's center. Many novice players will over-extend themselves and start pushing their pieces hastily. Alekhine's defense is a tricky, formidable response to 1. e4, as Bobby Fischer showed us in 1972 against Boris Spassky.</p>

<p>against d4: 1...f5 - Dutch defense. The Dutch defense, whose famous practitioners include  Aleksander Alekhine, Mikhail Botvinnik, and Hikaru Nakamura, is a dangerous response to 1. d4. Black is taking dead aim at white's kingside and, specifically, the e4 square. </p>
