I only have 2 games experience as Red VS Lv the Great Hero and realised the complexity of the opening. From these 2 games, it seems to me it feels like International Chess where the formation, strategies and moves are very precise. Any wrong sequence will have devastating results.
After a crash course on the elephant defence opening by folks with in-depth knowledge of the opening, I become aware of the at least 10 counter moves which Red must prepare for. Some are positional plays, some are strategies plays and others are fast attacking depending on the style of the enemy. Being a defensive opening, I used the wrong strategy of opening the game like using 5-phao by trading etc which is more aggressive. Applying chess theory in the game is very critical for this opening. And to master it to a decent level require very good foundation, strong aptitude or long years of training and research. Being primarily a defensive opening, one's mindset must change when using it to bring out its real power.
The most critical area is at the mid-game (Here first feel aptitude becomes very important). It determines the flow of the game and hence its end results.
At my current level, I probably won't use this opening for decades.
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