My beloved Slav, where art thou?
Happy to be playing it with the Scandi!

OMG please keep making these videos, even if algoritem isnt hitting. Its amazing! Keep the good work!

Also noticed a large section of 1.d4 d5 for Black is noticeably absent!

I really like the content, keep it up!❤

I really like the Scandinavian because I've been told so often that it's "refuted" or "dead" because the engine says so. This one dude went on and on about it saying it's a horrible opening, and then I dug a bit and turns out that same dude quit playing the Sicilian because he thought to Bowdler attack was too strong. I've since learned to stop arguing with people online about chess. I think openings should be judged on a lot more than what the engine thinks.

All good except you missed the obvious Dragon Sicilian Accelerated Komodo Tongue-Twister Variation

Waiting for gambits part :)

The Four Knights Scotch (i.e. in e4e5) is viable, especially since it has a  reputation of being calm/drawish. I think „fair play“ would be a better position for it. Danya played it in his speedruns, recommending it to a wide range of players.

The engines evaluation is felt in games cause it's correct bro, trust the fish bro

I live for your cat to appear on camera!

Any opening is good or bad depending on the player playing it. I have a tougher time as white against sicilians than Scandinavian or caro kann or e4 e5. I have however been beaten soundly by strong caro kann or scandi players though I definitely find these openings positionally easier to play.

Magnus wants the cxd4 version of the semi-tarrasch though, right, rather than Nxd5?

GOLDEN content. I've been trying to figure out what I should play sveshnikov or kalashnikov, and although I hate the marozcy, this convinced me it's the better try.

What do you think of the Scotch Gambit?

Of course your Semi-Tarrasch position isn't a drawish position. You took with knight on d4 not pawn. Pawn captures leads either to a fairly nice IQP position for black, or a completely equal endgame. Both the endgame and the IQP score fine for black in online play and otb. Its a very solid openings.

Magnus said that for this line d4 d5 c4 e6 Nf3 Nf6 Nc3 c5 cd cd Qxd4 ed  e4 de

hot takes!

I think your Four Knights Sicilian experience may not be representative of experience at sub-2000 level (where 6.Be3?! is a lot more common).  I don't know if you encountered more problems with 6.Nxc6 or 6.Nbd5 as these have different characteristic play. I'm guessing you were referring to 6.Nxc6 with the complicated play. I think it's a reasonable way to transpose to the Sveshnikov (but you don't like that either!), but I think the Cobra (6.Nbd5 Bc5!?) has some practical value. The Safarli Taimanov (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 e6 5.Nc3 Bc5!?) may have better surprise value to reach some similar structures and it often transposes to the Cobra.

I think below 2200 there is a reasonable argument to find alternatives to the mainline choices to reach certain canonical structures in the Sicilian:
1. Najdorf 5...a6 --> Neo-Boleslavsky 5...e5 (6.Bb5+ is the "refutation," but computer analysis has lately shown it is not so simple.) A drawback is that may be a bit narrow against computer preparation, but likely not so relevant at most levels as it is so rare.
2. Scheveningen 5...e6 --> Grivas Sicilian (Avrukh has made an interesting case for this lately.)
3. Sveshnikov --> Kalashnikov (some interesting modern resources have been found in 6.c4)

I love for white 1.b3! For black 1.e6 and then going into either queens indian, nimzo indian, occasionally the dutch and then ofcourse my love the French

The French isn't overrated for lower to mid level players imo. I've played a lot and my opponents drop pawns left and white. The plans are pretty clear in variations so you can get by without extensive theory.

So the Scandinavian with g6 & Bg7 is basically OP-OP, got it!

Joking aside, it's actually a very cool variation that was covered by IM Yuriy Krykun.