Any opening that aims to control the centre squares are a good openings to me. If I play black, I usually converts it to sicillian or Queen's gambit. If my opponent insists on something else, I'll leave it to the flow of the game to decide next course of action. There's no point to know so many variations and you can't even master any of it. In tactical chess play, what is important is, you are able to counter your opponent's move. First step is to draw. Second step is to win the game. If you had blundered, that is a different story altogether...

So the Wayward Queen Attack was used at master level... and black won.

Personally, I think the best move is 1. c4, the English opening. Here are my reasons:

1. I think Black's best chance to equalize in the opening is to be able to place and maintain a pawn on d5 without opening up the center, since White has the advantage of tempo initially. Unlike e5, d5 has natural protection from the Queen. Therefore, if White plays either 1. c4 or 1. e4, Black can't play 1... d5 without risking opening up the position, which I think favors White.

2. Another reason I prefer 1. c4 to 1. e4 is that I think the Knight shouldn't go to c3 until the c2 pawn moves. Playing 1. c4 makes this possible from the very beginning. 

e4 or d4

The best opening I believe is the one you're most familar with.  If you know Center game like the back of your hand, it's better than playing the Sicilian for the first time. 

I personally like the Ruy Lopez for white, and and the Nimzo Indian against 1. d4 as black and against 1. e4 as black, I just make the best responses, as it can go many different ways

ok cool thank you

As white I play the move d4. If black plays d5, i respond with c4, proposing a queen gambit.

As black, If e4, I play c6. If d4, i play Nf6.

ok thank you

Lanceuppercut, That is purely a matter of opinion, so pelase don't go around thinking you can rate chess openings. The big two that annoy me on your list- The Pirc is played at Grandmaster level, so it isn't just merely "ok", and the Kings Indian attack, played at master level, is a good opening.

To answer the question, I love the Ruy Lopez, the Kings Indian attack, The French(as black) and the Grunfeld defense.

I play this one guy i work with and he usually startsout with the English Opening

Sweet good luck finding me lol

I'm probably gonna get crucified for saying this, but if you don't compete at the very highest level choice of opening is almost immaterial. If you become expert in something irregular, it might even benefit you if you are a mediocre player. Most of us make so many errors that the tiny advantages and subtleties GMs aim for are negated. Case in point, historically I have always done slightly better with Black, maybe 55 percent, and about 50 percent with white,  all against opposition at my own level of mediocrity. Then for 1 year I started all my white games with b4, and my White score for that year was 16 and a half out of 18., improving my rating 200 points at age 50.

That is cool. I am stuck between 1350 and 1450, i need to get better at tatics.

So totally 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 as white...

So totally Caro-Kann Tanfan line as black (1.e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 e5!?)

That last move ( and the Tanfan line itself) is my invention...that my coach FM_Eric_Schiller thinks is ok.

The best opening is always the one that you know best.  Deep understanding of the themes and a familiarity with the positions that are likely to arise is worth more to the amateur than any theoretical strength, which only comes into play at the highest levels.  With that in mind, play what's fun and learn it well.

I do have problems with book moves. I only uses them in the openings. After that, I was always being tempted to use a different continuations 'cos I feels it's too boring. My bad habit...hard to change.

 You'd think the blackmar is bad but I use it frequently as a reply to the scandanavian and i never lose. (However I dont encounter scandanavian often) Also if you check the database it has a pretty good record...unless your playin Kasparov and then it reall doesn't matter what you play

That was basically the point I was trying to make in the first place. Reading it now, I guess I didn't really sound that way.

>> The Pirc is played at Grandmaster level, so it isn't just merely "ok", and the Kings Indian attack, played at master level, is a good opening.

The only somewhat "objective" way I can think of to rate chess openings is by how popular they are at the top levels. Maybe the Pirc and KIA are "played" at the GM level, but neither is the most popular at that level.

Kinda neat that this thread is still alive, though!

Player makes the opening, not the opening makes the player.

"Jack of all trade BUT master of none" is also as good as nothing.

Chess is not about opening. It is about discipline.The GM thinks like you and me. But when it comes to serious games, they think deeper and harder of which we are too lazy to do. They have a game plan and execute it all the way.

>> The Pirc is played at Grandmaster level, so it isn't just merely "ok", and the Kings Indian attack, played at master level, is a good opening.

Tell me, before Pirc opening won a GM level tournament, was there any opening called "Pirc" opening before that?