IS THERE A BAD OPENING MOVE

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11th September 2007, 07:04am
#1
by jamesecooper
alabama,florence United States
Member Since: Sep 2007
Member Points: 36

is one opening move worse than another opening move,i'm new and just getting into chess,really wondering if there is a worst opening move,like statistic wise?

11th September 2007, 07:28am
#2
by likesforests
United States
Member Since: May 2007
Member Points: 4407

At the 2000+ level, 1.f4 scores 45%, lower than 1.a4 or 1.h4, so statistically that may be the worst opening. But at the class level, 1.f4 is quite playable.

 

11th September 2007, 07:41am
#3
by Patzer24
United States
Member Since: Jun 2007
Member Points: 11355

There are many opening moves which are "playable".

 

In my opinion playable is: 1. Nf3 , 1. Nc3 , 1. b3 , 1. g3 , 1. c4 , 1. d4 , 1. e4 , 1. f4 , 1. d3 , 1. e3

 

Not playable which could give black some advantage: moving the a or h pawn, 1. g4 , 1. b4 , 1. Na3 , 1. Nh3

 

But surely you should understand and follow opening principles. Three of which are to develop your pieces quickly, castle the king to saftey, and control the center. If you follow these general guidelines it can help you to rule out some moves in the openings.

11th September 2007, 07:45am
#4
by billwall
Palm Bay, FL United States
Member Since: May 2007
Member Points: 2569
I don't think there is any bad opening.  Give a stronger player any opening, from 1.a3 or 1.Na3 to 1.h4 or 1.Nh4, or the 16 other possible first moves, and there is a high probablity he/she will win the game, despite the opening.  Just don't play 1.g4 e5 2.f3 (or 1.f3 e5 2.g4).  Now that's a bad opening.  I've seen masters to GMs play everything possible in the opening.  Usually, at the GM level, whoever knows the openng better to survive the middlegame or the endgame, will win.  As a beginner, you may even want to avoid the more common openings until you are very familiar with them.  Otherwise, you will get killed in traps and opening weaknesses that are well known. 
11th September 2007, 08:53am
#5
by Mats
Simcoe Canada
Member Since: Aug 2007
Member Points: 23

also watch out for quick check mates. you dont want to lose in the first couple of moves. the two simplest can be done in 2 and 4 moves. I think theyre called fools mate and scholars mate but dont quote me on that.

DO NOT MOVE your c pawn and b pawn 2 spaces forward (if white) without being able to defend a4 from the black queen. look at that position on a board and you will notice that your king is trapped and the check cannot be blocked.

Also watch out for knights, bishops and the queen focussing on a single pawn. Especially the one on f2 for white and f7 for black. Follow along with these moves on a board and you will see the danger to black. 1.e4  e5       2.Bc4  d6    3.Qf3   Nc6    4.Qf7++

 The moves don't always happen in this order and the same situation can happen much later in the game too. Let me know if you have trouble with the notation

11th September 2007, 09:33pm
#6
by Fromper
Boynton Beach, FL United States
Member Since: Aug 2007
Member Points: 425

As a beginner, you should follow good opening principles, as Matthelfst said. First and foremost of those is to control the center. So until you're experienced enough to understand the exceptions, always start every game, as white or black, by pushing one of your two center pawns forward two spaces. As white, I'd say stick to 1. e4 at first, rather than 1. d4. With king's pawn openings, you're more likely to trade center pawns early and get wide open, tactical battles, which will lead to faster wins and losses. This will help you learn and improve faster and more easily than playing quiet, positional games, where games are won and lost based on subtle positional play that's not as easy to learn from.

 

--Fromper 

16th September 2007, 05:45pm
#7
by UberCryxic
Albania
Member Since: Aug 2007
Member Points: 27
There is no such thing as an absolutely "bad" opening, but there are openings that are better than others.....let's just put it that way. Don't forget that Miles (with black) beat the great Karpov at the height of his career by playing 1. a6 in the 1980 European Championship. If you know the principles behind the openings and know what you want to do, you should be able to have a decent game. That said, I myself usually stick to the fairly traditional stuff: e4, d4, Nf3, and so on.
16th September 2007, 07:39pm
#8
by BrianN
Rockford, IL United States
Member Since: Jul 2007
Member Points: 31
b4 and c4 are absolutely fine
16th September 2007, 08:11pm
#9
by Shruikon
Worcester England
Member Since: Sep 2007
Member Points: 284

I have to disagree with Matthelfst.

1.g4 (The Grob) is perfectly playable, and has quite a few traps in it, and is great for surprise value. 


14th October 2007, 10:10pm
#10
by KingLeopold
Scottsdale, AZ. United States
Member Since: Oct 2007
Member Points: 359
GM William Lombardi said "There are no bad openings below master level."
16th October 2007, 09:22am
#11
by EEShelton
Columbus, Ohio United States
Member Since: Oct 2007
Member Points: 94
billwall wrote: I don't think there is any bad opening.  Give a stronger player any opening, from 1.a3 or 1.Na3 to 1.h4 or 1.Nh4, or the 16 other possible first moves, and there is a high probablity he/she will win the game, despite the opening.  Just don't play 1.g4 e5 2.f3 (or 1.f3 e5 2.g4).  Now that's a bad opening.  I've seen masters to GMs play everything possible in the opening.  Usually, at the GM level, whoever knows the openng better to survive the middlegame or the endgame, will win.  As a beginner, you may even want to avoid the more common openings until you are very familiar with them.  Otherwise, you will get killed in traps and opening weaknesses that are well known.  Assuming BEST play, which I think should always be the assumption, then there ARE good and bad opening moves. Again, this assumes best play...

 


16th October 2007, 09:41am
#12
by NM Reb
Lisbon Portugal
Member Since: Sep 2007
Member Points: 4042

A very strong IM once told me : "There are no bad openings, only bad chess players." - IM Boris Kogan


16th October 2007, 03:26pm
#13
by ketchuplover
West Bend,WI United States
Member Since: Jun 2007
Member Points: 462
1.f3/4 e6 2.g4 isn't recommended :)
17th October 2007, 12:21pm
#14
by ProjCon
Chattanooga, TN United States
Member Since: Oct 2007
Member Points: 2
Mats wrote:

also watch out for quick check mates. you dont want to lose in the first couple of moves. the two simplest can be done in 2 and 4 moves. I think theyre called fools mate and scholars mate but dont quote me on that.

DO NOT MOVE your c pawn and b pawn 2 spaces forward (if white) without being able to defend a4 from the black queen. look at that position on a board and you will notice that your king is trapped and the check cannot be blocked.



 yeah I got spanked on these moves once and it was ugly. I was mated before I even knew what happened to me. Serious decimation from black's queen. 


 

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