I am still a beginner and I can't figure if the opening is good for White or for black.   Can anyone help me with this please.

The opening is better for white because white has the initiative.  They move before black does.  Now if white plays really stupidly in the opening, then black may have a better opening.  It also depends on what opening you play.

Thank you PsychoMath.  I thought that there were openings good for White and Black.  Will it be up to Black what opening is played then?

The first person to move generally has the advantage, look at this case for example.

Generally white chooses the first move of the opening, but black chooses the defense. After that, either player can bend the main line and go into many different variations.

The opening is usually better for white for reasons explained by PsychoMath, but in almost every opening, there is a way for black to equalize. In some openings, this is harder than in others.

The opening is basically a chance for white to gain the advantage (unless black succeeds in catching white in a trap). If black plays well, however, the position will be about equal and it will be middle and end game play that will decide who wins.

Thank you MeteoricMike your example is very instructive.  Still have to learn the name of that opening though.... smile.

That's called the Petroff Defense. Usually it goes like this:

Oh Thank you so much benedictus.  I will learn this one now.   However it does look as if Black has the advantage in this opening.  A better possition on the board i think?

This opening is very Drawish. Not good in an all out win situation.

Thank you mattattack99.  Good to know.  Perhaps I could make a move that is not the opening leading to another opening if that is possible.

Transpositions are a good way to avoid certain openings. For example, if i'm black and my opponent plays, 1. Nf3, sometimes I play 1...c5, hoping for 2. e4 to enter a Sicilian defense.

That is a good idea.   Something I will remember.  I believe Sicilian is good for black.   Thank you for your help mattattack99.  I already understand a little more about opeinings.   And thanks to all who responded. 

Any time!

wow good stuff all around:-)

Both white and black have a say in what the opening becomes.

On his first move, white can choose - e4, d4, c4, Nf3, g3, b3... Let's say he chooses 1.e4.

Then black has lots of choices again:

e5, c5, e6, c6, d5, Nf6, d6, g6, b6, Nc6...

And so it continues. If the game goes 1.e4 e5, white has several choices again (Nf3, Nc3, Bc4, f4, d4, basically).

Et cetera.

So to say that white or black chooses the opening is a bit simplistic - both players have lots of choices to make.

Thank you Scarblac.  I will keep that in mind.  Always thouth that white has the advantage and if white can manage to keep that advatage then back has no change.   I am still learning though.... smile.

White has the initiative, black has to be more careful and more defensive from the start. If white makes an inaccuracy the position is usually still equal (of course not in case of real mistakes).

Currently, it looks like with best play black will eventually equalize, and if both players play perfectly, then the game will be a draw.

But top players constantly come up with new ideas that seem to give white an advantage, then everybody starts to play that line (or black avoids it), until players who play it as black come up with new ideas that make the line playable again. That's how chess opening theory is constantly being expanded.

It's fun to follow the developments at top level, but rarely relevant for us amateurs (also because they select their openings on criteria that aren't very relevant to us -- for instance, they feel a draw as black is a good result, so if an opening goes to a dry endgame that will usually end as a draw after hours of passive defence played at extremely high level, then that is a good opening choice. Well, not for me...)

I would say a strong opening as white is to play e4, which is 'best by test'.

If they reply with e5, attack the pawn with Nf3, if they play Nc6, play d4 - the scotch. It is  simple opening, if you play the less complicated lines, but as you improve you can play openings that are strong complicated and exiting.

It has the advantage over the ruy lopez that there are less options for black.

For more information join the scotch team, with many forums giving  detailed explanations of the scotch, along with vote chess and team matches to help improve your game.

http://www.chess.com/groups/view/the-scotch-fans-team

Thank you again Scarblac.   Chess is a very interesting game.... I learn daily and love it.  Your input is very helpful.

And thank you chessy I like the idea of the scotch opening.  I am using the Ruy Lopez at this stage but will deffenitely join the scotch team and see how it goes.

four knights is a nice game were you throw down so to speek the most skillfull player wins