Openings

Hi friends,

I want to play or start a good game. Please list the best chess openings so I may improve my games.

The objectively best opening from both sides, the Najdorf, requires too much study for someone just starting out.  The Ruy Lopez is a close enough second, just stay away from the 3...f5? variation and you'll do fine.  As for black vs. queenpawn games The Queen's Indian is natural and you could even sometimes transpose into a queen's gambit declined.  Against hypermodern systems the same thing, but against the English and unorthodox stuff I usually favor 1...e5.  The Grob though to this day gives me headaches, but a well timed ...h5 (not too early!) after occupying the center and developing the queen's knight should do. 

Also remember that among sound openings not all are playable by you.  People have different styles and temperments, what positions are you more comfortable in?  Garry Kasparov was told to give up the Caro-Kahn as a kid because his coach noted that the opening clashes with his style. 

There is no "best" chess opening or "best" defense. If there was, all GMs would play only that one exclusive opening/defense and nothing else.

There are openings that are more sound than others, but there's also quite a few that are considered sound enough to be acceptable in practical over-the-board play.

The Sicilian Najdorf is complex, but not necessarily "best" for black. Even if it was, it can only be reached (typically) if white plays 1.e4, and even then, white can avoid it should he choose not to play an Open Sicilian.

The Spanish Game (aka Ruy Lopez) is another complex opening that I wouldn't necessarily say is best. There are a lot of subtleties to the Closed variations it and if black doesn't play against it actively, then he'll just be clearly worse out of the opening (less space in particular). The 3...f5?! variations are maybe not quite correct from a theory standpoint, but at least they insure an interesting game and for practical club level play, it's a viable weapon.

Against the Grob: 1...d5 and 1...c6 (blocking the long diagonal that white typically attempts to exploit in it) is one safe-ish way to handle it. There's a more aggressive (and perhaps objectively better) line where black gives up his rook on a8 for white's light square bishop, but gets massively good play for the exchange: 1.g4,d5 2.Bg2,Bxg4 3.c4,dxc4! 4.Bxb7,Nd7 5.Bxa8,Qxa8 (already white's rook on h1 is hanging)...not sure if this is the exact line, but it's something similar to this.

3...f5 is a risky gambit though, not good to start with. 

Speaking of the Grob I noticed an h3-g4 structure in one of the examples in Basic Chess Endgames... and Fine complimented Grob's exemplary handling of the endgame, I certainly wouldn't want to hand white a better endgame in an ambitious attempt to refute his setup.  An opening that leads to an h3-g4 structure, guy playing white in that endgame position puzzle named after said opening, coincidence?  Maybe, but I think not.  His opponent was none other than Fine himself. 

What is the Grob?

The two rook and pawns section is relatively narrow so it wasn't hard to find:

The Grob starts:

Thanks Scorpion.  I can't imagine why I've never come across it before.

about the 3.f5 variation.

why according to you would it be theoratically unsound

I have played it for a wile after radjabov introduced it back at top level an I haven't seen a very clear route to an advantage so far

Like Terrasch says, the point of a gambit is to look like a dashing player at the cost of losing the game.

De Firmian also says that the opening has a dubious reputation and black oftentimes has to give up a couple of pawns.  Then again I have MCO-14 so his opinion might be somewhat dated on it. 

Because it is horrendous.  

Indeed. Alot depends though, on your skill level, your commitment, and the amount of time you're willing or have to invest in studying suggested openings. But anyways, i'd recommend these lines:

As white, play e4.

Tarrasch vs the French

c3 vs the Sicilian

Advance Variation vs the CK

The Spanish in the Open game (1. e4 e5)

Four Pawns vs the Pirc

As black:

Play the Sicilian Taimanov (5. Nc3 Qc7, followed up by 6. ...a6)

QGD: Tartakower's Variation.

These openings may not be the "best", but you won't exactly be blown away, at least til the middlegame! THEN you've gots some studying t'do, Lucy! Kidding. Best of luck.

You're talking about what theory thinks of (what I believe is) the Schliemann (3...f5) line. Yes, in theory it's a bit dubious and white should be able to obtain a decent advantage out of the opening. But practice isn't at all the same as theory. And in practice, a lot of club level players don't know how to properly meet it. The Schliemann is very double-edged and white can easily find himself on the losing end of things if he's not careful out of the opening...same deal as with a lot of other gambit-ish type lines.

Same thing with the Grob. In theory, yes, it's even more dubious than the Schliemann Spanish Game. In practice, it can be a dangerous surprise weapon against the uninitiated.

as a former schliemann player I noticed that a lot of people tought that with best play white had an advantage and that it was somewhat dubious.

if this opening is so dubious I would like to know why. in wich line is white supposed to gain a decent advantage. side note: the schliemann isn't a direct gamibit as 4.exf5 is bad. tough with the move 3.f5 black burns some bridges behind him wich means he has to sac some material to stay in the game in some lines( mainly the d3 one with Bxc6 and Nxe5

I decided to ad in all of white's main options and a game in wich svidler didn't get any advantage at all (Nh4 was actually inaccurate tough radjabov didn't take the chance given).