What Chess Beginners Should Do Instead Of Memorizing Openings

NM Laura Smith has always loved chess. By the time she was 13, she was the highest-rated player in her age group and was a silver medalist in the Girls Under 14 category at the Pan-American Championship. She has since turned her chess skills and enthusiasm toward teaching elementary school and beginning chess students the best foundations to get started at our great game. She is the author of two Chessable courses: Forcing Moves For Beginners as sole author, and Can I Take It? A Beginner's Guide To Capturing Pieces with NM Dan Heisman. Can I Take It?, was recently published as a hardcover book!

Laura is now our December 2025 Coach of the Month and discussed her favorite games (by herself and others), her tips for beginning students, and more for the occasion. 

At what age were you introduced to chess, and who introduced you? What is your first vivid memory?

I was introduced to chess at the age of five by my dad. I still remember playing through a New York Times game with him on our rug in the early 90s.

Which coaches were helpful to you in your chess career, and what was the most useful knowledge they imparted to you?

My first coach, Tag Taghian, always rooted me on and gave me my love for attacking. I’m also lucky to have had lots of great coaches, formally and informally through the Marshall Chess Club growing up.

What is your favorite or best game you ever played?

My favorite game I ever played was against the late IM Stephen Muhammad at the 2004 U.S. Championship. I found a combination that I am quite proud of. Black to move:

How would you describe your approach to chess coaching?

My approach to chess coaching is, from the beginning, taking the time to assess my students' strengths and weaknesses, especially just basic board vision. I often feel beginners are told to learn openings and other things that are just not as necessary as developing that vision.

What do you consider your responsibility as a coach and which responsibilities fall on your student?

My responsibility as a coach is to prepare for my students by going over their games and providing specific feedback on key positions. My other responsibility is to provide sample study plans that are challenging, but not over their head.

My student's responsibility is to practice in between lessons and complete their homework.

What is a piece of advice that you give your students that you think more chess players could benefit from?

As I said a little earlier, one piece of advice I give students that I think more chess players could benefit from is not worrying about memorizing openings until they have strong board vision.

I have a new student who is hungry for the game. He is young and clearly is interested in the game; my favorite type of young learner! I noticed he is capturing pieces without asking the important question, "Is it safe for me to capture that?"

So, instead of teaching him openings, I have begun by pulling examples from his games on Chesskid.com as well as examples from my co-author Dan Heisman and my book. He is starting to slow down now and I see this during our online lessons which shows me he is on the road to much more accurate play!

What is your favorite teaching game that users might not have seen?

While most chess players have heard of Paul Morphy's famous Opera Game, I also find his games in his early years also very informative and entertaining, especially against his dad Alonzo.

Do you prefer to teach online or offline? What do you think is different about teaching online?

I see the benefits in both teaching in person and online. I love connecting with my students who are far away through Chessable classroom, but I also enjoy in person when it works for me and my student.

What do you consider the most valuable training tool that the internet provides?

Chessable courses help so much, especially because Movetrainer makes sure we practice what we don’t understand!

I am also a proud affiliate of ChessUp and use it with my five-year-old twins, eight-year-old, and myself to practice. I use it for my private students, too, and see how it really helps them learn the piece movements in a calm supportive way. The AI built-in feedback is incredible, with lights showing red squares typically as bad moves and green lights as stronger ones.

Which under-appreciated chess book should every chess player read?

Back to Basics by NM Dan Heisman!