My Beginner Sin: Too Much Opening Theory!

Please note:  I am still a beginner.

Summary

• A common trap for aspiring chess players is spending too much time on opening theory.
• Personal experience revealed that this habit may develop slowly as the player allots more and more time to opening study.
• This blog post demonstrates three big problems induced by this habit:
  1. Opening theory ends early (for beginners).
  2. Not understanding the moves.
  3. Inability to convert opening advantages.
• As a beginner, it is important to learn and to practice opening ideas.  However, nothing substitutes experience gained from actual play.

Background

"Beginners often spend too much time on opening theory."  Crack open any fundamentals book or watch any beginner video series, and this warning will certainly be stated.  "When studying the opening, learn the reasons for a move and don't just memorize them." I myself heard this repeated over and over again throughout a myriad online lessons and videos.

When I first started chess two years ago, I thought that it would be impossible for me to get lost in the mire of complex theory.  After all, I had been warned so many times! 

I certainly started my chess career without any fear of overcommitting to opening theory.  I was a very casual player.  Because I failed to properly apply myself to the game, I was perpetually uncomfortable in the opening and struggled on every move.  I memorably took two full minutes on my third move in the French Defense during my first rated OTB tournament.

Near the end of my first term of chess, I began expanding my practice to learn basic moves from popular openings.  I distinctly remember watching the video below.  Caleb Denby begins a lecture by showing the notorious game where former World Champion Viswanathan Anand blunders within a few moves.

(The segment in question runs from 1:14-4:10.  The PGN of the game is below.)

The Rabbit Hole

After taking roughly a year away from the game, I returned to chess with a new zeal.  However, despite the warnings drilled into me from the previous year, I slowly fell into the trap of spending my time memorizing opening theory.

At first, I knew a personal weakness was the opening since I was still gifting pawns and pieces early to my opponents.  I began watching Chess.com videos and YouTube videos covering basics.  I was retaining ideas of proper development in various opening rather than memorization of move orders.  So far my training was going well, and all was innocent and good.

I then moved to watching Chess.com series on various openings.  One of the first series I became enamored with was GM Ben Finegold's Philidor Defense video series.  I figured that it would be healthy as a chess player to dedicate some time to a favored opening.  This was a valid approach; I was focusing on opening fundamentals while studiously finessing a specific opener.

But then my curiosity for openings gradually increased.  I started getting involved with other websites and using external programs to help train my opening moves.  I became intoxicated with pushing my memorization skills.  Retroactively, that is where a very dangerous thought came to my head, "When I have an opening fully fleshed out, then I will feel comfortable playing chess."  I began playing fewer and fewer games as I opted further and further to study openings and then studying those openings deeper.  My habit had slowly and pervasively consumed most of my dedicated chess time.

At some point I was frustratingly trying to recall move 15 or move 16 of some newly learned Caro-Kann sideline when it dawned on me, "Who would even play like this?"

I was preparing opening lines far above my playing level.  I immediately lamented how few games I had been playing.  Instead of improving my general chess skills, I had favored exploring lines I would not even be able to play at my level.  I realized that in order to play at the level to which I aspired, I first had to earn my skills and strategy first.

And through playing games, I was able to witness firsthand some common problems to those with my affliction:

1. Opening theory ends early (for beginners).
2. Not understanding the moves.
3. Inability to convert opening advantages.

Below are personal examples related to each problem.

Problem 1:  Opening Theory Ends Early (for Beginners)

In one game, I was ready to reply to White's 1. d4 opening with my newly studied Budapest Gambit!  However, White didn't even give the opportunity.

Immediately, all of my opening theory is for naught.  It does not matter whether I spent 1 hour studying opening theory or 1,000 hours; this is not a target line for the average beginner player to study.  Rather than relying on opening theory, simple opening fundamentals and ideas would let Black pounce on this push from White (either 2... e6 or 2... c6 are good candidates for Black).

Problem 2:  Not Understanding the Moves

The following game snippet illustrates the classic warning on opening study: not understanding the moves.  In this London System opening I played as White, I made a poor pawn push in the center:

I knew in some lines of the London System that White would push e5 after most of the pieces had been developed.  However, I did not ask myself critically why those lines would conduct the e5 push.  In this instance, the e5 push weakened Whites center.  Black took the opportunity and reversed any small advantage previously held by White.

Problem 3:  Now what? (Inability to Convert an Advantage)

This problem derives from the previous two issues.  Imagine being prepared in your opening, and your opponent blunders a pawn (or perhaps it was a mouseslip).  Perfect!  We know we have the advantage from the start.  But... now what?

Chess games, especially at the lower levels of play, are far from decided at the opening.  Take into account this snippet of a blitz game where, whether intentional or not, my opponent plays the Englund Gambit.  I knew the opening was dubious for Black, but I lacked the piece coordination and strategy to refute my opponent's moves.

White's play not only allowed Black to regain the pawn; but, more importantly, Black was able to maintain a solid position pushing the pressure onto White.  All of a sudden, Black is the one with the advantage.

Conclusion

Ultimately, the opening must be studied at all levels.  But moderation is key - especially in regards to amateur players.  I wish I had more readily identified my descent down an unhealthy rabbit hole.  I cannot help but to wonder for myself and for the reader, what other habits do each of us possess right now which require our attention?  Diligent self-reflection is critical to progress.

A healthy chess program should include opening theory study, but it must be tempered with the other key ingredients: tactics, strategy, endgame, etc.  And most importantly of all, for beginner players and advanced players, it is critical to remember the core to any training regiment: playing chess.