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Intro to Open Games Part 1

Intro to Open Games Part 1

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Win_Like_McEntee
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Open Games begin with 1. e4 e5. There are many sharp lines that may arise. While white is in the driver seat being half a move up in a symmetrical position, black has many fighting chances as well. There are lots of tricks and traps for both players. You should play e4 with White and reply against e4 with e5 as black if you're under 2000 and want to improve your chess quickly. Note that above 1500 trying out c5 (the Sicilian Defense) against e4 is alright. 

Some of the most popular open games at the club level are the Ruy Lopez, Giuoco Piano, Two Knights Defense, Scotch Game, Four Knight's Game, Philidor Defense, King's Gambit, and Petroff Defense.  

Below are a lot of lines so you may need to review this again a day after originally reading it.

Intro:

King pawn openings often see both players rapidly developing their pieces and castling whilst fighting for control of the center of the board. White often goes for the pawn push d4. If White plays passively Black may go for d5.

Ruy Lopez 

Lines of interest in the Ruy Lopez
Sample Continuation
 
Giuoco Piano
 
Lines of interest in the Giuoco Piano
Sample Continuation


Two Knights Defense 
For now as white if you play 3. Bc4 I suggest you simply handle the Two Knights Defense with 4. d3, possibly transposing to a similar position as the Giuoco Piano sample game until you have more background knowledge of this position.
Scotch Game
Sample Continuation 
Four Knights Game
Lines of interest in the Four Knight's Game
Sample Continuation