Openings for White

Hello.

In Chess, openings are very important. It is the chance to develop your pieces, and get ready for the middle game. 

You cannot just spit out whatever opening you feel like, but it has to be a powerful opening that you know. You cannot be like "Oh f4 seems like a good first move", when your just assuming, you have to know the moves to play when your opponent is eventually going to attack you.

So lets get started with some of my favorite and most common openings that I play.

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The Queens Gambit

d4, d5, c4

This gambit is not losing a pawn, if they simply take, you can do either e4, or e3, making the bishop face the c4 pawn. To get into more detail lets go into the opening:

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Queens Gambit Accepted

d4, d5, c4, dxc4

The most straightforward defense to a gambit is to usually take the pawn.

However, I usually think that taking is losing because 1) their trading a central pawn for another pawn, and 2) that pawn can be retrieved. 

There is a main line to this gambit though, it goes: d4, d5, c4, dxc4, Nf3, Nf6, e3, e6, Bxc4, c5, 0-0, a6, and Qe2.

I do not usually do the main line though, I automatically do the threat, e3/e4.

Its your choice what to do in the Queens Gambit though - these are just some ideas. Lets move on to another opening that I like:

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French Defense

e4, e6

I would rather play the French Defense as white, because in my opinion, in the most common variation, The French Advance;

 I feel a bit "squished" in black's position.

White's structure is also better than black's. With both their central pawns attacking enemy squares, for now, I think white clearly advantage. After all, all that I am writing is all my opinion, so keep that in mind. If you want to know more about the French Defense, this is a main line:

e4, e6, d4, d5, e5, c5.

The French Defense is likable when your white, which is why I added this here.

here would be another opening that I like:

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Kings Indian Defense (KID)

d4, Nf6, c4, g6

This may start off with black not paying much attention to the center, but in my opinion, once black fianchetto's the bishop, they are going to attack in the center and castle ( 0-0 )

Once again, there is a classic variation ( going from the previous position ) and it goes like this:

Nc3, Bg7, e4, d6, Nf3, 0-0, Be2.

 In this position, White's knight is powerful protecting the center. But you do not want to do Bg4, attempting to trade the knight, but only if they castle queenside you would want to do Bg4, but if they castle kingside, you want to keep your bishop until they do h3, once they do h3 you will sacrifice your bishop. This would allow you to get your pieces on the kingside attack, and more of a chance to get mate.

That should get you good on KID so lets move on to another opening to get you to think about. If you want to try more openings and get more information I recommend the book: Modern Chess Openings - 15th Edition By Nick de Fermian.

So lets do a couple more openings, the first one is called:

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Kings Indian Attack (KIA)

(White moves would be)

Nf3, g3, Bg2,0-0,d3,Nbd2, e4.

Keep in mind that was what White would do. All these openings are from the point-of-view of whites.

The Kings Indian Attack, is not really an opening. Its a path for white to follow regardless of Black's opening moves, because Black can simply not stop white from doing it.

Since this is not an opening, there is no main line. This is a very powerful opening though, and the bishop is the main part of it, so do not trade the bishop that has been fianchettoed.

That's the advice for Kings Indian Attack.

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Vienna Game

e4, e5, Nc3

Fun Fact, did you know the Vienna Game is named after the capital of Austria?

There can be a lot of variations of the Vienna Game, like the Vienna gambit, however this is not the one most commonly played ( I usually play the Vienna Gambit when I play it though ). The main line to the Vienna Game would be:

e4, e5, Nc3, Nf6, Bc4

however, White doesn't have to play Bc4, after Black plays Nf6, they can do whatever they want like 3. f4! getting the f-pawn to attack on the center as well, since none of blacks pieces are on the kingside, this is when it is okay to move the f-pawn. If black takes, you have more space on the center and can get back your pawn easily.

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So that's my recommendation for openings, hope you try some of them if you haven't.

We all know that every part of chess is important ( Opening, Middlegame, Endgame ). We all know that it is very important to develop our pieces to get ready for the Middlegame and Endgame. These openings/strategies that I have listed will help with development ( Except Queen's Gambit, and French Defense that just is advice for controlling the center. 

These are all good openings though. You might consider trying some. 

Hope this helps with common opening mistakes.