Chess is an Ocean of Openings

My Learning Journey So Far

My chess journey continues to unfold, and I’m steadily finding my rhythm. So far, I’ve been learning through a mix of puzzle solving, Chessable courses, instructive YouTube videos, and watching grandmasters stream their games on Twitch. One thing has stood out across all these learning methods—the importance of chess openings.

I wasn’t fully prepared for the reality that chess would require me to learn not just a few, but more than a dozen different openings just to stay competitive. It's overwhelming, but also fascinating.

What I'm Encountering on the Board

Over time, I’ve become familiar with a handful of openings, including the Ruy Lopez, Queen’s Gambit, Caro-Kann Defense, London System, Italian Game, and King’s Indian Defense. These are the ones I can now recognize and respond to with some confidence.

That said, there’s a whole world of openings I frequently come across when playing online. The most common ones I’ve faced include the Ruy Lopez, Sicilian Defense, Queen’s Gambit, King’s Indian Defense, Caro-Kann Defense, French Defense, Italian Game, English Opening, Nimzo-Indian Defense, Scandinavian Defense, Pirc Defense, Slav Defense, Vienna Game, Grünfeld Defense, and the London System.

It's truly an ocean out there—no shortage of lines to explore and prepare for.

Fears Along the Way

Despite making steady progress, I still grapple with a few fears that many learners probably share:

1. Feeling the need to know all the main openings—or at least the most common ones.

2. The inevitable rating drops that come with experimenting and trying out new openings.

3. Hesitating to play after reaching a new rating milestone, for fear of losing progress.

It’s a mental game just as much as a strategic one, and these are challenges I’m learning to push through.

Performance & Progress

The previous week was slower—I didn’t get much playing or studying done, although I did manage to keep up with puzzle solving. However, this past week I made more of an effort, especially in my rapid games. I’m seeing noticeable improvement there, even though my bullet rating still fluctuates quite a bit. All in all, I feel like I’m moving forward.

Areas I Need to Improve:

• Missing winning checkmate tactics

• Failing to properly execute what I learn in opening lessons

• Weak endgame fundamentals

• Leaving pieces hanging

• Overlooking my opponents’ blunders and hanging pieces

Rating Snapshot

Courses I’ve Taken

• ✅ GM Ben Finegold – Starting Out: 1.d4 (brief overview)

• 📚 Currently studying GM Anish Giri’s Short & Sweet: Giri’s 1.e4

Goals for the Coming Week

• Reach 700 ELO in bullet

• Play at least 50 games, focusing mainly on rapid

• Dedicate more time to structured lessons

Study Plan

• Dive deeper into the Caro-Kann Defense—understand more variations, common traps, and tactical patterns

• Find a course or lesson that focuses on middlegame tactics

• Continue using Move Trainer to reinforce my opening knowledge and retain key lines

My Thoughts

This journey is far from easy, but I’m learning to enjoy the process. I’ve come to accept that setbacks are part of the climb, and that every mistake is an opportunity to grow. Each week I’m building a better version of my chess self—one puzzle, one game, and one opening at a time.