1. e4 e5 2. ? - Options for a beginner

Given “1. e4 e5” to start, what is the best next move from the options: Nf3, Nc3 or Bc4? I won’t be surprised if the answer involves “it depends”. 😁 So more specifically, for a beginner player, if you don’t really know anything about your opponent, and not much more about yourself, what factors would you consider?

Some of the observations I have are:

1) Nf3 and Nc3 moves control or attack more of the center of the board than the Bc4 move
2) Nf3 and Nc3 moves help develop the Rooks a little giving them a bit of space
3) Nf3 impacts the center more than Nc3
4) Bc4 attacks a space around the K
5) I’ve seen the guidance “knights before bishops”

Does it just come down to something like play what you know, pick one option to learn further variations first, and go with it, or are there other factors?

Thanks,
dgoldsmith

I would personally recommend playing 2. Nf3 because it requires an immediate response from black. Nc3 and Bc4 give black a little bit of wiggle room and don't fight as much for an advantage as Nf3 does. I also don't think you can be playing only one opening, because your opponent can play so many ways. But for starters I would recommend checking out the italian game, ruy lopez, and the scotch game or gambit depending on how spicy you want to play. 

 

Hope this helps/if you have any other questions go for it

I would personally recommend playing 2. Nf3 because one of the most common responses is 2. Nf3 Nc6, which you can use to your advantage in the Ruy Lopez opening. Very strong opening that allows for white to castle at his leisure.

 

I think that that is, by far, the most common sort of advice, but, from time to time, one sees things like this from another thread:

"... When I coached a very successful high school chess team, my job was to funnel my players to books that moved them along one step at a time and gave them straightforward things to consider. For example, I taught them openings that tended to lead to a limited number of middlegame strategies so they wouldn't get confused or spend a lot of clock time trying to figure out what to do like the Bishop's Opening focusing on f4 and a K-side attack or ..."

cookieblek and kevinbusse, thanks for the replies.

I've been looking at "Chess Opening Theory" on wikibooks.org and got a copy of Tim Sawyer's "King Pawn 1. e4 e5 Open Games in Chess Openings" to start reading.

 

kindaspongey, any specific book recommendations?  I know I can do some searching on the forums for existing discussion.  I think your saying something along the lines of "keep it simple to start but know that you need to branch out as you go".  Given my knowledge of how I research topics for work and can get distracted going down rabbit holes, I recognize that chess openings is full of those holes, so I need to try to focus on a targeted subset to start, learn it well and then expand on either more variations of a given opening or learning more about different opening families.

Too much theory for him.

 

I recommend Scotch Game

(2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4)

Or Italian

2.Nf6 Nc6 Bc4.

 

You should have no trouble with the Petroff (2...Nf6) 

The best e4 opening for beginners is probably the Italian game. it doesn't have too much complex theory, most of the moves are very natural and most positional concepts aren't too deep.

as you develop as a chess player, you might want to switch to either the Scotch or the Ruy Lopez, however

Possibly of interest:
"... For beginning players, [Discovering Chess Openings by GM John Emms] will offer an opportunity to start out on the right foot and really get a feel for what is happening on the board. ..." - FM Carsten Hansen (2006)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140627114655/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen91.pdf
My First Chess Opening Repertoire for White by Vincent Moret
https://www.newinchess.com/media/wysiwyg/product_pdf/9033.pdf
https://www.chess.com/article/view/how-to-understand-openings
The Four Knights: Move by Move by Cyrus Lakdawala (2012)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140627040728/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/ebcafe06.pdf
https://web.archive.org/web/20140627104938/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen159.pdf
A Chess Opening Repertoire for Blitz and Rapid by Evgeny Sveshnikov and Vladimir Sveshnikov
https://www.newinchess.com/media/wysiwyg/product_pdf/9020.pdf
Opening Repertoire: 1 e4

Opening Principles:

1. Control the center squares – d4-e4-d5-e5

2. Develop your minor pieces toward the center – piece activity is the key

3. Castle

4. Connect your rooks

Tactics...tactics...tactics...

 

Pre Move Checklist:

1. Make sure all your pieces are safe. 

2. Look for forcing move: Checks, captures, threats. You want to look at ALL forcing moves (even the bad ones) this will force you look at, and see the entire board. 

3. If there are no forcing moves, you then want to remove any of your opponent’s pieces from your side of the board. 

4. If your opponent doesn’t have any of his pieces on your side of the board, then you want to improve the position of your least active piece. 

5. After each move by your opponent, ask yourself: "What is my opponent trying to do?"