Chess opening for newbie?

I don't know a chess opening. I try to make advantageous developmental moves, based on generic chess principles. From there, if I haven't been ravaged by something "new" and/or an oversight, I try to listen to the board. I watch out for threats, tactical possibilities, and/or opponent's blunders. If nothing impresses me, I'll look for positional deficiencies and improvements.

Sometimes, I'll slip into "autopilot" and make a mistake. Otherwise, I try to focus on understanding why my opponent has made a move, what the possiblities are (by listening to the board), and capitalizing on tactical oversights, blunders, and faulty planning by the opposition.

If an opening is used on me often enough, I begin to familiarize myself with how to "answer" it. Should generic chess principles put me into an opening layout which I know how to defensively answer and my opponent has an oversight which I know how to capitalize on (because I've been victimized myself), I have in actuality effectively utilized an opening. I won't know the name of the opening nor will I favor that opening. I stick to the generic chess principles and focus on gettings wits and a plan before I get ravaged.

I suggest this methodology to any of my fellow beginners. I don't read basketball books or study plays in order to improve my game. I practice my basketball techniques in scrimmages and real games; likewise for chess. I figure, in time, a light will turn on and I'll been too experienced to make trivial oversights in an opening.

You can be undefeatable with one opening. If I see that, I won't let you play that opening and see how much chess you've actually learned (rather than memorization). It's like a rubik's cube. I learned to actually solve a rubik's cube and other folks looked it up online. When they forget that formula or the rubik's cube gets updated, who's better off?

Wow, didn't think I'd get so many answers in one day, lot to look at, thanks guys.

It just take lots of practice, of course you can look up openings and other stuff but the most important thing to do is try to use your brain first, then look and see what opening it is. I think if you do that you'll become familiar with how the opening is supposed to work faster than you would memorizing a bunch of moves. Eventually you'll have to play a game where you are not relying on study material or move memorization, that is if you want to see how good you really are.

ok im not really a newbie in chess since ive gone to tournaments and actually won something but, really thier is no newbie openings or pro openings, everybody can learn something, but if in the case of learning new openings, use like caro-kann defense for your black(theirs 7 of them, pick one that works best for you) and well white use like queens gambit or some slav attacks might work!

But all together if you cant get one of those to help you out, find your own opening and get one that works for you, so like make up your one cause that could help you out! Cause i made one of my own and well it works but it did take a while to get it down!

So yeah just try a bunch of different ones to see which one fits your style to make you better, k! good luck too for finding it!

ahh what the hell...do the blackburn gambit...that's a real simple one!!!

My uncle taught the bird system.f4 Nf3 e3 c4 only because back in 78 there were no computers to teach like now...and no one really knew that system. i was spoiled by having that against the typical staunch center game players. I never even knew the name of it!!! in hindsight I think the center game is probably the best first opening lesson along with the stonewall attack and kings indian ...center counter game with black....forgive me for not knowing the name of the famous four move checkmate..but thats a must learn to defend against of you will have many disappointing games. the Sicilian requires a split thinking stategy and shouldn't be taught initially to someone learning th basics. Knight strategys are good but the beginner tends to have an easier time with straight lines than the fancy knight posturing. And the danish and swiss gambits a real easy one too!!! ...ain't I a shtinka?!?!

Just don't worry about it to much, anyone rated under 2100 should not spend more then 10% of there chess study time in the opening.  Pick one opening system and stick to the general plans that work within that system, always look back to see where you went astray from 'theroy' but other then that just relax. study something fun like tactics instead.

As a noob, you should play the Dragon Sicilian. Don't even bother to learn any of the traps or tactics. Just play! /sarcasm

DO NOT DO THE ABOVE!!!

   The Nimzo-Indian Defense and the French Defense.  The Lasker Defense (a variation of the Queen's Gambit Declined) and the Petroff Defense (also callled the Russian Defense). 

Not only do I recommend the Nimzovitch Defense 1.e4  1.Nc6  but you must also read Nimzovitch's chess classic MY SYSTEM to see what these openings are aiming for.

   Playing the White pieces there are various recomendations such as the Dutch Stonewall Reversed (Stonewall Attack), the Colle System, the King's Indian Reversed (King's Indian Attack), to cut down on White's possible replys.  Getting white to play your game.  Probably better are lively KP Openings with White;  just jump in and sink or swim. 

 Nonetheless, try Bird's Opening with White.

I think the Colle-Zukertort can be a totally reasonable opening for a "noob" [or for a master player.]

Aljeshin wrote:

I got but one advice for you. As a beginner , do not play any opening at all. I think personally you should be at least at grandmaster level if ever to have any benefit from discussing specific openings. thats just my view. all this talk about openings is destroying chess. (by playing an opening I mean to decide to play a system before the first move is even made).

This is the voice of reason at last! At all but the highest levels the decision over which opening to play is a waste of time really. Provided you play logical moves and don't do anything silly you should get into a middle game when tactics will decide the issue. Ok I play the sicilian to e4 but stopped studying lines after that. At intermediate level it's about playing solid chess. In a recent OTB match my opponent played the sicilian and I tried a line with Bb5+. Now this is the Rossolimo. I had never played it before and didn't now it. Although my opponent was higher graded than me I drew without difficulty. The point was that I had to think about practically every move for myself. This is the best way to learn. Now I think of every move in 'the opening' rather than punch out a series of moves from some line just because I've memorized it but don't necessarily understand it.