E4, D4 or C4?

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AngusByers

Personally, I think when starting out in chess that 1. e4 is the best idea. The ideas that comprise "opening principles" are easy to apply and understand (get your knight our, get our bishop out, castle, don't move pieces twice, try and control the centre, etc). The games, particularly 1. e4 e5 games, tend to centre around fighting for central control, opening up the positions to get your rooks some attacking lines, and so forth. You can dabble in opening theory, although generally your opponent is going to go "off book" on you around move 4 to 7, so it sort of focuses you to work on "blunder control" and recognizing the potential for possible tactics, which should help you in your general middle game skills. I think the English, while a good opening, does require a decent middle game skill set already, and Queen pawn openings have a tendency to require a bit more positional understanding, making them a bit more complicated to really understand at first.
Mind you, such broad generalizations are not universal rules, and what suits you may be very different from what suits someone else (like myself). Since you are already well above 1000, I would think you've played around with the options, and so I would just say play whichever one gets you games that you like playing most as that's probably the one that suits you best.

play4fun64

E4, D4 or C4?

It's c4, d4 or e4 alphabetically.

e4 is the most straight forward opening move as it open lines for the KB and queen, place a central pawn and enable quick kingside castle.

Mazetoskylo
GrandmasterJohn15 wrote:
Hey! It is still necessary to learn opening theory when you are less than 1700. 

Nope. Opening theory plays no role when you are tactically blind. You may win a couple of games without actually playing a move, but your overall game won't improve at all.

Compadre_J
GrandmasterJohn15 wrote:
Hey! It is still necessary to learn opening theory when you are less than 1700. Yes it is also necessary to avoid blunders but good opening theory is crucial!

It depends on your ranking.

A player below 1,000 - I would recommend for them to play Scholars Mate.

It is a Chess Opening with very limited theory.

The line is also very simple for a person below 1k to play.

Also, If a rival person does a different move which isn’t shown in the above diagram it doesn’t matter as much because White plan is very simplistic.

A player ranked 1,001 to 1,200 - I would recommend an Italian Game 4.d3 line

Your opponents are a little better in chess in that range so the odds of actually reaching the above position is higher vs. before. Your opponents should still blunder chess pieces. Just play solid and grab the pieces they blunder.

GrandmasterJohn15
I think you are underestimating low ranked players. I now several 200 ranked players that could block the schoolyards mate with ease. It is essential to learn a solid opening that’s not a one trick nuclear pony. Even if you are a low rating.
Guonathonking

E4.

why? It’s a great move considered by stockfish. Im a 1200 so yeah

Compadre_J
Optimissed wrote:
Compadre_J wrote:
GrandmasterJohn15 wrote:
Hey! It is still necessary to learn opening theory when you are less than 1700. Yes it is also necessary to avoid blunders but good opening theory is crucial!

It depends on your ranking.

A player below 1,000 - I would recommend for them to play Scholars Mate.

It is a Chess Opening with very limited theory.

The line is also very simple for a person below 1k to play.

Also, If a rival person does a different move which isn’t shown in the above diagram it doesn’t matter as much because White plan is very simplistic.

A player ranked 1,001 to 1,200 - I would recommend an Italian Game 4.d3 line

Your opponents are a little better in chess in that range so the odds of actually reaching the above position is higher vs. before. Your opponents should still blunder chess pieces. Just play solid and grab the pieces they blunder.

There's no point because they won't improve if they fool around like that. They're wasting their own time and if they get a few lucky wins and find themselves playing against 1100s, they'll just lose.

No, when they reach 1,100

They will change lines to solid line to beat those players till they reach 1,201

Guonathonking
Compadre_J wrote:
Optimissed wrote:
Compadre_J wrote:
GrandmasterJohn15 wrote:
Hey! It is still necessary to learn opening theory when you are less than 1700. Yes it is also necessary to avoid blunders but good opening theory is crucial!

It depends on your ranking.

A player below 1,000 - I would recommend for them to play Scholars Mate.

It is a Chess Opening with very limited theory.

The line is also very simple for a person below 1k to play.

Also, If a rival person does a different move which isn’t shown in the above diagram it doesn’t matter as much because White plan is very simplistic.

A player ranked 1,001 to 1,200 - I would recommend an Italian Game 4.d3 line

Your opponents are a little better in chess in that range so the odds of actually reaching the above position is higher vs. before. Your opponents should still blunder chess pieces. Just play solid and grab the pieces they blunder.

There's no point because they won't improve if they fool around like that. They're wasting their own time and if they get a few lucky wins and find themselves playing against 1100s, they'll just lose.

No, when they reach 1,100

They will change lines to solid line to beat those players till they reach 1,201

Guico piano

Guonathonking
Compadre_J wrote:
GrandmasterJohn15 wrote:
Hey! It is still necessary to learn opening theory when you are less than 1700. Yes it is also necessary to avoid blunders but good opening theory is crucial!

It depends on your ranking.

A player below 1,000 - I would recommend for them to play Scholars Mate.

It is a Chess Opening with very limited theory.

The line is also very simple for a person below 1k to play.

Also, If a rival person does a different move which isn’t shown in the above diagram it doesn’t matter as much because White plan is very simplistic.

A player ranked 1,001 to 1,200 - I would recommend an Italian Game 4.d3 line

Your opponents are a little better in chess in that range so the odds of actually reaching the above position is higher vs. before. Your opponents should still blunder chess pieces. Just play solid and grab the pieces they blunder.

What about the guico piano attack?

Guonathonking
Optimissed wrote:
Compadre_J wrote:
Optimissed wrote:
Compadre_J wrote:
GrandmasterJohn15 wrote:
Hey! It is still necessary to learn opening theory when you are less than 1700. Yes it is also necessary to avoid blunders but good opening theory is crucial!

It depends on your ranking.

A player below 1,000 - I would recommend for them to play Scholars Mate.

It is a Chess Opening with very limited theory.

The line is also very simple for a person below 1k to play.

Also, If a rival person does a different move which isn’t shown in the above diagram it doesn’t matter as much because White plan is very simplistic.

A player ranked 1,001 to 1,200 - I would recommend an Italian Game 4.d3 line

Your opponents are a little better in chess in that range so the odds of actually reaching the above position is higher vs. before. Your opponents should still blunder chess pieces. Just play solid and grab the pieces they blunder.

There's no point because they won't improve if they fool around like that. They're wasting their own time and if they get a few lucky wins and find themselves playing against 1100s, they'll just lose.

No, when they reach 1,100

They will change lines to solid line to beat those players till they reach 1,201

Um

E4 bro. I anylized it with stockfish man. Solid postitions with the guico. Easy to make your opponent messed up.

e4.

Compadre_J
ryanguon wrote:
Compadre_J wrote:
Optimissed wrote:
Compadre_J wrote:
GrandmasterJohn15 wrote:
Hey! It is still necessary to learn opening theory when you are less than 1700. Yes it is also necessary to avoid blunders but good opening theory is crucial!

It depends on your ranking.

A player below 1,000 - I would recommend for them to play Scholars Mate.

It is a Chess Opening with very limited theory.

The line is also very simple for a person below 1k to play.

Also, If a rival person does a different move which isn’t shown in the above diagram it doesn’t matter as much because White plan is very simplistic.

A player ranked 1,001 to 1,200 - I would recommend an Italian Game 4.d3 line

Your opponents are a little better in chess in that range so the odds of actually reaching the above position is higher vs. before. Your opponents should still blunder chess pieces. Just play solid and grab the pieces they blunder.

There's no point because they won't improve if they fool around like that. They're wasting their own time and if they get a few lucky wins and find themselves playing against 1100s, they'll just lose.

No, when they reach 1,100

They will change lines to solid line to beat those players till they reach 1,201

Guico piano

Below 1,000 - Scholars Mate

1,000 to 1099 - 4.d3 - Solid Quiet Guico Line

1,100 to 1,199 - 4. c3 - Guico Center Attack Line

1,200 to 1,299 - 4. b4 - Evan’s Gambit Line

1,300 to 1,399 - 4. Ng5 - Fried Liver Attack Line

1,400 is Intermediate level - People like to switch to something different at that point

1.d4 line or 1. c4 line

swarminglocusts
Optimissed wrote:
DrSpudnik wrote:
GrandmasterJohn15 wrote:
c4 definitely! The English is super solid and has plenty of attacking possibilities despite its reputation of being passive!

Any opening presents attacking possibilities. And openings aren't passive, chess players are. You can make any game you play as bold or timid as you want.

Disagree, it's a combination of both, isn't it?

c4 has a lot of knowledge of pawns and can lead to many different positions. d4 requires knowledge of pawns compared to e4. 

I agree the London is a good choice. The Jobava London is even easier. Your main goal is to push e4 as a pawn break. As white you can play the scotch which is simpler.it is e4 e5 Nf3 Nf6 d4.

Compadre_J

On an unrelated note 1.c4 is never recommended for beginners because the lines in 1.c4 can transpose.

Some lines in 1.c4 are actually 1.d4 lines or even 1.e4 lines. They usually recommend playing 1.e4 or 1.d4 before you play 1.c4 or 1.Nf3

stinkycreampie

hey stinky creamp*e here, tis is a tricky question.

medelpad

E4

GrandmasterJohn15
Compadre_J wrote:
On an unrelated note 1.c4 is never recommended for beginners because the lines in 1.c4 can transpose.

Some lines in 1.c4 are actually 1.d4 lines or even 1.e4 lines. They usually recommend playing 1.e4 or 1.d4 before you play 1.c4 or 1.Nf3

I wholeheartedly disagree. C4 is exactly what beginners (and serious players too for that matter) need. its flexible and suits almost all play styles.
DrSpudnik
GrandmasterJohn15 wrote:
Compadre_J wrote:
On an unrelated note 1.c4 is never recommended for beginners because the lines in 1.c4 can transpose.
Some lines in 1.c4 are actually 1.d4 lines or even 1.e4 lines. They usually recommend playing 1.e4 or 1.d4 before you play 1.c4 or 1.Nf3
I wholeheartedly disagree. C4 is exactly what beginners (and serious players too for that matter) need. its flexible and suits almost all play styles.

It's mighty easy to go from a symmetrical English to a Sicilian Maroczy Bind, where possibly neither player knows his way around.

1. c4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. Nxd4 e6 5. e4

GrandmasterJohn15
Well we can’t agree on everything.
bigbeast321

I play c4 because I have a trap that almost 90% players fall for

GrandmasterJohn15
Can you send the move order please?