Thanks cutebold, you helped pretty good.
Good Opening
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Feb 8, 2010
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#23
As black against 1 e4 two choices are French Defence and Caro-Kann. Either of these enable you to stay in the game as you learn blacks side. Although I currently prefer Caro-Kann.
White gives more opportunity for tactics exploration: Scotch, italian, Spanish, Torre. My inclination here is toward Scotch.
maulmorphy wrote:
best for begginers- double king pawn openings.
4 knights game, italian game, ruy lopez, scotch game
Not the Ruy Lopez, the Ruy is far too complicated for beginners and even up to about 1500. I too avoid the Ruy for it's complexity and the fact that everyone knows the lines. For a beginner I would definitely recommend the Torre Attack. It's very easy to obtain an equal or perhaps even superior position and the main line contains a very cunning and practical trap.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAXpqvYjDOI
Both the Ruy Lopez and Sicilian have about 60-100 pages devoted to in reference opening books, and may be intimidating to beginners. So just learn the black side of one variation of Ruy Lopez, and white side of Rossolimo or closed Sicilian of Sicilian.
The Exchange Variation of the Ruy isn't too hard to learn, though I would recommend the Scotch or something similar. I would put the Caro-Kann near the top of the "useful for beginners list", but definitely not ahead of e5 or c5. The Open Game (1.e4 e5) and Sicilian Defense (1.e4 c5) are pretty good for learning, even if you're blundering your way through at first. Since the Sicilian is so theory intensive, maybe learning some basics of 1...e5 is better first.
In my opinion I would not recommend the sicilian defence or the kings gambit. I believe those openings rely on a broader range of theory than what a beginner is taught. Controlling the center means putting a pawn in the center and developing your pieces quickly, using the sicilian and kings gambit, are more or less advanced strategies to countering your opponents control of the center. Before learning how to counter the opponent, I believe you need to learn how to control.
Some openings I would recommend looking into are the Italian game (Kings pawn) and basically meeting whites initial pawn movement with a blockade or a direct means of controlling your half of the center.
I disagree, though we shouldn't argue here. The Caro-Kann rarely sticks to main lines because, well, who bothers to remember that deep into theory at the beginner level? It gives Black a strong position to play with where all his or her pieces are working together, and Black (in the case of 2.Bc4 or 2.Nf3, 3...c5 in the Advance Variation, and the Panov-Botvinnik) gets straightforward, active play.
It's not as dynamic as the Sicilian, but when I was playing the Caro-Kann it was good for me as a developing player. I could play an opening that didn't require a great deal of memorization (though now, by experience and study, I know it quite well) that still gave good play.
For a beginner, as White, I would second the recommendation of double King's pawn games. The Four Knights Game willl eventually become monotonous and dull, but it's an opening that gives the basic principles - develop your pieces towards the center actively, Knights before Bishops, etc. As Black, the Caro-Kann will do, though I also blundered my way through the Sicilian which helped in tactics recognition. I wish I could be more useful!
I as well got great positions with it. if there were tons of Pba's and advance, and fantasy variations I could see how it would help. but I always ended up seeing a lot of the mainline (even though as you said both sides dont really know how to play it and shouldnt even know it) and exchange variation. due to the fact I was getting "fine" positions it took for ever to realize I was bored!
thats what happens when youre 1250 and you go buy the first openings book you see 
I would have it somewhere in the middle of 1...e5 and 1...c5 I guess.