In openings like Ruy lopez, French , Sicilian etc both sides have to play presctibed moves then we call it that name. But there r also openings systems , meaning u can play that setup vs pretty much whatever ur oponent does like london system setup, or kings indian attack for example . And about how important it is to study main lines... Its good to learn those first becouse those r the best moves backed up by theory. So when u get move that is not main line u can ask urself why is that so, and how can plans deviate from then on and see if u can maybe exploid it .
Help me understand something
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Moves can transpose to a particular opening as well, they don't necessarily have to be in order. For example white playng Nf6, e4, Bc4 is the Italian, if instead he moves the bishop to b5, it is the Spanish/Ruy Lopez. The same for black. Usually you can tell an opening by its first few moves, but often times the order of the moves can change, to keep ones options open.
Also to keep your opponent guessing.
The first thing that comes to mind is that 1...e5 is theoretically speaking difficult to beat, on the other hand some other openings are easier to beat but difficult to play against. Hope that explains something if anything at all. It doesn't make much sense though, does it.
Chess has been extensively studied. And part of this study has to do with the starting moves of the game. If white plays 1e4 people have wondered:'what is black's best response?', or 'what responses are acceptable?' Through trial and error (and logical reasoning) it was found that 1...e5 was a decent reply. But other responses were also approved and eventually they each got names. Because it sounds better to say: 'I'm playing the French defense' than saying 'I respond to white's 1.e4 with 1...e6.'
Of course chess is not over after just one move! After each of the replies by black white also has atleast one good reply. Usually even more. Some of these were also given names, then the responses to those were given names etc. That's while we can now talk about the najdorf variation of the open sicilian(1.e4...c5 2.Nf3...d6 3.d4...cxd4 4.Nxd4...Nf6 5.Nc3...a6)
This particular example is sometimes referred to as a 'black opening' which means that black is the one who has the last, definitive say, of whether these moves will come up on the board. In our above line he can also play 5...Nc6, which of course has a different nameHowever while Black is the one who get's the last say in the opening appearing on the board, white has a say in it too! He can play 2.c3 and the Najdorf will never appear on board!
But what if our opponent plays a move that is not extremely good, or atleast isn't played often? Now your opening doesn't have a name anymore. You're out of 'book', out of 'theory' in 'nomansland' if you will. This will always happen at some point, because theory doesn't go on until checkmate! And for amateurs it can happen very early, like move 4,3 or 2. After it has happened you can't keep on playing the same moves pretending you're still in 'book' You'll need to play chess on your own (un?)forunately.
Because this happens quite early in amateur chess it is good to focus on so called 'opening principles' rather than learning a lot of lines. You can google these principles if you want to know more about it (I would recommend reading the article from chess.com about it, if you can find it). I don't have the time to explain all of them to you right now. Although I can explain what they are. They are guidelines, chess wisdom which is, most, but not all,of the time applicable. They help you decide good moves in opening positions you have never seen before! Doesn't that sound a whole lot more interesting than learning white's ninth move in the Ruy Lopez? ;p
Of course chess is not over after just one move! After each of the replies by black white also has atleast one good reply. Usually even more. Some of these were also given names, then the responses to those were given names etc. That's while we can now talk about the najdorf variation of the open sicilian(1.e4...c5 2.Nf3...d6 3.d4...cxd4 4.Nxd4...Nf6 5.Nc3...a6)
This particular example is sometimes referred to as a 'black opening' which means that black is the one who has the last, definitive say, of whether these moves will come up on the board. In our above line he can also play 5...Nc6, which of course has a different nameHowever while Black is the one who get's the last say in the opening appearing on the board, white has a say in it too! He can play 2.c3 and the Najdorf will never appear on board!
But what if our opponent plays a move that is not extremely good, or atleast isn't played often? Now your opening doesn't have a name anymore. You're out of 'book', out of 'theory' in 'nomansland' if you will. This will always happen at some point, because theory doesn't go on until checkmate! And for amateurs it can happen very early, like move 4,3 or 2. After it has happened you can't keep on playing the same moves pretending you're still in 'book' You'll need to play chess on your own (un?)forunately.
Because this happens quite early in amateur chess it is good to focus on so called 'opening principles' rather than learning a lot of lines. You can google these principles if you want to know more about it (I would recommend reading the article from chess.com about it, if you can find it). I don't have the time to explain all of them to you right now. Although I can explain what they are. They are guidelines, chess wisdom which is, most, but not all,of the time applicable. They help you decide good moves in opening positions you have never seen before! Doesn't that sound a whole lot more interesting than learning white's ninth move in the Ruy Lopez? ;p
Hi! I've been playing chess for fun for quite some time, but only recently have begun really trying to get better as a player. So, I've taken to trying to learn a few openings. But, I have a question that I can't seem to find the answer for.
We're always only given one opening name (be that the English, the Italian, the Ruy Lopez, etcetera from white's perspective, or the French Defense, the Sicilian Defense, etcetera from black's), which coincides with a prescribed series of moves for both sides. My question is, does the name of an opening depend on BOTH players making prescribed moves?
Wouldn't it be more correct to say that white is playing the Giucco Piano, and black is playing the French Defense, as an example rather than black's moves fitting into a nice, tidy, prescription? After all, very few moves in chess are absolutely forced.
The reason I ask this is because very frequently, in the real world, chess players deviate from prescribed lines of openings. It can make it hard to study when your games deviate from the prescribed line after two or three moves, and I'm left asking myself, "The Giucco Piano goes 1. e4, e5 2. Kf3, Kf6, but my opponent played 2...Kc6. Now what am I looknig at...it's different than what's in the "book?"
I hope this makes sense.
In other words, when I'm studying a particular opening, either from white or black's perspective, how crucial is it to my study that my opponent plays the prescribed line?