How Do I Learn Chess Openings?

I have been wondering how do I learn a chess opening. What I mean by this is do I need to learn every variation or should I focus only on the most common moves. I am trying to learn all of the openings in the post https://www.chess.com/article/view/study-plan-for-intermediate-players-the-opening2#testyourskills

I dont play on chess.com

"... For beginning players, [Discovering Chess Openings] 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
Once one has chosen openings, I think that there is wide agreement that the way to start is by playing over sample games. Some of us think that it can be useful to use books like First Steps: 1 e4 e5 and First Steps: Queen's Gambit
https://www.newinchess.com/media/wysiwyg/product_pdf/7790.pdf

https://chesscafe.com/book-reviews/first-steps-1-e4-e5-by-john-emms/
https://www.newinchess.com/media/wysiwyg/product_pdf/7652.pdf
as sources of games with explanations intended for those just starting to learn about an opening. Be sure to try to use the openings in games in between sessions of learning. Most of the time, one faces a position with no knowledge of a specific move indicated in a book. One has to accept that as part of chess, and think of opening knowledge as a sometimes helpful aid. After a game, it makes sense to try to look up the moves in a book and see if it has some indication of how one might have played better in the opening. Many opening books are part explanation and part reference material. The reference material is included in the text with the idea that one mostly skips it on a first reading, and looks at an individual item when it applies to a game that one has just played. Resist the temptation to try to turn a book into a mass memorization project. There are many important subjects that one should not neglect because of too much time on opening study.
https://www.chess.com/article/view/how-to-understand-openings

https://www.chess.com/blog/HanSchut/understand-your-opening-using-tabiyas-pawn-structures-model-games-and-typical-tactics
"... Overall, I would advise most players to stick to a fairly limited range of openings, and not to worry about learning too much by heart. ..." - FM Steve Giddins (2008)
"... I feel that the main reasons to buy an opening book are to give a good overview of the opening, and to explain general plans and ideas. ..." - GM John Nunn (2006)
"... If the book contains illustrative games, it is worth playing these over first ..." - GM John Nunn (2006)
"... the average player only needs to know a limited amount about the openings he plays. Providing he understands the main aims of the opening, a few typical plans and a handful of basic variations, that is enough. ..." - FM Steve Giddins (2008)
"... Everyman Chess has started a new series aimed at those who want to understand the basics of an opening, i.e., the not-yet-so-strong players. ... I imagine [there] will be a long series based on the premise of bringing the basic ideas of an opening to the reader through plenty of introductory text, game annotations, hints, plans and much more. ..." - FM Carsten Hansen (2002)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140627055734/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen38.pdf
"The way I suggest you study this book is to play through the main games once, relatively quickly, and then start playing the variation in actual games. Playing an opening in real games is of vital importance - without this kind of live practice it is impossible to get a 'feel' for the kind of game it leads to. There is time enough later for involvement with the details, after playing your games it is good to look up the line." - GM Nigel Davies (2005)
"... Review each of your games, identifying opening (and other) mistakes with the goal of not repeatedly making the same mistake. ... It is especially critical not to continually fall into opening traps – or even lines that result in difficult positions ..." - NM Dan Heisman (2007)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140627062646/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/heisman81.pdf

I’m a pretty weak player and I think part of that is due to my early obsession with openings and neglecting middle and endgame positions. I think that the best way to learn chess is to study it backwards.

1. Learn how to mate with the possible pieces you can mate with; going from easiest to hardest ( Queen vs King to Bishop and Knight vs King )

2. Learn Pawn vs King and how to use opposition and triangulation to promote a pawn.

3. Learn basic tactics terms and what they look like( pins, skewers, forks etc )

4. Learn the famous endgame positions ( Lucena and philidor etc )

7.Learn common pawn structures( Isolated pawns, doubled pawns, backward pawns, passed pawns )

6. Use the tactics trainer as much as possible from here on out ( and on multiple websites and apps if u can’t get premium )

7. Now here you learn opening basics NOT actual openings ( they will most likely be too difficult to remember and not applicable to your average game ) things like control the center, develop, King safety.


If you learn this way you will perform much better than most. Even if you get a bad position in the opening, you will most likely still be able to come back to an advantage in the middle game or endgame. You should start learning basic openings around 1500-1600 and real opening theory around 1800+ in my opinion. Hope I helped

"... for those that want to be as good as they can be, they'll have to work hard.
Play opponents who are better than you … . Learn basic endgames. Create a simple opening repertoire (understanding the moves are far more important than memorizing them). Study tactics. And pick up tons of patterns. That’s the drumbeat of success. ..." - IM Jeremy Silman (December 27, 2018)
https://www.chess.com/article/view/little-things-that-help-your-game

Simply become familiar with the general ideas and threats of the opening of your choice. Once you get a good feeling for the ideas and threats, it will be easier to find the most accurate moves in each position. 

The Chess Steps Method (Stappenmethode) hardly covers openings through a rating level of approximately 2000. So don’t waste your time with the opening and study the other stuff (tactics and endgames) first.

"... This book is the first volume in a series of manuals designed for players who are building the foundations of their chess knowledge. The reader will receive the necessary basic knowledge in six areas of the game - tactcs, positional play, strategy, the calculation of variations, the opening and the endgame. ... To make the book entertaining and varied, I have mixed up these different areas, ..." - GM Artur Yusupov

 

I was talking about Chess Steps, not Yusupov ... Yusupov's books are completely inappropriate and useless for a player who has an online rating in the 800's and a tactics rating in the 500's.  Add a thousand points to those ratings and maybe soon, with a lot of work, such a player will be ready to tackle Yusupov's superficial survey of a dozen problems per chess topic that, in the level 1 books, gives players OTB rated 1800 FIDE a run for their money. 

And making a statement that referred to "a rating level of approximately 2000."

Indeed, such players might consider advice such as that found here:

https://www.chess.com/article/view/how-to-start-out-in-chess

 

Here ya go...

Chess Steps Method (Stappenmethode) and Chess Tutor discs (from the same folks) ...

Level 1 workbooks and Chess Tutor level 1 CD is through rating 800 (USCF)

Level 2 workbooks and Chess Tutor level 2 CD is through rating 1400 

Level 3 workbooks and Chess Tutor level 3 CD is through rating 1600 

Level 4 is workbooks (no CD) through rating 1750

Level 5 is workbooks through rating 1900

Level 6 is workbooks through rating 2100

In response to a statement that referred to "a rating of approximately 2000", it seems reasonable to me to consider alternative points of view.

I see now what you are saying, spongey. For the sake of thoroughness, here is how much openings are taught in the Steps Method and Yusupov’s series...

Chess Steps levels 1 and 2 (up to 1400 rating) teach nothing of openings.

Yusupov level 1 books (Build, Boost, and Evolution... supposedly for 1300-1500 level players, but several reviews say the problems are often challenging for 1700-1800 level players) cover openings in 1 out of 72 chapters.

Chess Steps level 3 (up to 1600) covers openings in 2 out 50 lessons and articles.

Chess Steps level 4 (up to 1750) covers openings in 2 out of 46 lessons and articles.

Yusupov level 2 books (for up to 1800 according to Yusupov, higher according to some others) covers openings in 12 of 72 chapters.

Chess Steps level 5 (up to 1900) covers openings in 1 out of 44 lessons and articles.

Chess Steps level 6 (up to 2100) covers openings in 1 out of 28 lessons and chapters

Yusupov level 3 books (up to 2100 per Yusupov) covers openings in 10 out of 72 chapters.

My point is how little openings are given attention by these well-regarded systematic and thorough chess training courses until one is quite a strong player.

The discrepancy between Yusupov’s proposed ratings and what others have said in reviews and forums perhaps reflects Yusupov’s training of prodigies, who typically have a playing strength much higher than their rating, as opposed to adult learners who are more crystallized in their mediocrity. Hence a rapidly rising “1300-1500” chess prodigy might find an 1800 level problem right at their level, whereas an adult would find it highly challenging.

"... If you want to play competitively, then you must develop an opening repertoire. ..." - GM Patrick Wolff (1997)

I am willing to coach anyone from 800-1900 for only $15 an hour,leave me a note if interested