If you do not understand general strategy, like what to do with or against Isolated Pawns, Backwards Pawns, Hanging Pawns, Blocked Pawn Centers, Pawn Tension (like if you always trade or advance pawns the first moment you can legally do it), the concept of Rooks on open files, Rooks BEHIND passed pawns (whether your own pawn or your opponents), Opposition, Lucena's Position, Philidor's Draw, and the Short Side Defense, then you are not ready for openings. You need to Master strategy, tactics, and endgame first.
Once you have done ALL of that (not 1 thing), openings are a different beast. The first rule is DO NOT MEMORIZE! You need to UNDERSTAND the ideas.
Here is how I became so good with the French Defense:
First book I read was Winning Chess Tactics by Yasser Seiriwan, and the second was Winning Chess Strategies by the same author.
Next I read "How to Win in the Chess Endings" by I.A. Horowitz.
These 3 books I read, with a board and pieces, NOT a computer screen, in the Fall Semister of 1995 when I was a Junior in college.
During this time of studying middlegame and endgame strategy, I was playing games, tried different opening moves, and noticed I was really comfortable with one of then when Black. I played it many times, and asked if what I was playing had a name. I was told "Yes, it's the French Defense".
During in December, while I was finishing up the 3rd book, I go out, pick up Wolfgang Uhlmann's "Winning with the French" and the rest was history.
I basically spent the spring semester studying that book, and have probably gotten about 2 dozen books on the French since then, and this is why you see me post heavily on French forums.
The fact that I knew middlegame ideas and what to do with isolated pawns, pawn chains (common in the French), good and bad minor pieces, etc, studying the French was EASY! If all I did in September 1995 was say "I want to play the French, what do I do?", I would have been a complete failure at the opening.
So long story short:
Step 1 - Study tactics, strategy, and endgame on a 3D board with pieces you must move yourself and reset yourself (no computer or tablet, no battery or electricity!).
Step 2 - While doing step 1, play many games (in person or online) and experiment with different opening moves until you find yourself comfortable with a specific setup (like a baby determining if he or she will be left or right handed). I would study tactics and strategy, and then focus on what opening moves you are making while studying endgame.
Steps 1 and 2 should take you 4 to 6 months!
Step 3, while paying attention to the opening moves (what moves you are making, not studying them) in step 2, find out if what you have been playing is an actual opening. If the answer is no, skip to Step 6.
Step 4 - If step 3 is yes, like myself, the French Defense, pick up books (plural) on that opening and put in serious study at a 3-D board. It would be best if at least one of those books has complete games. If they are annotated, one game should take you a good hour. Do not just zip thru games. Each move, try to figure out threats, goals, planning, weaknesses, etc. It is important you also figure this out for the opposing side. Like in my case, it was not just what is Black doing in the French, but White as well (and I have won many beautiful games on the White side of the French). You are studying the opening, not just what Black does or just what White does, even if your intention is to only play it from 1 side. No matter what your repertoire, you will always have a minimum of 1 opening (could be more by choice) where you have to be able to play it from both sides, like if you are a d4 player as White, playing main lines, and you play the Kings Indian as Black against 1.d4, that overlap opening would be the KID.
Step 5 - Expand your horizons (yes, including games that are not the opening you studied) by going through the games of players that are or were big time advocates of the opening determined. This is why my players are Nimzowitsch, Botvinnik, Korchnoi, Uhlmann, Glek, and Moskalenko. The first 3 have many game collection published.
Step 6 (skip if you completed step 5) - If you got down here from step 2, you need to pick up a beginner's book on opening concepts rather than a specific opening. Once you complete that book, go back to step 3 and proceed to step 4.
with HIARCS
Hello,
I would like to start learning more seriously chess and I would like some advices on how to study openings for a beginner. What is the more effective way?
I see that I can learn by heart all the different openings, but is not the best solution I guess, also, analyzing matches with that opening is quite complicated as I do not fully master strategy etc..
So it is just play position of one opening plus a couple of variations and learn by heart the moves at the beginning and step by step add more tactic and strategic elements to it? Are there book on openings useful to beginner players? How should I practice this? Against computer?
Thanks for any comment