If you do decide to study openings i'd stick to just one per colour. I've not gone past that point yet. my two are French for black and Scotch game for white. Not because i think they are better than other choices, but just 'because'. The advantage to doing this, is that you will start to recognize common themes/tactics/etc that occur from the openings..
I need help with my openings.
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i'd say you should stick with studying opening principles and not try to memorize specific openings. There are too many variations and your opponents won't generally play by the book more than a few moves..
If you do decide to study openings i'd stick to just one per colour. I've not gone past that point yet. my two are French for black and Scotch game for white. Not because i think they are better than other choices, but just 'because'. The advantage to doing this, is that you will start to recognize common themes/tactics/etc that occur from the openings..
If you do decide to study openings i'd stick to just one per colour. I've not gone past that point yet. my two are French for black and Scotch game for white. Not because i think they are better than other choices, but just 'because'. The advantage to doing this, is that you will start to recognize common themes/tactics/etc that occur from the openings..
Of course you should learn first the openings that: (#1) are the most commonly played; (#2) can arise as a result of the moves you intend to play; (#3) fit your taste, style, and abilities. It will take some time to learn which moves and openings suit you, though, so if you are just starting chess, #3 will take some time to determine. To determine #1 and #2, just look at the headings in any openings book, or at any online database. Most people will advise you to focus on tactics and not openings as a beginner. I disagree, but I do think that beginners should develop their repertoire only slowly because of what I mentioned about #3, otherwise they'll have to relearn a lot of openings and/or variations later on.
The basics of each phase of the game
Opening:
Follow the Opening principles:
1. Control the center squares – d4-e4-d5-e5
2. Develop your minor pieces toward the center – piece activity is the key
Ø Complete your development before moving a piece twice or starting an attack.
Ø Move pieces not pawns.
3. Castle
4. Connect your rooks
Ø By move 12, you should have connected your Rooks, or be about to do so.
Middle game:
When you have completed the Opening Principles, you are now at the middle game. Now you need to formulate a middle game plan. The middle game is a very complicated part of a chess game. A simple way to develop a middle game plan is to perform the following steps.
1. Scan your opponents 5th, and 6th ranks (3rd, and 4th if your black)
2. Look for weak pawns, and or weak squares.
Ø Weak pawns and squares are Pawns, and squares that cannot be defended by another Pawn.
Ø Knights are excellent pieces on weak squares.
Ø When deciding on weak squares, and weak Pawns to attack, the closer to the center the better
End game:
Start with the basics:
1. Learn basic mates – KQ vs. K, KR vs. K, KRR vs. K
2. Learn Opposition, and Key Squares
3. Learn basic King and Pawn endings
http://exeterchessclub.org.uk/content/four-choices-opening
But at the 1000 level better is to focus on middlegame and endgame, especially not blundering, always checking for captures, checks and threats for both sides before you make a move, try to pin and be agressive. Often time in the opening, tempo's are very important, in a closed position they become sometimes less important though but in an open position you can gambit a pawn if you get 3 tempo's for it (theoretically, 2 tempo's often in some positions enough)
After each of your opponents moves, you should ask yourself the following:
"What is my opponent trying to do?"
Before each of your moves, ask yourself:
"Are my pieces safe?"
You should look for Forcing Moves first:
Checks
Captures
Threats
For someone seeking help with choosing openings, I usually bring up Openings for Amateurs by Pete Tamburro (2014).
http://kenilworthian.blogspot.com/2014/05/review-of-pete-tamburros-openings-for.html
I believe that it is possible to see a fair portion of the beginning of Tamburro's book by going to the Mongoose Press site.
https://www.mongoosepress.com/excerpts/OpeningsForAmateurs%20sample.pdf
Perhaps TonyBebawy would also want to look at Discovering Chess Openings by GM John Emms (2006).
"If you find an opening here that appeals to you and you wish to find out more about it, the next step would be to obtain an introductory text devoted entirely to that subject." - GM John Emms (2006)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140627114655/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen91.pdf
"Each player should choose an opening that attracts him. Some players are looking for a gambit as White, others for Black gambits. Many players that are starting out (or have bad memories) want to avoid mainstream systems, others want dynamic openings, and others want calm positional pathways. It’s all about personal taste and personal need.
For example, if you feel you’re poor at tactics you can choose a quiet positional opening (trying to hide from your weakness and just play chess), or seek more dynamic openings that engender lots of tactics and sacrifices (this might lead to more losses but, over time, will improve your tactical skills and make you stronger)." - IM Jeremy Silman (January 28, 2016)
Also, perhaps look at:
https://www.chess.com/article/view/picking-the-correct-opening-repertoire
http://chess-teacher.com/best-chess-openings/
https://www.chess.com/blog/TigerLilov/build-your-opening-repertoire
https://www.chess.com/blog/CraiggoryC/how-to-build-an-opening-repertoire
https://www.chess.com/article/view/learning-an-opening-to-memorize-or-understand
https://www.chess.com/article/view/the-perfect-opening-for-the-lazy-student
In a 2006 GM John Nunn book, in connection with opening study, it is stated that, if a "book contains illustrative games, it is worth playing these over first", and the reader was also advised, "To begin with, only study the main lines - that will cope with 90% of your games, and you can easily fill in the unusual lines later."
"... 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)
In one of his books about an opening, GM Nigel Davies wrote (2005), "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."
Play e4 and never look back. After you get to 1600, then you can start choosing an opening you like. Just play e4 as white
Amazing tips guys, thanks for all the help and support!
I find YouTube helpful in learning an opening. Most are narrated and readily available aside a game ur playing.
Yeah, just playing by opening principles with simple set-ups is best for a new player. Focus on tactics more, for now, as well as basic endgame play/strategy.
i know i do
Italian Game, scotch, modern benoni
TonyBebawy wrote:
Hello everyone, i am sixteen and i just started chess. I would like to know which openings to study first. I know openings will boost my game performance by a bunch so I need the help of people like you. Also, I would like detailed instructions on the proper way to study it.
Thanks a bunch.
It is not true that "knowing openings" will "boost your game performance by a bunch". They won't help if you don't know what to do when the lines you have memorised run out. Besides even if openings help you to get some cheap wins they will only do that against other beginners and weak players. What is the point of that, unless the rating number next to your name is more important to you than eventually becoming a really strong player? When you meet strong and experienced players you are going to be outplayed whether they know the opening moves you play or not. Outplayed, that is, until your overall chess ability improves.
Just because GMs spend most of their time working on the opening does not mean that it is the right way for beginners and ordinary players to use their time. When you start to play chess you need to know only enough about the opening to get a playable position against the level of opposition that you usually meet.
Any good, up-to-date, Introductory book on chess, or on chess openings in general, will teach you all you need to know about openings until you are a much stronger player. But you do need an up-to-date book. Older books tell you only how to play if you open 1. e4 and your opponent replied with e5. That might have been okay in 1930, maybe even up to the 1950's, but these days you need to know a little bit about what to do when White plays a different first move, or when Black refuses to co-operate and answers your 1. e4 with c5, e6, d6, c6, g6, Nf6, d5, b6, Nc6 or something even more outlandish. Another reason to avoid old classics like Fine's "Ideas behind the chess openings" is that there were some very fixed ideas about pawn structures and other aspects of chess back then that have been completely revised since then.
You will see the biggest improvement in your practical results from studying tactics and solving tactical puzzles, and that is time and effort well spent because it will benefit you for as long as you play chess.
All the chess manuals tell us that to reach our potential we should study endings. The reasons are many. I suspect that is correct but, like most players, I have never found the motivation to study more than the very basics of endgame play which may explain, in part, why I never became a very strong player. The only endgame book I have studied thoroughly is "Chess Endings: Essential Knowledge" by Averbakh. However I did enjoy that and it did improve my chess a lot. I need to read it again! Perhaps it would halt my decline. It is a very slim book, and really easy to follow. You might enjoy it too. It will do your long term development more good than any amount of studying openings. I recommend it.
It is also important to play over lots of master games. As a beginner you need to see a huge variety of types of game to get a good idea of what is possible on the chess board. "The Bumper Book of the World's Greatest Chess Games" by Nunn, Emms and Burgess does not cost much and it contains a selection of famous and well known games from the 19th century to the end of the 20th. What is more they are all very well explained. I think you would enjoy that too. In fact if you do not enjoy studying the games in that book then I'd say chess is not the game for you.
The_Aggressive_Bee wrote:
The modern Benoni, are you insane? That opening is quite difficult to play, it is usually advised (not by many) to "experienced" players.
Italian Game, scotch, modern benoni
as white 1.e4 as black e4,e5 and d4,d5. Read annotated games from yesteryear, dont get caught up in worrying about theory, just learn the game, the older games will be instructive and easier to follow. We dont play openings, we play chess! 
GodsPawn2016 wrote:
The basics of each phase of the game
Opening:
Follow the Opening principles:
1. Control the center squares – d4-e4-d5-e5
2. Develop your minor pieces toward the center – piece activity is the key
Ø Complete your development before moving a piece twice or starting an attack.
Ø Move pieces not pawns.
3. Castle
4. Connect your rooks
Ø By move 12, you should have connected your Rooks, or be about to do so.
Middle game:
When you have completed the Opening Principles, you are now at the middle game. Now you need to formulate a middle game plan. The middle game is a very complicated part of a chess game. A simple way to develop a middle game plan is to perform the following steps.
1. Scan your opponents 5th, and 6th ranks (3rd, and 4th if your black)
2. Look for weak pawns, and or weak squares.
Ø Weak pawns and squares are Pawns, and squares that cannot be defended by another Pawn.
Ø Knights are excellent pieces on weak squares.
Ø When deciding on weak squares, and weak Pawns to attack, the closer to the center the better
End game:
Start with the basics:
1. Learn basic mates – KQ vs. K, KR vs. K, KRR vs. K
2. Learn Opposition, and Key Squares
3. Learn basic King and Pawn endings
This is good info. Thanks.
Queens Gambit
Play the Ruy Lopez. Play it as white. Play it as black. Play nothing else. 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 that is the starting position of a chess game played correctly. Any other opening is incorrect and the offending player should resign on the spot. After Bb5 black has a choice between 3... a6 or 3... Nf6 but it doesn't really matter, both are automatic draws. After move 3 shake hands and call it a draw.
JSLigon wrote:
Play the Ruy Lopez. Play it as white. Play it as black. Play nothing else. 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 that is the starting position of a chess game played correctly. Any other opening is incorrect and the offending player should resign on the spot. After Bb5 black has a choice between 3... a6 or 3... Nf6 but it doesn't really matter, both are automatic draws. After move 3 shake hands and call it a draw.
What utterly unhelpful nonsense, what happens when black plays the Sicilian? French? Alekhine? Scandinavian? Caro Kann? Pirc/Modern? or White plays d4? c4? Kings Gambit? Vienna? Italian? To say a6 or Nf6 are draws is ridiculous, there are other perfectly good options for black also, Nge7, g6, f5... I get that you were trying to be funny but tbh its not
Hello everyone, i am sixteen and i just started chess. I would like to know which openings to study first. I know openings will boost my game performance by a bunch so I need the help of people like you. Also, I would like detailed instructions on the proper way to study it.
Thanks a bunch.