1. STOP STUDYING OPENINGS SERIOUSLY AND STUDY MORE TACTICS... (sorry for the caps, just needed the emphasis to be seen)
2. Study 1 opening with white and black and use it all the time. Focus more on tactics. Do not over-familiarize yourself with the opening, just get the gists of it.
3. Good luck!
Exeter Chess Club's coaching pages have a lot of information that I mostly agree with; see http://www.exeterchessclub.org.uk/openings.html#beginner for beginner openings, especially http://www.exeterchessclub.org.uk/italian.html .
Basically, your bread and butter as both white and black should be in the sharp, tactical open game that arises after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4.
But avoid this line, which is boring and static (white should go for c3 and d4 instead, don't play Nc3, you need to break open the center):
Rather than learn book openings, I found it helpful to learn the principals behind most of them. I.e. develop your pieces quickly. Don't move more than one or two pawns in the opening. Don't move anything more than once, put it straight away on its best square. Usually develop Knights before Bishops because it's easier to find their best squares. Castle early. Try to get control, or at least a share, of the centre. Don't attack until you've finished development. Don't waste moves trying to win a quick pawn.
My game immediately improved without the need to memorise anything except the above.
Hi,
This is my first post here.
I'm relatively new to the game. I understand the pieces, and some of the fundamental principles of strategy.
To study; I'm reading a few books and playing tactics in the morning.
I hardly know any openings (actually, I know one). There's a plethora of them out there, which should I study first?
Thanks for your help.