Openings' stock

Hi there!

I am a beginner chess player and up till now I played "intuitively" my openings, just trusting in some "good sense" and knowing the very first theorical ideas of chess playing.

A few time ago, I decided to begin a more "serious" study of some openings.

First question: how many openings should I learn to begin?

I don't want to put it in numbers, but I suppose I must feel a little bit confident with at least three openings: one attack for white and two defences for black (one against 1.e4 and one against 1.d4).

I thought at the Queen's Gambit for the attack, and at Caro-Kann against 1.e4 and the Indian Game against 1.d4. What do you think about it?

Try to consider I wouldn't be very happy with openings allowing my opponent to switch to another game.

Do you recommend to read specific books on these openings?

Thank you, bye!

You can get by with just three openings until you are rated 1500-1600, when you will have to start looking at openings seriously. For players like you and me a familiarity with a favorite opening is sufficient.

The King's Indian is pretty difficult if you're playing someone who actually knows it. There is a lot of theory to study, and you can get into trouble if someone has learned more than you have. It has worked fairly well for me, but I am experimenting with the QGD recently because I'd like a little more space.

Thanks for the answer but... what is QGD? I suppose Queen's Gambit D.....?!

Declined- as opposed to the Queen's Gambit Accepted (1 d4 d5 2 c4 dxc4) which is also popular but not as much as the Queen's Gambit Declined.

Quite the contrary, I heard the QGD was declining in popularity

Is the QGA surpassing it? Interesting, personally I think black's position is not worth the material.

I hate it when I poorly phrase my poor jokes that no-one wants to admit laughing about anyway :p

I hate it when I miss jokes, cause even the bad ones are fun.

On the chessboard it's ok if my opponent misses one of my joke threats though.

LOL now I get it... declining

yes, the Indian Game is just: 1.d4 Nf6

I know there are a lot of variations for the Queen's gambit and that's one of the reason why I asked for your help.

I would definitely prefer to play 1.d4 but if you know a simple effective game easier than the Queen's Gambit you just have to say it!

Do you think Caro-Kann and Indian Game could be nice defence choices?

Thanks again!

unfortenately all openings can easily switch to another game. you are not getting away from that

Like I said, against a more knowledgeable player you will be in trouble with the KID (King's Indian Defense). But I liked it anyway and played it for quite some time, I am only switching because I'd like to try more space.

Thanks a lot for the hints!

Anyways, do you think the better way to study these openings is to read a specific book for each one?

Which variation? KID, Benoni, QID, Nimzo, Grunfeld, etc.....

Well, it basically depends on the white's second move, so I think I would have to know a little bit of each variation, isn't it so?

Which opening do you suggest starting with 1.d4 if one wants to avoid the QG?

I found out a collection of book about openings, called Starting Out. I could read

Starting Out: the Caro-Kann (since Caro-Kann is at the moment my most secure choice among the three openings I thought about, and I don't want to change it)

I could also read two books of the same collection, once I have chosen which openings I really want to play...