What are solid chess openings that aren’t super common?

Sort:
j1odie

Hey folks! Ive been playing chess since I was a child but Ive never actually taken the time to sit down and learn openings. I began studying the Kings Indian/Pirc Defense and its variations and lines, but Im looking for something that leaves me a little more solid after development.

What are some solid openings that aren’t super common? I prefer to play things that others haven’t seen a million times (pawn to e4 for example), but something that is still reliable and common and that I can study and evolve with we I progress on my chess journey.

This can be for both black and white. Currently 600-800 elo depending on the week

Thanks everyone, I hope everyone’s having a happy 2023!

Dangerouscrow19

Catalan is so so solid but very very rare due to how particular it is. It's such a solid position that is solid and forces your opponent to be the one to give u tiny advantages. It's an opening in my opinion that u have to keep making okay moves to keep your advantage or else it flips to the opponent right away. I personally use it at around 1500 elo and it is solid but most recommend you don't use it till like 1800+ due to needing to learn fundamentals to be good at it. It's a tough opening but if u use it correctly, it leads to a solid game

vlibrovs

I would mention these openings:

  • Caro-Kann Defense (1. e4 c6). I wouldn't say that it is not very common (4th most popular response to 1.e4 according to chess.com opening database) but definitely a very solid response for black against 1.e4 and also not a lot of theory to learn.
  • For the white pieces, the London System (1. d4...2. Bf4) is one of the most solid options. This is a setup-based opening that can be played against almost any of black's responses. 
  • For black against 1.d4 the first opening that comes to mind in terms of solidity is the Semi-Slav Defense. But this opening contains a lot of theory to learn. Also, it's not that uncommon.
Deadmanparty

Uncommon ok opening for white. 1.b3

zone_chess

1. h4 the Kadas opening can work.
The Catalan is most solid but also increasingly common.

For black I suggest the Modern Defense - we don't see it a lot and it's only refutable at a very high level (say 2700). Then try the Pterodactyl defense or Gurgenidze system.

swarminglocusts

C4 for white and botvinnik system

For black play Sicilian Kan or scheveningen. 

I_eat_babies420
E4
terribletamarin

The best opening I can think of is the Schlechter Slav. Super rare but objectively better than many more popular openings.

saudmohammed1

do the diangonal one with the queen and the diagonal one but it wont always work

Alpartyb2

D4

Mauvile

English took me from 700s to 1000