What you need to know about your opening…
Sort:
swarminglocusts
May 26, 2022
0
#1
At first you learn how to develop your pieces and get your king to safety. With that being said you also need to know the opening traps and middle game plans. Lastly, learning what types of endgames will arise and how to handle them is also important. Every opening has tactics, some are common and are worth memorizing. Others you have to catch on the fly. Thoughts, questions and add ons?
This generally seems about right. I will say in some openings the king is safe (or safe enough) on its starting square so "getting it to safety" is not always part of the plan.
May 27, 2022
0
#3
jmpchess12 wrote:
This generally seems about right. I will say in some openings the king is safe (or safe enough) on its starting square so "getting it to safety" is not always part of the plan.
Sometimes castling too soon can be a bad thing. Many lines of the Najdorf or French Defense, castling can be an outright mistake!
I have been involved in games where one side is developed and the other side dithers on castling to many turns that when they do castle the first side can jump straight into an attack on either side and the middle was probably only slightly safer.
ThrillerFan wrote:
jmpchess12 wrote:
This generally seems about right. I will say in some openings the king is safe (or safe enough) on its starting square so "getting it to safety" is not always part of the plan.
Sometimes castling too soon can be a bad thing. Many lines of the Najdorf or French Defense, castling can be an outright mistake!
Yep, castling into a greek gift or pawn hurricane is not advised.
If I've only learned one thing in the two months I've been playing here, it's this: If there's a "free" pawn available in the first 2 or 3 moves, DON'T take it!
May 27, 2022
0
#7
I have witnessed there is a division in the chess.com community on openings. The “older generation” are dogmatic on that until you are 2000+ to learn openings.
mikekalish wrote:
If I've only learned one thing in the two months I've been playing here, it's this: If there's a "free" pawn available in the first 2 or 3 moves, DON'T take it!
Most gambits are unsound and accepting them is the only way to refute them. Does not apply to Queen's gambit. Of course the pawn isn't entirely free, but usually you can either hang onto it with precise play, or give it back for a significant advantage.
Deeper into the openings there are some truly "poisoned pawns" where taking them is a big mistake.
I'm sure you're right, but it's a function of the level you are playing at. If I take the pawn, I'm likely not good enough to keep it without paying a big price. But learning.....
#1
"At first you learn how to develop your pieces and get your king to safety." ++ That is right. Castling not only brings your king to safety, but also connects and activates your rooks.
"you also need to know the opening traps" ++ You do not need to know traps.
If you need knowledge to avoid opening traps, then how will you avoid middle game traps?
"learning what types of endgames will arise and how to handle them is also important."
++ Yes, endgames are important. Endgames decide many games, openings not.
"tactics, some are common and are worth memorizing" ++ No memorizing is needed.
"Others you have to catch on the fly." ++ You can catch everything on the fly.