Beginner observations

It is amazing the difference that some chess players progress. I have been playing chess since I was about thirty regularly. I don’t generally study openings beyond learning some of the first moves but there comes a time when you realize changing things up can help. I played the Sicilian defense lines not knowing that they can be complex for a beginner. I can still play it with the Najdporf being my favorite. I family realized I should learn some e4 e5 openings as black. After a few months I have noticed some improvement and increased fun. I currently encounter the fried liver attack. I still have some thing to learn about it but fireworks often starts early. I’m am also surprised that attempts at scholar’s mate can last awhile as my last game showed me. It was a very satisfying win and I learned some blunders that I made as well. The biggest issue I have is the speed I play at even with longer time controls. I am sure that if I can learn to slow my game down I will increase my rating substantially. I am currently around 700 so hopefully I can continue upward before my next tilt.

Tactics... Tactics and more tactics and some rudimentary endgame studies are the order of the day at your level.

On openings... below 2500 elo ... They are overrated... The Sicilian is cool and all .... That said.... Pick openings that your will understand. The Sicilian Naijdorf... stumps even 2400 elo players, let alone someone of your elo. You will find that that .... even if you eventually understand say the first 10 moves ... 1 out 15 games will actually be a Naijdorf Sicilian..... is 1 game out of 15 worth studying the Naijdorf at your level? (Same goes for a KID!) When you take on an opening that you don't understand... It becomes .... More than usual your wins come from "who blunders last" and the higher elo you go, the more your opponent's complicate the game... If you don't understand the themes and structures of the opening... IMO... Your just praying to the demi gods of chess and playing a game of chance... If you do understand the opening... Even if your opponent equalizes.. You have the practical advantage having played and studied the opening.

Over on Li Chessat my best, I've beaten 2200 elo players (2000 elo chess.com) with Openings that people label Beginner's Openings... Truth is most openings were never Beginner's openings... At one point in history masters played them..

Case in point... The Stonewall Attack... Played by masters in the 1890s to the 1900. Even when my opponent plays an equalizing line... I'm still on the attack.. The better the opponent, the more complicated the game get's, sometimes a game hinges on a micro advantage...

here is a Rapid Game in which I played the Stonewall Attack in the Anonymous section.. It's only to demonstrate Opening's labeled by some as "Beginner's Openings can indeed be played..

I did the same, because I am a blitz player, I got bored of e4,e5 and caro kann that I just played on intuition as well, I decided in the in the game to play Sicilian and I also play the Najdorf, if you like to learn openings theory, which at your level is not suggested for serious players, but if you like it, it will not be a burden it will help you improve anyway, I suggest hanging pawns on YouTube, I asked a 2300 rapid player that where do he study openings he told me