Q+A for beginners(and everyone else)

 Then there is your answer: "water is definitely wet."

"[The plot thickens further then the thickening of the thick plot had thickened during the thickening before this thickening of the already thick plot] "

~ @vicountvonjames

You have to apologize.

Basically what you decide is the best 2nd move will decide your chess outlook. No pressure

Any tips for playing black defense against strong aggressive openings? I seem to let my opponents pawn on the e line get past the centre too easily 

There is no mate threat on move 2? But its quite a turning point in chess, because this type of position is the first learned or close to the first. So then its usually dismissed with some fast answer...and the formation of win quick and win now is already being laid. To answer it is considered to be too much work, or too advanced, or too much time....but the truth is the teacher doesnt know(or care)....and admitting that would be awkward no?

I don't believe that water is wet. It is wetting, so perhaps you at least are definitely wrong. Water is made up of independent molecules that remain independent unless exposed to other factors.

Meh, too easy. Change your name to GM and you will be GM overnight.

yes

For freeing up movement or preferably not getting into the positions where my movement is restricted so much in the first place. 

@kingofjive5 I think Rychessmaster1 was asking which openings you were having trouble against. At any rate, if you play 1...e5 against e4, that should keep things relatively open, and keep their pawn from getting too far down the file. 

Ah i see, I'll have to have a look at what the openings are called i struggle against. I really dont like mirroring on the first move, with D4 first move I've been playing F4. This allows for a bit of freedom. And the knight to come out and protect D5. I'll see if i can work out how to post a game and come back. Cheers

Super basic question I'm sure, but

in this game where I was white  playing the computer, I don't understand this next scenario that ends up winning white the game:

Why won't the black pawn on B5 take the white rook on C file after it takes the bishop? I know the king's getting all exposed and everything but ... I just don't get why it won't so am obviously missing something very beginnery.

When you play against the computer at anything under it's max level, it randomly and intermittently plays bad moves on purpose. Pretty sure that's all there is to it. 

Ok tha

OOPS  thanks that makes the most sense. Sometimes when I keep undoing a move it does a completely different move but it seems hell bent on not doing that one so I was getting really confused.

Huh. There might be a tactic with Qxc4+, but I don't see it offhand. 

Thanks IMBacon for illuminating; to answer your first question, I initially was doing something completely different, this general situation seemed to be like a tipping point in the game, so went back to it and was asking the interface for hints, and this is what the hint function of the site kept telling me to do, to take the bishop with the rook.

It didn't make sense to me either, until it refused to take the rook lol,  now I'll go back to finishing reading your post...