Best defenses for a beginner

This book help me a lot to not memorizing openings move by move and improved my game. The ideas behind the chess openings - Ruben Fine, licence free.

http://www.chess.com/download/view/fine-reuben---the-ideas-behind-the-chess-openings

I am also fairly new to chess. One problem I found with memorizing openings is that your opponent may not know the opening either. So you may know 6 moves of sicilian defense but your opponent plays some random moves.

Then all your studying is out if the So at the lowest level it may be more useful to know the principles: go for the center, develop your pieces, castle, rooks to open file etc.

Maybe memorize some cheap tricks to avoid them. E.g. your opponent wants to pull scholars mate or similar things on you.

@22

"memorizing openings" ++ 'Chess should not be memorized' - Lasker

"more useful to know the principles: go for the center, develop your pieces, castle, rooks to open file etc." ++ Yes. Lasker formulated 4 common sense principles:

1. Only play your e- and d-pawns
2. Play knights first, then bishops
3. Do not play the same piece twice
4. Do not pin opponent's king's knight with your queen's bishop before your opponent has castled O-O

"memorize some cheap tricks to avoid them" ++ No, think to avoid traps.

Memorization which comes from Chess Understanding is extremely valuable.

If you memorize 6 moves, but don’t understand the function or idea behind the moves, you will struggle.

If you memorize 6 moves, but do understand why your playing them, it can be very powerful.

It can help you punish an opponent who potentially made an opening error.

————————

For Example:

Lets say white is trying to play Italian Game which is below position.

Now lets say we are trying to get into above position, but our opponent deviates.

In the above position, why does white play Nf3?

Well the function of the move is to attack undefended e5 pawn + attack d4 square.

Black has few good ways to respond to this.

They could play Nc6 to defend e5 pawn + protect d4 square.

They could play d6 to defend e5 pawn.

They could play Nf6 to counter attack white undefended e4 pawn.

————————-

‘Lets say our opponent does none of the above and plays the following:

Is the move a6 good or bad?

Does it defend e5 pawn?

Does it counter attack white e4 pawn?

You see we have memorize white and black responses, but we also know why the moves are being played. This allows us to determine our opponent messed up and we now have an opportunity to take advantage of the situation by capturing the e5 pawn!

Oh I do agree here, no question. But in your example it is fairly obvious why he should play the mainline move and how it can be exploited. Unfortunately it’s often not so obvious (to me) and sadly there is nothing in the opening book (I have) how to exploit blunder moves.

So an interesting question would be how to learn this information.

By asking questions on forums or in chess club.

Actually, their are a lot of ways to learn it.

Books, Hiring Coaches, Annotated Games by strong players on YouTube, etc

So many ways to learn it - Once, you do learn it

Than it makes everything come together.