Awesome to hear that you're already seeing the benefits of 30-minute games! Slower chess forces you to think deeper, and over time, that carries over to faster time controls too. It’s great that you’re giving it a shot instead of just sticking to blitz or bullet-like so many new players do.
As for openings, since you already play 1.e4 and 1.d4, I’d suggest expanding on what you already know rather than diving into completely new territory. If you like the King’s Pawn (1.e4), maybe try the Italian Game (solid, lots of attacking chances) or the Scotch (more open, tactical). If you’re into 1.d4, then besides the London, you might enjoy the Queen’s Gambit—a great way to learn classical chess principles.
For black, since you know a little Caro-Kann, maybe explore the French Defense (solid but more counterattacking than the Caro) or the Sicilian if you want something sharp.
And don’t worry about the massive embedded chessboard—sometimes the best way to learn is by throwing everything on the screen and figuring it out as you go. 😆
Looking forward to seeing your progress! Keep enjoying the journey.
So I played my first 30min rapid game today, a suggestion by (https://www.chess.com/member/kindaspongey) that replied to my "someone tell me why i suck pt.2" post . I have to admit, I could already feel the benefits of playing slower chess, and it does not have to be extremely slow like 90mins or whatever but I believe if all beginners started off with 30min chess they would waste so much less time banging their head against the wall and asking themselves "why am I not getting better?" only to eventually give up. In saying that, I suppose most beginners would not have the patience, and I can confirm this, because I used to be one of those beginners. I have also tried to embed the game into this post, I have no clue if I did it right cause now three quarters of my screen is plastered with a massive chess board but you guys are going to have to deal with it.
I also would love a suggestion on what opening I should learn. I normally just play the kings or queens pawn opening and figure it out from there. I still do feel like this opening has much more to give but I also think I should figure out some other openings. So fire away. The only other openings I somewhat (barely) know is the London and Caro-Kann. And as always, I am open to hear about tips on life or chess. Stories about chess and how it has impacted your life are also welcome. Thanks again to anyone reading this.