- Understand Key Opening Principles: Focus on the fundamental principles rather than memorizing moves. Develop your pieces, control the center of the board, and ensure your king's safety, typically through castling. By understanding these principles, you can adapt to various openings and make strong, principled moves.
For beginners it’s important to learn the value of attacking and holding the middle of the board (control of the center).
The most popular opening move for white is to bring the king’s pawn forward two spaces. (1.e4.). It was one of grandmaster Bobby Fischer's favorite openings as it immediately attacks the center. This opening move allows the development of both the queen and a bishop. It forms the basis of some of the oldest and most popular openings in chess, including the Ruy Lopez (or Spanish) opening, the Italian Game (or Giuoco Piano), and the King’s Gambit.
After 1.e4, the most common opening for white is d4. This frequently leads black to respond with 1.d4 d5, which is commonly called a "closed game." A closed game in chess is a variation that occurs when most pawns are fixed and blocking each other, especially the d- and e-pawns. This results in few open lines and diagonals for the pieces to move on, making it difficult to maneuver. The key difference between e4 and d4 is that the latter pawn is immediately defended by the queen, which can lead to the popular Queen’s Gambit This opening can lead to an "open game." in an open game most of the pawns in the center have been traded off, particularly the d- and e-pawns. This leaves the pieces with more open lines and diagonals to move around, making it easier for long-range pieces like rooks and queens to move around and attack. Open games can be a good choice for tactical players who like to attack and thrive in chaos.
Other possible openings for white include starting on the flanks by moving a knight to f3 (1.Nf3) or by moving a pawn to c4. These form the basis of some very popular openings, including the King’s Indian Attack or the English Opening. A number of great players in history of the game have favored 1.Nf3, because unlike 1.e4 or 1.d4 it doesn’t commit white to a particular strategy, but can transpose into a number of other openings, which can throw off a black player who commits too soon to a particular response.
Black’s opening will likely depend on white’s first move. Because white goes first, black openings are often called “defenses.” One of the widely used defenses, the Sicilian Defense, is thought of as an aggressive opening for the black that can stun the white player.
The Najdorf Variation of the Sicilian Defense is a popular and well-studied variation that both Bobby Fischer and Garry Kasparov used in their games. If white opens with 1.d4, black has more than a half-dozen solid responses, which can lead to a number of well-studied defenses. The response 1.d4 Nf6 is a flexible response that begins the popular set of Indian Defenses. These so-called hypermodern openings cede much of the center to white with the intention of picking that defense apart over time. The response 1.d4 c6 may lead to the popular and solid Caro-Kann Defense, where black relies on a superior pawn structure to set up an advantageous endgame.
In other popular black openings, if white goes with the classic 1.e4, black has several other ways to respond including the most-used 1.e4e5. From there, if white responds 2.Nf3, black may play Nf6, setting up what’s known as Petrov’s Defense.
- Learn a Few Opening Systems Well: Instead of trying to master every possible opening, choose a few that suit your style and learn them deeply. Study their main ideas, typical pawn structures, and common plans. This allows you to play these openings more confidently and understand the resulting positions better.
As the game proceeds focus on developing the minor pieces, i.e., knights and bishops. If there are pawns clogging the center, then you will want to rely more on the knights.
Par of the early game should be to protect the king. Castle earlier than later. Otherwise, you may end of sacrificing pieces, or delay development due to an early attack.
Move each piece only once … especially during development. Every time a piece is moved twice,
another piece is not being developed. There is always an exception but strive to have more pieces in the center of the board than to focus on two or three pieces.
In general, don't bring out the queen too early. It may be tempting but the more you rely on your queen to engage with minor pieces, the more opportunities for trouble can be created. - Practice Your Openings with Purpose: Regularly practice your chosen openings through games, either online or over the board. Use tools like chess engines to analyze your moves and understand any mistakes or improvements. Aim to familiarize yourself with typical positions and common tactics that arise from your chosen openings.
YouTube is very useful for openings and tactics. In YouTube, search "chess openings and defenses" to see a plethora of videos which explain and analyze openings used by chess players at every level. One of my favorite defenses is the Scandinavian Defense. Here is a tutorial on the ins and outs of this line of play CRUSH People with the Scandinavian Defense!. If you want to have some fun and try out opening traps and gambits, go to YouTube and search "opening traps."
- Review Grandmaster Games: Analyze games played by strong players who use the openings you are interested in. Observe how they handle different positions, which can give you insights into effective strategies and typical plans. Websites like ChessBase and databases of grandmaster games can be valuable resources. One such source is on Chess.com https://www.chess.com/games.
Over the course of his career, former world champion, Garry Kasparov, documented a personal database of more than 20,000 openings and variations. At some point in your development as a chess player, you will need to study chess openings in more detail. Intuition and developing organically will only go so far. - Adjust Based on Opponent’s Responses: Be prepared to adapt your opening strategy based on your opponent's moves. If they deviate from common lines or make unusual responses, have a plan for how to handle these deviations. Flexibility in your approach can help you navigate unfamiliar territory effectively and take advantage of opportunities.
By focusing on these tips, you’ll be able to build a stronger opening repertoire and lay a solid groundwork for the middle game.