Opening moves

[RulerOfDaPeople]

I'm just learning Chess and I was wondering what do you think the best opening moves are?

I've tried the win in 4 turn strategy but that never happens like it's supposed to. That strategy assumes your oponent will make the exact ideal moves, which will never happen. The Queen or King are likely to take your piece even if you get to the King.

What's the best moves to start in a game of Chess?

 

[WhiteEagle22]

It all depends on what your favorite openings are. There are no set rules to opening, but all of the beginning moves have names.

 

[PaulusIII]

If you're new to chess openings or chess in general, I suggest you start with e2-e4. It provides for the best way to learn the basic concepts of the opening.

Furthermore, you should try and pay attention to your development. Develop your pieces (at the very least both your knights and bishops, it is often better to leave the queen and the rooks be in the opening) before you try to attack. Do not waste time on any more pawn moves needed beyond those you need to develop - instead, develop your pieces.

 

[Narz]

It's a matter of preference. I think beginners should mostly go for central pawn pushes (e4 or d4 as white, e5 or d5 as black) followed by logical development (knights & bishops to centralized squares, castle, rooks to the center, etc), that's how I started out. I suppose you could mess with some "hypermodern" stuff once in awhile just to see how it felt to you (Nf3, g3, Bg2, 0-0 or the reverse as black). It's generally pretty safe though not particularly terrifying to your opposition.

 

[Sashie VII]

If you're new to chess openings or chess in general, I suggest you start with e2-e4. It provides for the best way to learn the basic concepts of the opening.

Furthermore, you should try and pay attention to your development. Develop your pieces (at the very least both your knights and bishops, it is often better to leave the queen and the rooks be in the opening) before you try to attack. Do not waste time on any more pawn moves needed beyond those you need to develop - instead, develop your pieces.

And in my opinion, the best opening to start out with is 1. e4 e5. It teaches basic concepts that will stay with you in whatever opening you choose later on.

eDIT: X-posted

 

[col]

I think you need to appreciate how open positions work before you venture into d4 and the hypermoderns. Understanding how knights and bishops combine comes through playing a lot of open positions. Pawn structures on the other hand take a lot more work.

 

[civiijkw]

I'll agree that the more classical openings are the best to first learn. My preferred defense against e4 (Alekhine's) is definitely NOT for a beginner.

If you don't like open positions (or want to get your foot wet in closed positions) you could always look at the Colle system (white starts with d4 and fairly early plays e3 and c3). It doesn't gain a lot but is relatively safe.

 

[JonathanStrange]

I personally wouldn't recommend an absolute novice invest too much time in learning any specific openings, but some study of simple opening game principles would be worthwhile. Those opening principles are usually well exemplified by the trusty 1 e4, 1 d4, 1...e5, 1...d5 White/Black moves.

When I was actively playing chess, I became a relatively advanced beginner (about 1700 USCF, otb) without knowing any opening past the first four or five moves. I was however keenly familiar with ideas of King safety, control of the center, quick development, open vs closed games, etc. but any specific openings? Not so much...

(But knowing openings can be fun; that's why we love 'em. Even now, when I see a book on Amazon titled Chess Opening Essentials: The Ideas & Plans Behind ALL Chess Openings I am tempted to buy it for basic review. But, as I no longer play much or study chess anymore despite my years of chess addiction, I'm not familiar with this book personally or with any other novice/beginner opening guides.

Has anyone read that one?)

 

[Narz]

Haven't read it. I've forbid myself from buying any new chess books for the next twenty years no matter how tempting the title!

Well except I'm going to get this one with a Barnes & Noble gift card I've had sitting in my wallet for years (my ex-GF gave it to me four or five years ago ), just cause it's such a classic & good for traveling. No more spending $ on chess books though, I literally have enough for two lifetimes (or one lifetime locked in solitary confinement).

I have a couple books on the c3-Sicilian (of which I've played out perhaps 4 or 5 of the 100 or so games contained therein), a couple of books on the Noteboom variation of the semi-Slav and one on the Accelerated Dragon (which again, I've played thru just a few games of). I have about 50 other chess books but not many on openings, mostly on tactics, annotated games (of various openings) & a few on endgames. Actually I do have one on anti-sicilian openings & one on beating unusual openings (1. b4, stuff like that) but neither of them appealed to me much & I'd trade or sell them if anyone is interested.

 

[JonathanStrange]

Reinfeld's a book you're likely to use - and profit from. I'd think that would qualify as as exception - 'cause it's not the buying, it's the not reading, the backlog that's the thing. BTW, there was a website (this is going back a few years so I don't recall the name of it) where someone had made a database (.pgn files) incorporating Reinfeld's tactics problems (and other authors) which you could easily download and use on Fritz (or probably any Chessbase software). They had thousand of problems.

So one could carry the problems on your laptop and solve it whenever the mood struck.

( Here's a link to anyone interested, it's not the site I was referring to which had a database of dozens of books (tactics, but also stratey) positions in .pgn format. This one does have the 1001 Winning Sacrifices book's problems.

 

[Narz]

Thanks Jonathan, however there's something nice about physical books. I try to resist the urge to bring my laptop with me while traveling, there's something timeless about going over tactical puzzles out of a book instead of off the screen.

And technically I won't be spending any money just getting rid of this giftcard I'm unlikely to use on anything else anyway.

Thanks for the database though, I'll go ahead & download it anyway for a rainy day.

 

[JonathanStrange]

They don't replace books but, for example, when I was studying Capablanca's Best Chess Endings or his A Primer on Chess, I had both the book and the database so I could make the moves as I read - but, unlike a board/pieces, I could test out my ideas against an opponent right then and there.

I think without the database I might have moved the pieces but never tried them out whereas with it, I played through all of the examples - and found out some could be played as Capa did, while many show that his brilliance made it look easy.

Anyway, better chess to all! It's just a tool in our arsenal.

 

[Mehmed100]

e4!

Openings don't really matter that much at first. Learn strategies in all sorts of different positions and what ever you do, don't neglect tactics. As you play more, you will probably develop a preference. For example, as white, I play e4 most of the time because that's what I like.
Endgames are also crucial to study and also something which I have sadly neglected.

 

[peter grimes]

Speaking as someone who only very recently took up chess, I can sympathize with the OP's dilemma. All the other aspects of a game fade into irrelevancy if you can't decide on the first several moves. It can be really paralyzing! I have not made a point of studying openings yet, and it probably shows in my games

However, I'm coming around to Mehmed's position: the specific moves don't matter so much, as long as you have a good grasp of tactics. Moving a pawn will open your back rank in a spot: can your opponent attack that piece? Or, be careful with your opponent's d pawn, you may not want to let it change files: there's a nasty old Queen behind it! Sometimes it will seemingly strike out of nowhere!

But for the most part, getting pieces out early, and aiming them at the center of the board, has worked really well for me so far. Granted, I'm not playing against people who really study -- but that's not my goal just yet.

I guess my advice, on a practical level, is to find a couple of hours to devote to a LiveChess session. Choose a certain opening (don't ask me for the names!!) and always play that one. Of course, watch out for novelty: don't get your queen sacked like I have once or twice!

 

[Narz]

I'd be happy to play people in Live Chess, especially once Erik revamps the Live Chess section so it actually doesn't suck (games that freeze, getting timed out, etc.).

 

[Richard Cribb]

There are no "best" opening, as long as basic rules are not neglected. It all depends on your own style, temper and preferences.
That said, the inexperienced student should first and foremost aquaint herself/himself with the classical openings like the Ruy Lopez, Queens Gambit and French to learn positional play. Then, if one feels for it and has the time and devotion to learn a myriad of complicated tactical variations, one can switch to Sicilians and Indians and that sort of things.
On books, there are too many of them and most of them are in my experience useless.I think the best is to find a game collection by some great player with good comments. Personally I recommend those by Vasily Smyslov, which I often use myself in my own lectures.

 

[RulerOfDaPeople]

I just want to thank you guys for your excellent advice. I took it and tried to use my Bishops and Knights in cohesion. Thanks to you guys I was able to win my first match!