A Beginner's Garden of Chess Openings (2002)
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A Beginner's Garden of Chess Openings (2002)
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Re: A Beginner's Garden of Chess Openings (2002)
#2I'm finding openings matter less and less. If I'm white, I'm going E4 but otherwise I'm reacting to my opponent's move until I can gain the initiative.
Re: A Beginner's Garden of Chess Openings (2002)
#3I'll call out for beginners at chess, there is no need to learn openings in order to improve at low level. Focus on just playing games and tactics (chesscom paid or lichess free). These things will get you to a level where you can start to parse the difference between openings.
Re: A Beginner's Garden of Chess Openings (2002)
#4"White can start by moving his King's pawn 2 spaces, i.e. playing "e4". This move has many strengths - it immediately works on controlling the center, and it frees two pieces (the Queen and a Bishop). This is a popular first move, leaving Black with two options"
I don't remember much from my chess obsessed youth, but going e4 and moving the bishop/queen into position for a 4 move checkmate will always remain. When I subbed middle school years ago it was my go to whenever playing students. Oh man the reactions I'd get when it worked, lol.
I've been meaning to get back into chess more seriously, this looks like a helpful guide.
Re: A Beginner's Garden of Chess Openings (2002)
#5Below 1700 or so, openings are mostly a waste of time and tactics rule the day. Learning the basic opening principles and two basic opening moves that you keep playing (one for white, one for black) and focusing on tactics [1][2] is in my experience the fastest way to advance.
After 1700 or so, specific openings can be studied. I suggest playing d4 instead of e4 as white (avoids dealing with the Sicilian) and as black the French defense (for e4) and the KID (for d4). This is mostly coming from the POV of getting good at the game with a minimum of theory preparation, whilst being able to deploy the same openings in blitz and bullet games if need be.
Another bonus of getting strong at tactics, is that you'll be able to see and appreciate ideas behind the openings and your game analysis will also improve. There are excellent GM analysis videos on Youtube that one can start extracting value from too.
Re: A Beginner's Garden of Chess Openings (2002)
#6Re: A Beginner's Garden of Chess Openings (2002)
#7I'm finding openings matter less and less. If I'm white, I'm going E4 but otherwise I'm reacting to my opponent's move until I can gain the initiative.
Would you mind sharing your rating and what time controls you play?
I am 1930 on lichess blitz (so probably ~1700 FIDE). If I guide the game into lines I know well, I can get both a positional and time advantage since my opponent has to think longer.
Re: A Beginner's Garden of Chess Openings (2002)
#8Below 1700 or so, openings are mostly a waste of time and tactics rule the day. Learning the basic opening principles and two basic opening moves that you keep playing (one for white, one for black) and focusing on tactics [1][2] is in my experience the fastest way to advance. After 1700 or so, specific openings can be studied. I suggest playing d4 instead of e4 as white (avoids dealing with the Sicilian) and as blac…
how does one study tactics?
Re: A Beginner's Garden of Chess Openings (2002)
#9Below 1700 or so, openings are mostly a waste of time and tactics rule the day. Learning the basic opening principles and two basic opening moves that you keep playing (one for white, one for black) and focusing on tactics [1][2] is in my experience the fastest way to advance. After 1700 or so, specific openings can be studied. I suggest playing d4 instead of e4 as white (avoids dealing with the Sicilian) and as blac…
how does one study tactics?
Re: A Beginner's Garden of Chess Openings (2002)
#10My advice to beginners is to not stick with one opening, but to play them all. Include wild openings like the Kings Gambit and Danish Gambit, as well as strategic openings like the Queen's Gambit. You will be out of 'the book' very quickly, and that's actually good. You'll be learning to play, rather than recall.
Another piece of advice: Study endgames before openings. Learn about K + P vs K, the elementary mates, (K + 2B vs K, and K + N + B vs K). Then keep going. I have had to 'finish off' opponents in tournament conditions with these combinations of pieces.
Lastly: Best chess book ever: Winning Chess by Fred Reinfeld and Irving Chernev. Of the dozens of chess books I've owned, this one is head and shoulders above the rest. All about middle game tactics, and mating patterns.