Chess Openings for Beginners

The itch for opening study is intolerable 😎 I suggest the Scotch Opening 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 This is a good start.

"... For beginning players, [Discovering Chess Openings] will offer an opportunity to start out on the right foot and really get a feel for what is happening on the board. ..." - FM Carsten Hansen (2006)

https://web.archive.org/web/20140627114655/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen91.pdf

Detailed suggestions are provided by Moret in his My-First-Chess-Opening-Repertoire books.

https://www.newinchess.com/media/wysiwyg/product_pdf/9033.pdf

https://www.newinchess.com/media/wysiwyg/product_pdf/9050.pdf

https://chessbookreviews.wordpress.com/tag/vincent-moret/

Opening Repertoire 1 e4 and Keep it Simple 1.e4 are somewhat similar sorts of book.

https://www.newinchess.com/media/wysiwyg/product_pdf/7819.pdf

https://www.newinchess.com/media/wysiwyg/product_pdf/9068.pdf

Openings for Amateurs by Pete Tamburro (2014) combines explanation of principles with starting opening suggestions. Of necessity, his opening descriptions are less detailed (than those of Moret) because he tried to offer choices to the reader and give some indication of how a player might choose what to try.

http://kenilworthian.blogspot.com/2014/05/review-of-pete-tamburros-openings-for.html

https://chessbookreviews.wordpress.com/tag/openings-for-amateurs/

https://www.mongoosepress.com/catalog/excerpts/openings_amateurs.pdf

Some players may not like the idea of relying on the limited selection of an author. It is a pretty daunting project to try to learn a little bit about a lot of openings, but, if one wants more freedom to make choices, it would make sense to look at a book like Yasser Seirawan's Winning Chess Openings.

https://web.archive.org/web/20140627132508/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen173.pdf

While reading such a book, don't forget that the primary purpose is to get help with making choices. Once one has chosen openings, I again think that there is wide agreement that the way to start is by playing over sample games. Some of us think that it can be useful to use books like First Steps: 1 e4 e5 and First Steps: Queen's Gambit

https://www.newinchess.com/media/wysiwyg/product_pdf/7790.pdf
https://www.newinchess.com/media/wysiwyg/product_pdf/7652.pdf

as sources of games with explanations intended for those just starting to learn about an opening. Be sure to try to use the openings in games in between sessions of learning. Most of the time, one faces a position with no knowledge of a specific move indicated in a book. One has to accept that as part of chess, and think of opening knowledge as a sometimes helpful aid. After a game, it makes sense to try to look up the moves in a book and see if it has some indication of how one might have played better in the opening. Many opening books are part explanation and part reference material. The reference material is included in the text with the idea that one mostly skips it on a first reading, and looks at an individual item when it applies to a game that one has just played. Resist the temptation to try to turn a book into a mass memorization project. There are many important subjects that one should not neglect because of too much time on opening study.

https://www.chess.com/article/view/learning-an-opening-to-memorize-or-understand
https://www.chess.com/article/view/3-ways-to-learn-new-openings
https://www.chess.com/article/view/how-to-understand-openings

"... Overall, I would advise most players to stick to a fairly limited range of openings, and not to worry about learning too much by heart. ..." - FM Steve Giddins (2008)

"... I feel that the main reasons to buy an opening book are to give a good overview of the opening, and to explain general plans and ideas. ..." - GM John Nunn (2006)

"... If the book contains illustrative games, it is worth playing these over first ..." - GM John Nunn (2006)

"... the average player only needs to know a limited amount about the openings he plays. Providing he understands the main aims of the opening, a few typical plans and a handful of basic variations, that is enough. ..." - FM Steve Giddins (2008)

"... Everyman Chess has started a new series aimed at those who want to understand the basics of an opening, i.e., the not-yet-so-strong players. ... I imagine [there] will be a long series based on the premise of bringing the basic ideas of an opening to the reader through plenty of introductory text, game annotations, hints, plans and much more. ..." - FM Carsten Hansen (2002)

https://web.archive.org/web/20140627055734/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen38.pdf

"The way I suggest you study this book is to play through the main games once, relatively quickly, and then start playing the variation in actual games. Playing an opening in real games is of vital importance - without this kind of live practice it is impossible to get a 'feel' for the kind of game it leads to. There is time enough later for involvement with the details, after playing your games it is good to look up the line." - GM Nigel Davies (2005)

"... Review each of your games, identifying opening (and other) mistakes with the goal of not repeatedly making the same mistake. ... It is especially critical not to continually fall into opening traps – or even lines that result in difficult positions ..." - NM Dan Heisman (2007)

https://web.archive.org/web/20140627062646/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/heisman81.pdf

Various items of possible interest:

"There is no such thing as a 'best opening.' Each player should choose an opening that attracts him. Some players are looking for a gambit as White, others for Black gambits. Many players that are starting out (or have bad memories) want to avoid mainstream systems, others want dynamic openings, and others want calm positional pathways. It’s all about personal taste and personal need.

For example, if you feel you’re poor at tactics you can choose a quiet positional opening (trying to hide from your weakness and just play chess), or seek more dynamic openings that engender lots of tactics and sacrifices (this might lead to more losses but, over time, will improve your tactical skills and make you stronger)." - IM Jeremy Silman (January 28, 2016)

https://www.chess.com/article/view/opening-questions-and-a-dream-mate
https://www.chess.com/article/view/picking-the-correct-opening-repertoire
http://chess-teacher.com/best-chess-openings/
https://www.chess.com/blog/TigerLilov/build-your-opening-repertoire
https://www.chess.com/blog/CraiggoryC/how-to-build-an-opening-repertoire

"... A typical way of choosing an opening repertoire is to copy the openings used by a player one admires. ... However, what is good at world-championship level is not always the best choice at lower levels of play, and it is often a good idea to choose a 'model' who is nearer your own playing strength. ..." - FM Steve Giddins (2008)

https://www.chess.com/article/view/the-perfect-opening-for-the-lazy-student
https://www.newinchess.com/media/wysiwyg/product_pdf/9035.pdf
https://web.archive.org/web/20140627110453/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen169.pdf
https://www.newinchess.com/media/wysiwyg/product_pdf/9029.pdf
https://www.chess.com/article/view/has-the-king-s-indian-attack-been-forgotten
https://www.newinchess.com/media/wysiwyg/product_pdf/7277.pdf
https://web.archive.org/web/20140627104938/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen159.pdf
https://web.archive.org/web/20140627022042/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen153.pdf

"... Once you identify an opening you really like and wish to learn in more depth, then should you pick up a book on a particular opening or variation. Start with ones that explain the opening variations and are not just meant for advanced players. ..." - Dan Heisman (2001)

https://web.archive.org/web/20140626180930/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/heisman06.pdf

"... To begin with, only study the main lines ... you can easily fill in the unusual lines later. ..." - GM John Nunn (2006)

"... For inexperienced players, I think the model that bases opening discussions on more or less complete games that are fully annotated, though with a main focus on the opening and early middlegame, is the ideal. ..." - FM Carsten Hansen (2010)

"... I think people tend to be afraid of the main lines. They think: ... sure, I'm going to take up (say) 5 Bg5 against the Semi-Slav, once I've got time and learned it properly. ... My advice is - don't bother. The more you learn anyway, the more you'll recognize how little you know. ... 5 Bg5 is a good move - get it on the board, get ready to fight, and see what happens.

Sure, there will come a time, whether on move two or move twenty, when your knowledge of theory runs out and you have to decide what to do on your own. ... sometimes you will leave theory first, sometimes your opponent. Nothing will stop this happening. It happens in every well-contested GM game at some point, usually a very significant point. This is a part of the game: an important part, something you have to get better at. ... to improve you have to challenge yourself; ..." - IM John Cox (2006)

"... 'Journey to the Chess Kingdom' ... is primarily intended for children ... Chapter five deals with opening principles, while chapter six provides an overview of the most popular chess openings. Importantly, the emphasis is on giving insights and explaining ideas and principles as opposed to advocating mindless memorization of long lines. ..." - WGM Natalia Pogonina (2014)

https://www.chess.com/blog/Natalia_Pogonina/book-review-quotjourney-to-the-chess-kingdomquot

Good thread!

Is spongey a bot?

I think the specifics of this would be something better taught/explained in person.  Having to type this out in length is more than I'm willing to do.  Part of the specifics of this is if you have a pawn ON (Occupy) a center square that's 2 points of center control.  If you have a pawn say on e4, you now control the d5 square, which is 1 point of center control. 

Discussed in Discovering Chess Openings (2006) by GM John Emms.

https://web.archive.org/web/20140627114655/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen91.pdf

If you are lazy and dont want to study lots of openings just stick to one move, for example 1.e4, 

Opening theory does not matter if one side is tactically better than the other. (Strategy, positions and planning does not matter if one side is tactically better than the other). But, if both sides are evenly matched, then openings might be the game changer. So, everyone needs openings because you are often playing against someone who is tactically of same calibre as you. Of course, players at all levels can improve much faster if they become tactically more proficient. But this feat is easier said than done. It is quite easy to miss tactics in a real game. The biggest problem for beginners is that they can constantly drop pieces. This is due to lack of good board vision. So, beginners can improve much faster if they concentrate on board vision (and not drop pieces) during the game. Again, this is easier said than done. Board vision can only be developed through experience and practice.

Coming to openings, they are definitely important for the beginners. But the openings important for beginners are not the same ones that are played or analyzed at higher levels. The openings played or analyzed at higher levels are fairly harmless at beginner level(below 1200). Below 1200, opening traps and gambits are the critical ones. Following is a list (from common to rare):

1) scholars mate

2) damiano defence

3) Petrov defense trap

4) elephant Gambit

5) blackburne schilling Gambit

6) Jerome Gambit

7) scotch Gambit

8) fried liver & lolli attack

9) Danish or goring gambit

10) legal mate(philidor)

11) Kings Gambit

12) Evans gambit

13) Latvian gambit

14) fishing pole trap & Ruy Lopez traps

15) Lewis Gambit - urosov gambit

16) morphy-max Lange attack

17) ponziani

18) Albin counter gambit

19) englund gambit

Beginners have to learn to deal with the above traps or Gambits. Openings without direct traps or Gambits are pretty harmless at beginner level. One thing that beginners should avoid is getting caught in realms and realms of opening theory. So, beginners should avoid theoretical openings like Queens Gambit or Spanish or even Sicilian. King side fianchetto is also better avoided(but it is quite okay). 

In absence of any traps or gambits, follow opening principles:

1) play e4 or d4 or both

2) develop your king side minor pieces

3) castle short

"... Did we not contain conscious brains ourselves, how would we know that other brains are conscious? Truth be told, you can really only know that you are conscious, and it seems polite to give other people the benefit of the doubt. But were a computer to claim that it was conscious, how would you know? ..." - CGP Grey

"I am Dr. Roger Korby." - bot
"I don't understand the question. Could you tell me more?" - bot

Correct...

White has 1 point of center control, while black has 3. 

Now here, white still has 1 point of center control, and black now has 2 points of center control.  As the pawns on e5, and e3 are both controlling the d4 square, so they cancel each other out. 

I learned this from IM Valeri Lilov.  Great guy, and a great coach.  I would highly suggest him to anyone.

In open Sicilian, black willingly gives up the centre. For example Kan Sicilian mainline is 1.e4 c5, 2.Nf3 e6, 3.d4 cxd4, 4.Nxd4 a6, 5. Nc3 Qc7

After 5 moves, white has very good centre control and black has very little centre control. Yet, Sicilian is the most successful black defense against e4.