Some pretty good tips here!

Chess 101: Learning a New Opening - Associated Content

One of the problems with Opening Learning (in Today's Chess World) is that a history of the Opening is not indicated. The learner just plays moves really without knowing why. Or copies moves. Something Alekhine would never have recommended. (See Alekhine quotes in many websites).
The old books, one Lasker's Manual of Chess, Tarrasch's 300 Games, Lasker's Chess Strategy (the new or old one), Rubin Fine's PCO (Practical Chess Openings, 19480) or his The Ideas Behind the Openings are good places to start. A newer book is Chess Opening Essentials by Djuric (New in Chess) gives a history of Openings along with modern ideas. Probably the best work in Today's World to learn the Ideas of Openings. I am hoping the New in Chess Book on the Indian Openings would cover similar ideas. A history of the Opening with the ideas of the moves. I am using the e4 Book
of COE for teaching purposes to children.
I recall a New in Chess book on the Benoni by New In Chess (when New in CHess first started) and it was massive. Hundreds of pages with ideas.
Even the Batsford book on the Indian Defences (the original version) covered the entire Opening, with a history of the moves. The later edition was watered down, and not as good.

I agree. Everyone says to learn the endgame first, but I somewhat disagree. If you can't find your way to the middlegame, you'll never even *see* an endgame!

It's true, the principles learned in endgame knowledge can be applied throughout the game, such as how you want the pawn structure, opposition, etc. But I still say that a beginner should find a few openings they like, and learn them as well as they can.

My personal belief is that for someone starting out in chess, a little bit of everything to start out with. After the basics are established (KQ mate, KR mate, control the center, development, tactics, etc), he/she should learn about the middlegame imbalances a la Reasses Your Chess. Then, he/she will learn how to apply the basics in actual games, not just in exercises. Also, the beginner's opening repertoire can steer the games into positions where these motifs pop up consistently.