Hey guys,

As I'm fairly new to openings, as I imagine a few others are, can anyone recommend any basic openings to learn/start with?

Cheers,
Greg

Hey Greg.

As white,the best 1 i reckon is e4, it opens up the game to a more tactical game, beginners will learn best if playing tactical games 1st,then they soon realize that they need better positions for their tactics to work and thats when they would start with learning positional play.

I know your a kind of a new player because i vsed you. Just start with e4 and learn off that. Don't stress with which openings yet, the more u lose from your mistakes from openings the more you will learn.

Thanks
I'll start off with that, was just thinking if there was a few easy to learn effective openings to learn it might help to improve my game quicker...
Greg

A good opening to learn, in fact, the first that I ever learned, is the King's Indian Attack for white. It is very solid defensively, though is a bit lacking in attacking capacity. This opening makes sure that you will live long enough to actually play the game . Best news is that you can play it against anything.

Well, a really good opening for a beginner (possibly the best one) is the Giuoco Piano. The conecpt of this opening is fairly straightforward; you develop your pieces and put them into fairly all right positions, while at the same time, you're able to castle early and keep your king safe.

Another kind-of cheap trick is when you're versing a beginner. Almost all beginners know the Scholar's Mate (well if the person you're versing doesn't know it, then use it, but anyways), but MANY beginners I've seen don't know this opening sequence (don't know what it's called; I don't think it has a name). Average players probably know this though, and if your opponent doesn't play out this sequence, then it could be kind of bad for you, but anyways, here's the trick.

Assume you are white. 1. e4 e5 (center pawns, to free bishop and queen, and opponent does the same for the same purpose) 2. Qh5 g6 (you move the queen, and the opponent moves the pawn there to attack the queen, since the queen can't take the pawn) 3. Qxe5+ (you've captured his center pawn and put the king in check, now the only way to block that check is for him/her to move the queen, bishop, or knight in front of the pawn, and chances are, your opponent's gonna put the bishop there, but it really doesn't matter anyhow) Be7 (or Qe7, or Ne7) 4. Qxh8 (you take his open rook for free!).

I'm not sure it has a name either... But I think the move should be 2. Qh5, not 2. Qd5

Haha yeah, sorry. Typo.

If I recall, it's the Patzer's Opening (and rightly so). For example:

1. e4 e5 2. Qh5 Nc6 3. Bc4 g6 4. Qf3 Nf6, white has nothing. Black will get d5 in, will be able to get all of his pieces out and have a good time.

Not just that. Black can also soon play Nd4, when white has to retreat his queen again to defend c2.

There is another fun line (also fun for white ) that has an early Qh5 too... 1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nf6 3. Nc3?! Nxe4 4. Qh5 Nd6 5. Bb3 Nc6 6. Nb5 g6 7. Qf3 f5 8. Qd5 Qe7 9. Nxc7+ Kd8 10. Nxa8. White wins the exchange, black has compensation. I think it's called somethine like the Dracula variation?

As you first start playing, I think the most simple opening to learn as white is the English (1. c4). I coach at my former High School and that is what we teach to all of our students. Black has few "orthodox" responses so that helps alleviate white of studying to much.

The problem with 1. e4 for a beginner is that there are endless amounts of openings for black to respond. It'll be common place for an unprepared 1. e4 player to find himself in an opening book he isn't used to or doesn't know at all.

The english is fairly linear and both sides have clear and concise goals on where, how, and what to attack. It's a very basic opening that'll take maybe a week to master.

Here's a link to a few English games:
Click here.