Chess starting moves

The opening is the initial stage of a chess game.

The first few moves in the chess opening lays the foundation for every chess game. Most of the chess openings have been named and analyzed for hundreds of years. It is important if you want to be successful in chess to be familiar with some of the most popular openings and understand the theory behind the moves. In this section we cover everything you need to know about the most popular chess openings. The boards below will let you know if the opening is offensive or defensive. Once you find the opening you want, click to watch an in depth video and see some of the famous chess games that have been played using that opening. Many beginners ask what they should study first.

Chess starting moves

The complexity of the study of chess openings has led many a chess player to hold numerous misconceptions about this important phase of the game:. The truth, of course, lies somewhere in between. Yet no one can deny that a deep understanding of chess openings — and the plans associated with each one — is a huge advantage at ANY level of chess. So…what is the purpose of learning chess openings? And how do we go about learning them? Everyone knows this. But in some positions, coming up with a plan can be rather difficult — even for Masters of the game. The GOOD news is that the following position occurs in every chess game you will ever play:. This is why we study chess openings. Learning the principles of chess openings alone will give you a massive advantage over your opponents and set you on your way to rising through the ranks, without memorizing a single sequence of moves.

It may seem that if Black plays a6, White can take Black's knight, then capture the hanging pawn on e5 with their knight once it recaptures the bishop.

I am new here though not new to chess. I started over ten years ago by getting a teach yourself chess book and a pocket electronic chess game. I started to learn the basics though didn't really learn the openings. I now have Chessmaster, grandmaster edition. I am working through the chessmaster course and understanding things so far. But playing is still a problem. I am looking for "themes", things like outposts for my knights, long diagonals.

There are 20 possible first moves in chess: each of the eight pawns can move one or two squares forward, and each of the two knights has two squares it can go to. But not everything that is equally legal is equally advisable as a course of action. In this article: every opening move, tiered and ranked. There's an old Far Side cartoon where a guy has parked his bike at a missile silo and is staring right down an open hatch. The caption: "Never, never do this. It's a good move As per The Princess Bride , play this and you've fallen for one of the classic blunders.

Chess starting moves

A chess opening is the first couple of moves both players make at the start of a chess game. White always starts with the first chess move, and Black follows. This phase usually takes around 7—13 moves. The middlegame often starts after both sides have followed some chess opening principles and created what they sought. Opening moves and principles are essential at the learning stage.

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The Philidor Defense These vary widely in character from quiet positional play to wild tactical play. Both develop their knights as Black defends the e5 pawn that White is threatening. Join Now. However, it also creates weaknesses in Black's position from the beginning - this move of the f-pawn weakens Black's defenses and doesn't help develop pieces. Thanks for your help everyone! The most common response for White in this position is a6, forcing White to decide what to do with their bishop. Nf3 As Black, a defense against any of these openings A very narrow repertoire allows for deeper specialization but also makes a player less flexible to vary against different opponents. Chess players' names are the most common sources of opening names. It throws both players on their own resources and eliminates the need of memorizing long-winded columns of analysis.

Edward Scimia is an award-winning chess expert and writer with 15 years of hands-on experience as a private chess instructor and USCF tournament director.

Professional chess players spend years studying openings, and continue doing so throughout their careers, as opening theory continues to evolve. If Black mirrors White's move and replies with From's Gambit. If you would like to filter the openings by a specific move you can click the move below:. Black's most common reply is Najdorf vs Gligoric I do make a lot of blunders. Piece coordination : As the players mobilize their pieces, they both seek to ensure that they are working harmoniously towards the control of key squares. See review at "Transpo Tricks in Chess — review". Meanwhile, White's bishop prevents Black from capturing it. Nf3 d6 3. I knew rules and basic stuff like checkmates, but All that chess courses i took in chessmaster, did not help much. Nf3 Nf6 3. Yep, time for a cop-out. If you cannot see anybetter square for one of your pieces and there are no checks, captures or threats to fend off you might look for a pawn move that improves your position.