Are there any way to learn good openings? My opponents are taking the advantage of me barely knowing any openings.
There are no shortcuts.
As your general chess improves, so will your openings.
Memorizing a ton of opening lines on the other hand will not improve your chess and will not even noticeably change your average rating.
Studying openings can be fun, and that's important too - but practising tactics or endgames will always be much more efficient to increase your playing strength.
As your general chess improves, so will your openings.
Memorizing a ton of opening lines on the other hand will not improve your chess and will not even noticeably change your average rating.
Studying openings can be fun, and that's important too - but practising tactics or endgames will always be much more efficient to increase your playing strength.
Assuming that the issue is opening knowledge, and not related to tactical mistakes and blunders...
1) Analyse your games afterwards
2) Identify the spot where you went wrong or made a mistake in the opening
3) Refer to an opening database, book, or the engine analysis and see what moves were suggested
4) Work to understand why those moves were preferred and what the resulting position would look like, and why your move was a mistake
5) Play those moves out physically to solidify it
6) Refer to master level games in your openings to get ideas on common themes for both sides
If you want to learn about openings, the best general resource (basic theory, ideas behind the moves, plans for the middle-game) is Fundamental Chess Openings by Van Der Sterren.
One point that is important to clairfy - games are not won or lost on opening knowledge. Games are won or lost based on tactical mistakes (which may occur in the opening and in any other phase). Working on your tactical and positional knowledge will allow you to get further ahead than trying to memorise opening theory.
1) Analyse your games afterwards
2) Identify the spot where you went wrong or made a mistake in the opening
3) Refer to an opening database, book, or the engine analysis and see what moves were suggested
4) Work to understand why those moves were preferred and what the resulting position would look like, and why your move was a mistake
5) Play those moves out physically to solidify it
6) Refer to master level games in your openings to get ideas on common themes for both sides
If you want to learn about openings, the best general resource (basic theory, ideas behind the moves, plans for the middle-game) is Fundamental Chess Openings by Van Der Sterren.
One point that is important to clairfy - games are not won or lost on opening knowledge. Games are won or lost based on tactical mistakes (which may occur in the opening and in any other phase). Working on your tactical and positional knowledge will allow you to get further ahead than trying to memorise opening theory.
You need not learn any openings. Train tactics and study endgames. You can play openings just using general pronciples.
Lasker formulated 4 rules in his "Common Sense in Chess":
1) play only your d- and e-pawns
2) play knights before bishops
3) do not play the same piece twice
4) do not pin knights with bishops
There are many exceptions to these rules, but if you follow these common sense rules, then no opponent will be able to take advantage of you.
Lasker formulated 4 rules in his "Common Sense in Chess":
1) play only your d- and e-pawns
2) play knights before bishops
3) do not play the same piece twice
4) do not pin knights with bishops
There are many exceptions to these rules, but if you follow these common sense rules, then no opponent will be able to take advantage of you.
One other important point to clarify about my post #3....
Don't focus on memorising moves, focus on undertanding what's happening on the board right from the very first move. Ask yourself what your candidate moves accomplish in terms of piece activity, control, pawn structure, material/force, king safety, and in creating or dealing with threats, and ask those very same questions about your opponent's moves, and think about your long terms strategic goals and how you can change the board to facilitate that. Play a game of chess and not "memory".
Don't focus on memorising moves, focus on undertanding what's happening on the board right from the very first move. Ask yourself what your candidate moves accomplish in terms of piece activity, control, pawn structure, material/force, king safety, and in creating or dealing with threats, and ask those very same questions about your opponent's moves, and think about your long terms strategic goals and how you can change the board to facilitate that. Play a game of chess and not "memory".
If you want to learn openings, what I suggest is to first look at a couple different openings/lines (not deep just to get a sense of what they're like) and then decide on whether or not you like the positions from the opening/the style of which it plays out. Once you've selected that opening, find a player (I would suggest a titled one) who plays it quite often and has a good record (this can be done on chessgames.com using the opening code) and if this player matches your style or is playing the opening In an attractive way to your style then study those games for each of the main lines/responses. Then memorise the key position the aim for and the first couple moves and any tactics that could trip you up along the way. Though this way can be a bit intensive it is a good way to build an understanding of the opening.
This is only a suggestion on who to learn openings but remember everyone is different so this may not be the best way for you to learn them, other ways can include watching youtube videos of players explaining the openings so you understand the ideas reasoning behind the moves instead of just playing them this can also be achieved through books but it may lack the puzzle piece response to videos some people experience. If you want a human connection you can always hire a coach who will most likely produce similar results to videos and books but with a personal connection to you.
Like others have mentioned openings aren't everything, training other aspects are very important as well but the one thing to always remember is to take care of yourself mentally and physically because there is no point in doing all of the preparation and training if you cannot fuction.
This is only a suggestion on who to learn openings but remember everyone is different so this may not be the best way for you to learn them, other ways can include watching youtube videos of players explaining the openings so you understand the ideas reasoning behind the moves instead of just playing them this can also be achieved through books but it may lack the puzzle piece response to videos some people experience. If you want a human connection you can always hire a coach who will most likely produce similar results to videos and books but with a personal connection to you.
Like others have mentioned openings aren't everything, training other aspects are very important as well but the one thing to always remember is to take care of yourself mentally and physically because there is no point in doing all of the preparation and training if you cannot fuction.
@tpr , can you please help me in understanding why Emanuel Lasker suggested not to pin knight with bishop..just undermine the below condition..
White played d4,then Bf4,later developed his queen side knight and finally comes e4
Black played any opening with e file,pinned queenside knight,developed kingside knight and then later played Ne4 and after few moves got his queen to a5
Now after a few exchanges black will win some pieces, even consider that white managed to save pieces but still white will got block pawns and black will have positional advantage...please make me understand...
White played d4,then Bf4,later developed his queen side knight and finally comes e4
Black played any opening with e file,pinned queenside knight,developed kingside knight and then later played Ne4 and after few moves got his queen to a5
Now after a few exchanges black will win some pieces, even consider that white managed to save pieces but still white will got block pawns and black will have positional advantage...please make me understand...
Guard your center
@Aviraldwivedi
A concrete sequence of moves would be easier to follow.
In any case, no chess "guideline" is without exception. There are many openings where one does pin a knight with a bishop (Nimzo-Indian, Ruy Lopez, Rossolimo, etc.), it's not by itself a bad thing. However, beginners often tend to play this pin too frequently, which is probably why Lasker didn't recommend it.
Same goes for the other three guidelines. Bishops and sometimes rooks (Ruy Lopez) or even queens (Taimanov Sicilian) get developed before knights , pieces are moved twice (Open Sicilian, Caro-Kann Mainline, etc.), and especially the c-pawn is moved practically everywhere (Queen's Gambit, Sicilian, Ruy Lopez, etc.).
In all of these cases, these moves have a sound purpose however. Moves that follow the guidelines are more purposeful all by themselves, it's (on average!) easier to "get away" with them if you play them for no particular reason at all. That's all.
A concrete sequence of moves would be easier to follow.
In any case, no chess "guideline" is without exception. There are many openings where one does pin a knight with a bishop (Nimzo-Indian, Ruy Lopez, Rossolimo, etc.), it's not by itself a bad thing. However, beginners often tend to play this pin too frequently, which is probably why Lasker didn't recommend it.
Same goes for the other three guidelines. Bishops and sometimes rooks (Ruy Lopez) or even queens (Taimanov Sicilian) get developed before knights , pieces are moved twice (Open Sicilian, Caro-Kann Mainline, etc.), and especially the c-pawn is moved practically everywhere (Queen's Gambit, Sicilian, Ruy Lopez, etc.).
In all of these cases, these moves have a sound purpose however. Moves that follow the guidelines are more purposeful all by themselves, it's (on average!) easier to "get away" with them if you play them for no particular reason at all. That's all.
#7
The 4 common sense Lasker rules have many exceptions, but if you follow these, then you stay out of trouble.
Grandmasters sometimes play pawns other than d-and e, grandmasters sometimes develop bishops before knights, grandmasters sometimes play the same piece several times, grandmasters sometimes pin knights with bishops, sometimes you can transgress the 4 common sense rules with impunity, but sometimes you cannot.
The 4th rule actually stems from Steinitz. The idea is that the bishop is worth more than the knight, so the opponent gains time by kicking your bishop, or if you take, he gains the bishop's pair. Pinning the knight with a bishop also opens tactical opportunities for your opponent. It is more sound positionally and tactically not to pin the knight with the bishop. Just do not pin and you have no worries.
A few examples just to illustrate tactical motivs:
1 d4 d5 2 c4 e6 3 Nc3 Nf6 4 Bg5?! (Bf4!) Nbd7 5 cxd5? exd5 6 Nxd5? Nxd5 7 Bxd8 Bb4+ wins
1 e4 c6 2 d4 d5 3 Nc3 dxe4 4 Nxe4 Nd7 5 Nf3 Ngf6 6 Nxf6+ Nxf6 7 Bc4 Bg4? 8 Bxf7+ wins a pawn
1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 Nf6 5 Nc3 a6 6 Bg5?! (Be3) e6 7 f4 Qb6 attacks b2 and e3
1 d4 f5 2 Nf3 Nf6 3 Bg5? h6 4 Bh4 g5 5 Bg3 f4 traps the bishop
The 4 common sense Lasker rules have many exceptions, but if you follow these, then you stay out of trouble.
Grandmasters sometimes play pawns other than d-and e, grandmasters sometimes develop bishops before knights, grandmasters sometimes play the same piece several times, grandmasters sometimes pin knights with bishops, sometimes you can transgress the 4 common sense rules with impunity, but sometimes you cannot.
The 4th rule actually stems from Steinitz. The idea is that the bishop is worth more than the knight, so the opponent gains time by kicking your bishop, or if you take, he gains the bishop's pair. Pinning the knight with a bishop also opens tactical opportunities for your opponent. It is more sound positionally and tactically not to pin the knight with the bishop. Just do not pin and you have no worries.
A few examples just to illustrate tactical motivs:
1 d4 d5 2 c4 e6 3 Nc3 Nf6 4 Bg5?! (Bf4!) Nbd7 5 cxd5? exd5 6 Nxd5? Nxd5 7 Bxd8 Bb4+ wins
1 e4 c6 2 d4 d5 3 Nc3 dxe4 4 Nxe4 Nd7 5 Nf3 Ngf6 6 Nxf6+ Nxf6 7 Bc4 Bg4? 8 Bxf7+ wins a pawn
1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 Nf6 5 Nc3 a6 6 Bg5?! (Be3) e6 7 f4 Qb6 attacks b2 and e3
1 d4 f5 2 Nf3 Nf6 3 Bg5? h6 4 Bh4 g5 5 Bg3 f4 traps the bishop
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