I think the fools mate is good because it minimises memorisation. You only need to memorise 2 moves.
French as Black. Super simple. And you can grow with it.
I'm a big fan of the King's Gambit, although objectively it isn't a very good opening. When you're just learning the game, it's important to learn about development, central control, and King safety. And also about attacks that burn out too quickly and leave you staring at a terrible endgame. :-(
I like Scotch. If black plays correctly, white has no advantage, but at least its an open game. But its surprising how many make a mess of it as black.
No best opening. If there was one it is either e4, d4 or e5, d5. My reasoning is that the flank openings are best played with understanding of transitioning to a classical center with advantage. Also when playing white, e4 slight edge over d4. D4 without the queens gambit just delays the fireworks and there is zero chance beginners understand the Queens Gambit. I'm not saying they understand the Spanish better but it is more straightforward.
I would play the positions in the order they were historically most commonly played. So basically gambits like the kings gambit the Scotch gambit, Evans gambit. Gambits are useful to learn early on, one needs to be able to get tactical when the chips are down. If the player has a distaste for material loss (which is going to be something major to work on) go for the Ruy Lopez.
@bizzylizzy said in #5:
> No best opening. If there was one it is either e4, d4 or e5, d5. My reasoning is that the flank openings are best played with understanding of transitioning to a classical center with advantage. Also when playing white, e4 slight edge over d4. D4 without the queens gambit just delays the fireworks and there is zero chance beginners understand the Queens Gambit. I'm not saying they understand the Spanish better but it is more straightforward.
>
> I would play the positions in the order they were historically most commonly played. So basically gambits like the kings gambit the Scotch gambit, Evans gambit. Gambits are useful to learn early on, one needs to be able to get tactical when the chips are down. If the player has a distaste for material loss (which is going to be something major to work on) go for the Ruy Lopez.
Ruy Lopez for beginners???
It is possible to play a somewhat simplified Ruy Lopez. There is a chapter about this in The Ruy Lopez: Move by Move by Neil McDonald (2011).
https://web.archive.org/web/20140627022042/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen153.pdf
"... As a first step in mastering the Ruy Lopez, you need a solid, simple repertoire that will allow you to play practice games with your new opening without fearing nasty surprises. ... 1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 a6 4 Ba4 Nf6 5 d3 ... This should be by far the most common position you reach after 3 Bb5. Until, that is, you feel ready to branch out from 5 d3 to other, sharper variations. ..." - GM Neil McDonald (2011)
@Tschesslee said in #2:
> French as Black. Super simple. And you can grow with it.
um wdym french is the hardest opening possible unless opponent plays exchange variation french tarasch and advance are so hard to learn and if you mess up 1 move as white or black you are gone you should play french if you like to complicate the position as white you should play rapport jobava london system if you like to complicate the positions
@TaleOfTheNoob said in #6:
> Ruy Lopez for beginners???
They are playing other novice players presumably so yeah. Great fundamental opening. If I was trying to get a student to understand the game, I would say just jump into the tactical fire pit with the gambits. Like I mentioned some people don't like being down material at all which is human but not ideal and to them I would rather give the Spanish as an alternate than the Italian.
Most likely you will learn the most used gambits to pass 2000 online rating. You will have to learn the Ruy Lopez to ever claim any understanding of chess.
It's a recommendation with some sort of reasoning. If anyone wants an obscure system that is another post.
"... For players with very limited experience, I recommend using openings in which the play can be clarified at an early stage, often with a degree of simplification. To accomplish this safely will take a little study, because you will have to get used to playing with open lines for both sides' pieces, but you can't eliminate risk entirely in the opening anyway. ... teachers all over the world suggest that inexperienced players begin with 1 e4. ... You will undoubtedly see the reply 1 ... e5 most often when playing at or near a beginner's level, ... After 2 Nf3, 2 ... Nc6 will occur in the bulk of your games. ... I recommend taking up the classical and instructive move 3 Bc4 at an early stage. Then, against 3 ... Bc5, it's thematic to try to establish the ideal centre by 4 c3 and 5 d4; after that, things can get complicated enough that you need to take a look at some theory and learn the basics; ... Of course, you can also play 1 d4 ... A solid and more-or-less universal set-up is 2 Nf3 and 3 Bf4, followed in most cases by 4 e3, 5 Be2 and 6 0-0. I'd rather see my students fight their way through open positions instead; however, if you're not getting out of the opening alive after 1 e4, this method of playing 1 d4 deserves consideration. ... As Black, I think that [players with very limited experience] would do well ... playing 1...e5 versus 1 e4 and 1...d5 versus 1 d4. ... [After 1 d4 d5, if] White plays the most important move, 2 c4, inexperienced players might want to begin classically with 2...e6 followed by ...Nf6 and ...Be7 ..." - IM John Watson in a section of his 2010 book, Mastering the Chess Openings, Volume 4
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