I do not know any opening theory. Where should I start?

teachmewell edited

Many have answered the question with starting to learn e4-e5, because it is the most reasonable opening. However, it is theory-heavy and most ideas run towards parn breaks on f4 or d4, something I know exists, but never managed to practically work towards actually doing. [Most opening courses give very specific positions and if a single piece stood differently, I would not know how to achieve the plans either.]

This may be mitigated by always playing the same, but especially as black, I run out of theory on move 2.

So, with the background knowledge that my opponents usually manage to capitalize on my opening weakness, what should I do?

I am currently about 1750 DWZ (google sais about 1850 elo). I reached this number without learning any opening theory. When given an early middlegame position, I mostly cannot find parallels to known opening positions so I must find plans myself. My oponents meanwhile know their opening, so I lost multiple games just due to easy opening errors/inaccuracies. Many have answered the question with starting to learn e4-e5, because it is the most reasonable opening. However, it is theory-heavy and most ideas run towards parn breaks on f4 or d4, something I know exists, but never managed to practically work towards actually doing. [Most opening courses give very specific positions and if a single piece stood differently, I would not know how to achieve the plans either.] This may be mitigated by always playing the same, but especially as black, I run out of theory on move 2. So, with the background knowledge that my opponents usually manage to capitalize on my opening weakness, what should I do?

vonWerlich

Making a long answer into a short statement, there's no easy way to learn theory. The kind of stuff you should do would be to study many lines for black and white across different openings (italian, sicilian, spanish, petroff, queen's gambit, king's indian ...). Then you ellect/choose the ones you like the most (or the ones where you grabbed the most moves or where you understood the plan) and start playing them. Ultimately, practice is the way to perfection and there is always something new to add to a repertoire.
Probably the best way is to build up from waht you already have: if you play e4, go deep into it; if you like tense games and drawish positions d4 might be the way to go; or u can play weird gambits and try to trap people with weird lines.
I hope to have helped!

Making a long answer into a short statement, there's no easy way to learn theory. The kind of stuff you should do would be to study many lines for black and white across different openings (italian, sicilian, spanish, petroff, queen's gambit, king's indian ...). Then you ellect/choose the ones you like the most (or the ones where you grabbed the most moves or where you understood the plan) and start playing them. Ultimately, practice is the way to perfection and there is always something new to add to a repertoire. Probably the best way is to build up from waht you already have: if you play e4, go deep into it; if you like tense games and drawish positions d4 might be the way to go; or u can play weird gambits and try to trap people with weird lines. I hope to have helped!

kindaspongey

@teachmewell said in #1:

... e4-e5 ... is theory-heavy and most ideas run towards parn breaks on f4 or d4, something I know exists, but never managed to practically work towards actually doing. [Most opening courses give very specific positions and if a single piece stood differently, I would not know how to achieve the plans either.]
... especially as black, I run out of theory on move 2.
So, with the background knowledge that my opponents usually manage to capitalize on my opening weakness, what should I do?
In
https://lichess.org/aElMZHm2

and
https://lichess.org/YfPnV61X

and
https://lichess.org/jqfjv6fJ

you seem to have been successful with 1 e4 d5. Why not continue with that?

@teachmewell said in #1: > ... e4-e5 ... is theory-heavy and most ideas run towards parn breaks on f4 or d4, something I know exists, but never managed to practically work towards actually doing. [Most opening courses give very specific positions and if a single piece stood differently, I would not know how to achieve the plans either.] > ... especially as black, I run out of theory on move 2. > So, with the background knowledge that my opponents usually manage to capitalize on my opening weakness, what should I do? In https://lichess.org/aElMZHm2 and https://lichess.org/YfPnV61X and https://lichess.org/jqfjv6fJ you seem to have been successful with 1 e4 d5. Why not continue with that?

ArtofDefeat

Play 960.

teachmewell

@vonWerlich said in #2:

What at those openings should I study, the ideas or the moves?
Because I noticed I often have transpositions to positions in which I just cannot acomplish the main plans (pawn breaks/ attacks). I do not know how to prepare and execute any plan, especially in theoretical lines where one different square for a piece makes the difference.

@kindaspongey said in #3:

e4 d5; exd5 Nf6; d4 Qxd5
And I play the 'normal' Scandinavian with tempo loss and the queen getting attacked. Btw, I was always worse in these games and the opponent somehow blundered/judged incorrectly. So against a serious opponent, I would have lost.

@vonWerlich said in #2: > What at those openings should I study, the ideas or the moves? Because I noticed I often have transpositions to positions in which I just cannot acomplish the main plans (pawn breaks/ attacks). I do not know how to prepare and execute any plan, especially in theoretical lines where one different square for a piece makes the difference. @kindaspongey said in #3: > e4 d5; exd5 Nf6; d4 Qxd5 And I play the 'normal' Scandinavian with tempo loss and the queen getting attacked. Btw, I was always worse in these games and the opponent somehow blundered/judged incorrectly. So against a serious opponent, I would have lost.

vonWerlich

@teachmewell said in #5:
What at those openings should I study, the ideas or the moves?

Both are useful. The moves of course are great to have memmorized, as to play fast and accurately. But after some time into the game someone will make a move outside of your preparation and now you are on your own. That is exactly where the ideas come into fruition. Having a plan helps to keep choosing consistent (and sometimes good) moves, that make sense according to the pawn structure and the dynamic of play.

@teachmewell said in #5: What at those openings should I study, the ideas or the moves? Both are useful. The moves of course are great to have memmorized, as to play fast and accurately. But after some time into the game someone will make a move outside of your preparation and now you are on your own. That is exactly where the ideas come into fruition. Having a plan helps to keep choosing consistent (and sometimes good) moves, that make sense according to the pawn structure and the dynamic of play.

kindaspongey edited

@teachmewell said in #5:

... e4 d5; exd5 Nf6; d4 Qxd5 ...
Why not 3...Nxd5 ?
https://www.365chess.com/game.php?gid=1551657
Some previous teachmewell discussions:
https://lichess.org/forum/general-chess-discussion/what-to-do-against-a-center-avoiding-opening
https://lichess.org/forum/general-chess-discussion/how-to-attack
https://lichess.org/forum/general-chess-discussion/how-to-improve-my-general-endgame
Some advice from the first of those three discussions:
"... You should play the simpler and more adventurous openings, from which you will learn how to use the pieces. Much later on you can go on to the more difficult openings - if you play them now you won't understand what you are doing ... Play the openings beginning [1 e4 e5]. ... if you haven't learnt how to play the open game you won't be able to use positional advantage even if you are able to get it. ..." - C. H. O'D. Alexander and T. J. Beach (1963)
"... If you look at games played by grandmasters, you will sometimes find that White does not start with 1 d2-d4 or 1 e2-e4; instead he plays 1 c2-c4, 1 Ng1-f3 or even some other move. How, you may wonder, does this fit in with what I have been saying above? The answer is that grandmasters are cunning beasts, and starting with 1 c2-c4 or 1 Ng1-f3 doesn't mean that they aren't aiming at controlling the centre -- they are just doing so in a subtle way. ... I would recommend that you avoid these subtle opening systems; they depend on a knowledge of a wide range of openings, and this can only be acquired over a period of time. ..." - Learn Chess by GM John Nunn (2000)
"... As [First Steps: 1 e4 e5 is] a First Steps book, I’ve tried to avoid encyclopaedic coverage. In any case, you certainly don’t need to remember every single variation and all the notes before playing the opening. Take in the first few moves and the key ideas, and then try it out in your games! ..." - GM John Emms (2018)
https://www.newinchess.com/media/wysiwyg/product_pdf/7790.pdf
"... Review each of your games, identifying opening (and other) mistakes with the goal of not repeatedly making the same mistake. ... Read many annotated game collections ... By looking at entire games, the aspiring player learns about openings, middlegames, and endgames all at one fell swoop. Playing through annotated games spurs improvement as the reader learns how good players consistently handle common positions and problems. ..." - NM Dan Heisman (2007)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140627062646/https://www.chesscafe.com/text/heisman81.pdf
"... the average player only needs to know a limited amount about the openings he plays. Providing he understands the main aims of the opening, a few typical plans and a handful of basic variations, that is enough. ..." - FM Steve Giddins (2008)

@teachmewell said in #5: > ... e4 d5; exd5 Nf6; d4 Qxd5 ... Why not 3...Nxd5 ? https://www.365chess.com/game.php?gid=1551657 Some previous teachmewell discussions: https://lichess.org/forum/general-chess-discussion/what-to-do-against-a-center-avoiding-opening https://lichess.org/forum/general-chess-discussion/how-to-attack https://lichess.org/forum/general-chess-discussion/how-to-improve-my-general-endgame Some advice from the first of those three discussions: "... You should play the simpler and more adventurous openings, from which you will learn how to use the pieces. Much later on you can go on to the more difficult openings - if you play them now you won't understand what you are doing ... Play the openings beginning [1 e4 e5]. ... if you haven't learnt how to play the open game you won't be able to use positional advantage even if you are able to get it. ..." - C. H. O'D. Alexander and T. J. Beach (1963) "... If you look at games played by grandmasters, you will sometimes find that White does not start with 1 d2-d4 or 1 e2-e4; instead he plays 1 c2-c4, 1 Ng1-f3 or even some other move. How, you may wonder, does this fit in with what I have been saying above? The answer is that grandmasters are cunning beasts, and starting with 1 c2-c4 or 1 Ng1-f3 doesn't mean that they aren't aiming at controlling the centre -- they are just doing so in a subtle way. ... I would recommend that you avoid these subtle opening systems; they depend on a knowledge of a wide range of openings, and this can only be acquired over a period of time. ..." - Learn Chess by GM John Nunn (2000) "... As [First Steps: 1 e4 e5 is] a First Steps book, I’ve tried to avoid encyclopaedic coverage. In any case, you certainly don’t need to remember every single variation and all the notes before playing the opening. Take in the first few moves and the key ideas, and then try it out in your games! ..." - GM John Emms (2018) https://www.newinchess.com/media/wysiwyg/product_pdf/7790.pdf "... Review each of your games, identifying opening (and other) mistakes with the goal of not repeatedly making the same mistake. ... Read many annotated game collections ... By looking at entire games, the aspiring player learns about openings, middlegames, and endgames all at one fell swoop. Playing through annotated games spurs improvement as the reader learns how good players consistently handle common positions and problems. ..." - NM Dan Heisman (2007) https://web.archive.org/web/20140627062646/https://www.chesscafe.com/text/heisman81.pdf "... the average player only needs to know a limited amount about the openings he plays. Providing he understands the main aims of the opening, a few typical plans and a handful of basic variations, that is enough. ..." - FM Steve Giddins (2008)

kindaspongey edited

@teachmewell said in #5:

... I noticed I often have transpositions to positions in which I just cannot acomplish the main plans (pawn breaks/ attacks). I do not know how to prepare and execute any plan, especially in theoretical lines where one different square for a piece makes the difference.
Most of the time, one faces a position with no knowledge of a specific move indicated in a book. One has to accept that as part of chess, and think of opening knowledge as a sometimes-helpful aid. If a position is troublesome during a game, one can look at it later and seek ideas for improvement.
At https://lichess.org/forum/general-chess-discussion/what-to-do-against-a-center-avoiding-opening, you presented the game, 1 Nf3 Nf6 2 c4 e6 3 Nc3 Bb4 4 a3 Bxc3 5 bxc3 c5 6 Qc2 d6 7 d4 Nc6 8 e4 O-O 9 e5 ... . As a retired ~1500 player, it seems really silly for me to be giving advice like this to you, but, after such a game, it seems straight forward to consider alternatives such as 9 Be2 instead of 9 e5, 4 Qc2 instead of 4 a3, or even 1 e4 instead of 1 Nf3.
"... I think people tend to be afraid of the main lines. They think: ... sure, I'm going to take up (say) 5 Bg5 against the Semi-Slav, once I've got time and learned it properly. ... My advice is - don't bother. The more you learn anyway, the more you'll recognize how little you know. ... 5 Bg5 is a good move - get it on the board, get ready to fight, and see what happens.
Sure, there will come a time, whether on move two or move twenty, when your knowledge of theory runs out and you have to decide what to do on your own. ... sometimes you will leave theory first, sometimes your opponent. Nothing will stop this happening. It happens in every well-contested GM game at some point, usually a very significant point. This is a part of the game: an important part, something you have to get better at. ... to improve you have to challenge yourself; ..." - IM John Cox (2006)
Maybe, look at Simple Chess by GM Stean
https://www.amazon.com/Simple-Chess-New-Algebraic-Dover/dp/0486424200?asin=0486424200&revisionId=&format=4&depth=1
https://web.archive.org/web/20140708104258/https://www.chesscafe.com/text/review400.pdf
or Best Lessons of a Chess Coach
https://www.amazon.com/Lessons-Chess-Coach-Sunil-Weeramantry/dp/1936277905?asin=B08C7HLWFJ&revisionId=78cd6cbc&format=1&depth=1
or The Amateur’s Mind
https://web.archive.org/web/20140708094419/https://www.chesscafe.com/text/ammind.pdf
or Simple Attacking Plans
https://www.amazon.com/Simple-Attacking-Plans-Fred-Wilson/dp/1936277441?asin=B00NLPJULG&revisionId=ead47e50&format=1&depth=1
https://web.archive.org/web/20140708090402/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review874.pdf
or The Most Instructive Games of Chess Every Played
https://chessbookreviews.wordpress.com/tag/most-instructive-games-of-chess-ever-played/ .

@teachmewell said in #5: > ... I noticed I often have transpositions to positions in which I just cannot acomplish the main plans (pawn breaks/ attacks). I do not know how to prepare and execute any plan, especially in theoretical lines where one different square for a piece makes the difference. Most of the time, one faces a position with no knowledge of a specific move indicated in a book. One has to accept that as part of chess, and think of opening knowledge as a sometimes-helpful aid. If a position is troublesome during a game, one can look at it later and seek ideas for improvement. At https://lichess.org/forum/general-chess-discussion/what-to-do-against-a-center-avoiding-opening, you presented the game, 1 Nf3 Nf6 2 c4 e6 3 Nc3 Bb4 4 a3 Bxc3 5 bxc3 c5 6 Qc2 d6 7 d4 Nc6 8 e4 O-O 9 e5 ... . As a retired ~1500 player, it seems really silly for me to be giving advice like this to you, but, after such a game, it seems straight forward to consider alternatives such as 9 Be2 instead of 9 e5, 4 Qc2 instead of 4 a3, or even 1 e4 instead of 1 Nf3. "... I think people tend to be afraid of the main lines. They think: ... sure, I'm going to take up (say) 5 Bg5 against the Semi-Slav, once I've got time and learned it properly. ... My advice is - don't bother. The more you learn anyway, the more you'll recognize how little you know. ... 5 Bg5 is a good move - get it on the board, get ready to fight, and see what happens. Sure, there will come a time, whether on move two or move twenty, when your knowledge of theory runs out and you have to decide what to do on your own. ... sometimes you will leave theory first, sometimes your opponent. Nothing will stop this happening. It happens in every well-contested GM game at some point, usually a very significant point. This is a part of the game: an important part, something you have to get better at. ... to improve you have to challenge yourself; ..." - IM John Cox (2006) Maybe, look at Simple Chess by GM Stean https://www.amazon.com/Simple-Chess-New-Algebraic-Dover/dp/0486424200?asin=0486424200&revisionId=&format=4&depth=1 https://web.archive.org/web/20140708104258/https://www.chesscafe.com/text/review400.pdf or Best Lessons of a Chess Coach https://www.amazon.com/Lessons-Chess-Coach-Sunil-Weeramantry/dp/1936277905?asin=B08C7HLWFJ&revisionId=78cd6cbc&format=1&depth=1 or The Amateur’s Mind https://web.archive.org/web/20140708094419/https://www.chesscafe.com/text/ammind.pdf or Simple Attacking Plans https://www.amazon.com/Simple-Attacking-Plans-Fred-Wilson/dp/1936277441?asin=B00NLPJULG&revisionId=ead47e50&format=1&depth=1 https://web.archive.org/web/20140708090402/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review874.pdf or The Most Instructive Games of Chess Every Played https://chessbookreviews.wordpress.com/tag/most-instructive-games-of-chess-ever-played/ .

derkleineJo

edited

Hi @teachmewell , one of many possibilities is to take a ‘role model’ that you find inspiring and try to find out which openings this person plays most often.

Furthermore, if you don't want to learn too much theory, it is advisable to look for opening systems that can be played against practically anything.

The most common systems for White are: London System, English Opening, Colle System, Nimzowitsch-Larsen Attack and others.

For Black, the modern defence, Owen's Defence, the Hippopotamus or various 1. ...d6 systems are possible.

Even though I now only rarely play the Hippopotamus, studying this opening has been surprisingly useful to me - especially in my early days in club chess - as the games usually end in either French or King's Indian pawn structures. A great book on this subject is by Alessio de Santis. Understanding common pawn structures imho is a key in developing as a chess player.

Good luck to you on your lifelong chess journey.

Hi @teachmewell , one of many possibilities is to take a ‘role model’ that you find inspiring and try to find out which openings this person plays most often. Furthermore, if you don't want to learn too much theory, it is advisable to look for opening systems that can be played against practically anything. The most common systems for White are: London System, English Opening, Colle System, Nimzowitsch-Larsen Attack and others. For Black, the modern defence, Owen's Defence, the Hippopotamus or various 1. ...d6 systems are possible. Even though I now only rarely play the Hippopotamus, studying this opening has been surprisingly useful to me - especially in my early days in club chess - as the games usually end in either French or King's Indian pawn structures. A great book on this subject is by Alessio de Santis. Understanding common pawn structures imho is a key in developing as a chess player. Good luck to you on your lifelong chess journey.

kajalmaya edited

#10

Here is one idea: On this link https://gitlab.com/beejaganita/chess-data
there are text files of opening lines and their frequency (one text file for each of 4, 6, 8,10,12, 14,16 plies). The lines in each file look like this: 40675 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 *, which says that the variation has appeared 40675 times in my database (40h database of 700k mostly classical games between players rated 2450+ FIDE). You could take top 10 lines at 6 or 8 plies, and learn the variations, read about the ideas behind the moves, plans etc. and play many practice games. After enough practice with top 10 lines, you can go for the next 10. Just for info, each of the top 11 lines in the 8-ply file has appeared at least 5000 times at high level.

Here is one idea: On this link https://gitlab.com/beejaganita/chess-data there are text files of opening lines and their frequency (one text file for each of 4, 6, 8,10,12, 14,16 plies). The lines in each file look like this: 40675 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 *, which says that the variation has appeared 40675 times in my database (40h database of 700k mostly classical games between players rated 2450+ FIDE). You could take top 10 lines at 6 or 8 plies, and learn the variations, read about the ideas behind the moves, plans etc. and play many practice games. After enough practice with top 10 lines, you can go for the next 10. Just for info, each of the top 11 lines in the 8-ply file has appeared at least 5000 times at high level.

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