Opening theory

When should I start learning some deeper theory on openings. I made the semi mistake of learning a bit of the Sicilian (just like the first 5-ish moves and the ideas) which made me lose some rating at first. Now i've climbed to around 1600 while mainly playing what I know in the Sicilian. Im gonna start thinking about studying some more deep theory, but should I? I've heard people say to not learn opening theory until your a very solid player, but when exactly do you tell that. When you don't make anymore piece blunders, or when you make less positional blunders.

What you have learnt about the Sicilian seems to be enough. No need to learn more at your rating. Maybe with one exception, which is the Bowdler attack, 1. e4 c5 2. Bc4. On GM level it's a bad opening but on amateur level it can be a bit dangerous and it's very popular. I lost many times with this, untill I learnt a few lines about 9 moves long how to punish it.

#1 :Time is limited, the more you spend on opening theory, the less you spend on other things like practice or exercising tactics and endgames. Also I had to scroll a lot to finally find a game, where your opponent played the main line until move five (Dragon).

When the opening did went not so well, you can use the Lichess database to look, what top players are playing.

#2: I did not even know, that 2.Bc4 has a name. My file ends after 2...e6! I don't think , that 2.Bc4 already gives Black an advantage, but the white bishop is not perfectly placed. Often Black can play d7-d5 to force White to move the bishop again. The move Bc4 is a frequent move in sicilian mainlines 2.Nf3 d6, where d6-d5 would cost Black another tempo.

Time is indeed limited, and there might objectively be other aspects that will help your game more, but if it's a choice between studying the opening or doing nothing... Well, studying openings can't hurt your game.

Don't worry about rating. You lost some rating when you started playing the Sicilian. That doesn't mean you suddenly became a worse player. You were just unfamiliar in this new opening. So learning the Sicilian wasn't a mistake, in fact in the long run it will make you a better player.

The best way to learn openings in my opinion is simply to play them, and every time you get a bad position out the opening, afterwards, analyze it with the engine and the lichess opening book. You will lose some games, but it's an easy way of improving in the opening.

Tysm to everyone whose been replying and giving tips. Im starting to do more OTB chess, which made me practice a lot more puzzles from lichess and books, yet I still should probably do a bit more. I probably won't get a main line sicilian in a random lichess game that I at least know some theory on, but its quite helpful in tournaments, since people actually study for that.

I always say to players that the right to start investigating a bit in opening knowledge (a bit is a bit, not learning the first 20 moves or so) is 1800. And even at that level, you should still spend most of your time on tactics and puzzles. So no, don't do opening theory at your level, play e4 or d4 with white and e5 and d5 with black, devellop your pieces, castle (put your king to safety), connect your rooks, take the center and you'll get a nice position and an easy game against any player who's rated below 2000.

Play over & Study Complete Games ... Used to Study Informants Games 1 then game 11 game 21 game 31 game 41 all the way to number 600 ( or whatever amount it ends with) then Game 5 Game 15 Game 25 Game 35 >>>>>>>>>>>> Studying around 15 percent - 20 percent would be 120 games >>>>>> This will serve you well in giving you an Idea of " What's out there" to choose from & give you 120 Endings Combinations, Stragetic Questions & Answers Also You will See Many different playable Choices in the Openings Tactics >>> Please don't spend Hours studying one game >>> Get the moves out on the board & SEE LOOK & You shall Find more than you think you will & The Study of COMPLETE Games is bound to make you a better player indeed . Play over your games with Lichess Software as spending 10 minutes every 10 games you play looking at mistakes made and the evaluation bar on the engine helpful ... Remember You can Improve & Play Chess better by Watching Chess videos studying chess books on whatever YOU want to & Botvinnik Kasparov say Complete Games & your own Games to examine .

King in the middle = up a creek without no fiddle ...

Sicilian has too many theoretical lines, very hard to learn and remember all of them. I think the French defense is easier to learn for beginners. White often chooses to play the exchange French, which doesn't require much theory at all.