I've been playing chess for a couple years now and I finally want to properly learn the classic openings. So far I've just been playing by gut feeling and I keep losing to people who obviously have a plan. Which openings should I prioritize learning as a beginner?
The problem I see with many people is that they memorize tons of opening variations and then lose anyway because they don't understand the fundamental ideas behind them at all.
It would be better if you first learn the principles (control the center, develop your pieces, get your king to safety) and then pick two or three systems that suit you - for example, as White maybe just 1.e4 or 1.d4 with a clear plan, and as Black a solid response to that.
If you really understand the first 8-10 moves instead of just memorizing them, you'll much faster notice where your opponents are weak and can then improvise. Depth definitely beats breadth here.
Do you play more with White or Black, or doesn't it matter to you? 🎯 For starters, I'd say: forget all those exotic openings and just learn two or three solid systems properly - like the Italian Game with White or the French Defense with Black.
But the most important thing isn't being able to memorize all 20 moves, it's understanding the idea behind them: What am I trying to achieve, which squares matter, where do I place my pieces? Just play a few games against online bots at a higher level and then look at how the openings went - that'll teach you way more than just memorizing by rote! 📚
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