Chess Drills
Best chess openings for beginners
When you start out, you don't need a lot of theory. You need openings with clear ideas: get your pieces out, fight for the centre and castle. The openings on this page do exactly that, and they keep you away from the sharpest traps while you learn.
This page keeps it small: two openings for White and two for Black. Pick one of each, learn the first moves and above all why they are played. That is enough to get good positions in most of your games.
The Fried Liver Attack
After 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 the natural 5...Nxd5? allows 6.Nxf7!: the knight sacrifices itself on f7, the black king has to come out, and White's queen and pieces join the attack with tempo. As Black, avoid it with 5...Na5 (see the Two Knights Defense). As White, it is the main reason to learn the Italian Game.
Must-know for beginners
A repertoire to start with
With White
Start with the Italian Game: bishop to c4, aim at f7, castle. Once that feels easy, try the Ruy Lopez, which puts the bishop on b5 instead.
With Black
Against 1.e4, answer with 1...e5 and bring your knights out (the Two Knights Defense), or hit back at once with 1...d5 (the Scandinavian).
Questions
What is the best chess opening for beginners?
There is no single best one, but the Italian Game (White) and the Scandinavian (Black) are excellent first choices: clear ideas, quick development and an easy plan.
How do I stop Scholar's Mate?
Scholar's Mate is a quick checkmate where White's queen and bishop both attack your pawn on f7. The fix is simple: chase the queen away with a pawn, then block its path with your knight. See how to stop Scholar's Mate, with every move on the board.
How should I answer the Italian Game?
Many opponents will play 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4, the Italian Game. You have two good answers: bring your bishop to c5, or bring your knight to f6 (the Two Knights Defense). If you choose the knight, learn what to do when White's knight jumps to g5, because that is how the Fried Liver starts.
How many openings should a beginner learn?
Two is enough to start: one with White and one with Black. Knowing those well is worth far more than knowing ten openings a little.
Should beginners learn traps?
Learn the most common ones, mainly so you don't fall for them yourself. The Fried Liver is a good start. But don't build your games around traps: good development wins more games.
Other levels
Pick a few openings from this page and drill them with spaced repetition: a few minutes a day, and the moves stick.