Best chess openings for beginners
To start, you need three openings: one as White, one against 1.e4 and one against 1.d4. Here is what to pick, why, and what to leave until later.
What makes an opening good for a beginner
A good first opening follows the principles you are learning anyway: put pawns in the center, develop knights and bishops, castle, and connect the rooks. If every move has a reason you can say out loud, you can keep playing sensibly once your opponent plays a move you have not studied, which below club level happens within a few moves.
It should also lead to positions you will see again and again, so your experience adds up. A system you play every game teaches you more than a different trick each week.
As White
- The Italian Game (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4). The classic first opening. The bishop aims at f7, the plans are simple, and it teaches open, tactical chess.
- The London System (1.d4, Bf4, e3, c3). You play the same setup against almost anything, so there is very little theory and you get a solid position every game. Good if you would rather play than memorize.
- The Queen's Gambit (1.d4 d5 2.c4). The step up from the London. You fight harder for the center and learn classical plans that stay useful at every level.
- Next steps after 1.e4: the Scotch Game opens the center at once, and the Vienna Game adds the f4 attack with less risk than the King's Gambit.
As Black
Against 1.e4, answering 1...e5 teaches the same open games you play as White, and the Italian and Scotch guides cover both sides. If you want something calmer, the Caro-Kann gives a solid position with a clear plan, and the Scandinavian takes the game into territory you know from move one.
Against 1.d4, the Queen's Gambit Declined (see the Queen's Gambit guide) or the Slav holds the center with ...d5 and develops naturally. Both stay sound at every level, so you never have to replace them.
Openings to leave for later
Some openings are excellent but punish you for not knowing them. The Sicilian, the Grünfeld, the Benoni and the King's Indian are full of sharp, theoretical lines where one forgotten move can lose the game. Come back to them once the basics of central play are second nature.
Gambits like the King's Gambit are great fun and teach attacking chess. Save them for your second opening.
Traps every beginner should know
You do not need many, but two come up often in online games. The Fried Liver Attack punishes a natural-looking recapture in the Two Knights, and the Stafford Gambit hides a trap behind most natural White moves. Learn how both work and how to avoid them, and you will stop losing to them in ten moves.
Whatever you choose, play it, lose with it and find out why. Import your games into the analysis board, find the move where the position turned, and reread the opening's guide with that position in mind.
The openings in this guide
Italian Game
The classical way to open a chess game: develop, aim at f7, castle. The best first opening for most players.
London System
One setup against almost everything. It is popular at club level and often criticized for producing repetitive games.
Queen's Gambit
One of the oldest openings in chess, mentioned in the Göttingen manuscript of 1490 and still played at the top level today. The Slav and the Semi-Slav both grow out of its first moves.
Scotch Game
White opens the center on move three instead of maneuvering. The positions are clear and active, and there is less theory to learn than in the Ruy Lopez.
Vienna Game
White develops the queen's knight first and keeps f4 in reserve. The game can stay quiet or turn into a sharp gambit full of tricks.
Caro-Kann Defense
The solid answer to 1.e4 that keeps the light-squared bishop free. Think of it as the French Defense without the bad bishop.
Scandinavian Defense
Challenge the center on move one. The theory is light, the plans are clear, and the 2...Qxd5 lines keep reaching the same pawn structure.
Slav Defense
Think of it as the Queen's Gambit Declined without the bad bishop. It is one of the most solid answers to 1.d4.
Fried Liver Attack
A knight sacrifice on f7 that drags the black king into the middle of the board. Giulio Cesare Polerio played it before 1606, and it still wins a lot of games against the natural-looking 5...Nxd5.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best chess opening for beginners?
For White, the Italian Game: every move follows a principle you can explain. For Black, 1...e5 against 1.e4 and the Queen's Gambit Declined against 1.d4. All three teach sound, central chess with very little memorization.
How many openings should a beginner learn?
Three: one as White, one against 1.e4 and one against 1.d4. That covers almost every game you will play, and learning three well beats sampling a dozen.
Should beginners learn gambits?
Learn how to meet them first, especially the common traps like the Fried Liver and the Stafford. Playing gambits yourself is a good second step once your development and king safety are solid.
How long should I study openings?
Much less than tactics. Knowing the first six to eight moves and the plan that follows is enough below about 1800; most games at that level are decided by tactics and middlegame mistakes.