what is the best opening for new player?

Ponziani and italian

I don’t agree.

I believe the Ruy Lopez shouldn’t be used by beginners.

- Italian Game

- London System

- Kings Indian Attack

Those are probably the top 3 best white side beginner lines.

However, I have seen some other lines used.

- Crab System - A Line I made for beginners

- Two Knights

- Orangatang

I used to play the Vienna gambit, it's not bad.

I believe it's Bad advice is to recommend a to beginner to respond to 1.e4 with 1...e5.

The old saying "Really bad or really good chess players play 1...e5" Playing the Ruy Lopez, as a beginner... a premier top flight opening is a recipe for disaster.

I'm in agreement with Compadre_J. as a beginner it is best to play a system that gives you middle games that you can understand, that the chances you will see them in a game are are high %. Then you can add to the system and keep it as the core of your repertoire. Example playing the KIA and then adding the Reti.

I'd recommend the Colle (it's what I play) but... it's not really a system. To grow with the Colle you have to approach the opening as playing 1.d4 2.Nf3 and 3.e3 is the same as playing 1.d4 2.c4 and 3.Nc3 and one will have to take on a plethora of openings schemes (just like you would playing 1.d4 2. c3 & Nc3)

There is not a best opening for beginners. Rather, openings that focus on straightforward development, king safety, material equality, and a clear middlegame plan are all good. This includes all of the standard openings: Ruy Lopez, Giuoco Piano, Scoth Game, French Defence, Queen's Gambit, and so on. The beginner will benefit from having a broad knowledge base of openings. There's a reason all of the classic chess strategy books introduce the beginner to these mainline openings.

This has been known for decades. The best two openings for a beginner are the two openings that follow basic opening principles to the letter. Those 3 principles are:

1) Play moves that control the center (i.e. e4 or d4, not h4 or Na3)

2) Do not move the same piece multiple times in the opening phase unless forced to do so, like after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5, if 3...a6, then moving the Bishop again is fine because it is attacked, 4.Ba4 or 4.Bxc6)

3. Do not move the Queen early. Get your minor pieces developed and your king castle first.

The two openings that follow these principles to the letter are the Ruy Lopez and the Queen's Gambit from both sides. Here is why others are not as good for a beginner:

Alekhine Defense - No control of the center.

Grunfeld - No control of the center

Pirc/Modern - No control of the center

French - too many pieces moving repeatedly. LSB does not get developed. Queen's Knight often moving Nc6-a5-c4 early on unprovoked. Ne7-f5. King often stays in the center. Often early Queen development (5...Qb6 Advance, 4...Qxd5 Tarrasch)

Scandinavian - Early Queen development

Many of these are "Sound", particularly the French, but they suffer the issue of having to think more outside the box. Principles are violated but in these cases, the violations are OK. Same goes for the Najdorf (not castling, like the French), Nimzo-Indian (Control of the center is indirect, like needing to understand that a dark-squared bishop controls a light square as Bb4 pins the knight to the King, controlling e4), etc.

The Ruy Lopez and QGD follow all 3 principles in the simplest manner. You should start with those two for BOTH colors!

People have lied to you my friend.

I have the Kings Indian ranked #3 on my Beginner Opening White Side Tier List.

#1 - Italian Game

#2 - London System

#3 - KIngs Indian Attack

These are best of the best for beginners.

I never recommend the Ruy López or Queen Gambit to beginners.

I believe teaching a beginner to play Ruy López or Queen Gambit is setting the beginner up for failure.

Imagine if people applied the same above logic to teaching a person on how to swim.

They drive boat several miles off shore and throw you in the ocean and tell you to swim back.

If people did the above thing to beginner swimming, People would call those teachers sicko’s.

Only a truly disturbed Psychotic person would do such a thing.

You might think the situation is completely different, but it’s not that different.

People chess minds can drown as well.

People are putting to much pressure on a person mind.

Their are thousands of different chess lines which exist in chess.

People want beginners to play the most advanced and toughest ones?

I completely disagree.

I think beginners should slowly build up.

Now, if you was to ask me, what is the best beginner opening for Black against 1.e4.

#1 - French Defense

I believe the French Defense is the Beginner “Power” opening.

Most Beginners as White play the Advanced Variation, Exchange Variation, Hill Billy Attack (Bc4) line, and Qh4 line.

Black has a wonderful game against all those lines.

The only “negative” thing about the French is that sometimes it can be unsatisfying!

When you play Black and your opponent plays into the advanced Variation, The win for black is so thirst quenching that it makes you even more addicted to the game.

Watching, your opponents center crumble by your own hands is such a massive high that you often want to do it again and again.

Than you go to play another game and your new opponent plays the exchange or the Qh4 line. Most times you win against those lines as well, but the win doesn’t feel as thirst quenching.

The win feels unsatisfactory!

I still recommend it though

Let me keep going:

Top Beginner Opening for Black against 1.e4

#1 - French Defense

I already told you about the French being Big Brother

#2 - Caro Kann Defense

Now, we come to rank #2, Baby Brother!

You know the Caro Kann is out here in beginner leagues taking people out!

Low level players love playing Qh4 moves and Bc4 moves. They want to do Scholar Mates & Fried Liver Attacks, but it doesn’t work against these openings!

The French & Caro Kan shut down the Light Squares!

This is what makes these openings so good

They counter what people are trying to do!

Caro Kann is Baby Brother and Baby Brother doesn’t mess around!

The win rates for Black in the lower leagues for these openings is pretty crazy!

If you look on database and filter with only low level games, Black is actually winning.

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If you play 1.e4 as white and your opponent responses with French or Caro Kan.

Your chances of winning for white are only 47%.

Black chances of winning is 49%.

Black is playing for a win!

Its outrageous, but the stats don’t lie!

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So to recap:

#1 - French Defense

#2 - Caro Kann Defense

The last opening I recommend to beginners is probably the most controversial and from a stats perspective. It isn’t doing as great compared to the other lines.

However, I still like recommending it because the line is very easy to play and is a very Classical chess line.

#3 - Philidor Defense

It’s a very simple line which gives rapid development.

It also teaches good chess values.

This whole post is a laugher. Black does not outscore White. And the French, Caro, and Philidor are not the answers for beginners.

Post 10 gives the truth. Ruy Lopez and Queen's Gambit, both White and Black (decline it with 2...e6 when you have Black.)

The Chess Databases I looked at say otherwise.

I filtered the Chess Databases by Chess Rating.

Low Level players have winning score as Black.

I'd focus less on winning and more on improving as a beginner. I do think learning the opening principles is important, and e4 or d4/c4 will teach that... you'll also be learning two positions which are so fundamental it's difficult to understand other openings without reference to them. Though I'd probably recommend the Italian over the Ruy Lopez. But probably the best opening is the one that makes you most excited to play the game.

I just play e4 then adapt based on my opponent's move

I like to play the Scotch for white, fun open simple game play and you don't have to worry about too much theory.

Obviously the London