Chess openings for beginners

You do not need an opening repertoire to reach 1500. You need four principles (a centre pawn, knights before bishops, castle early, do not move the same piece twice) and two or three openings you actually understand. That is what this section is: the principles, the first move question, and a handful of openings chosen because they teach good habits rather than because a grandmaster plays them. The Italian Game and the London System for White, the Sicilian and a solid reply to 1.d4 for Black, the Queen's Gambit because everybody asks about it, and the Scholar's mate defence because every beginner needs it in the first week.

1. Chess openings for beginners

   Learn three jobs, not a list of names: put a pawn on e4 or d4, develop your knights and bishops, and castle by about move ten.

2. The opening principles every beginner needs

   Push a centre pawn, develop knights before bishops, castle by about move ten, do not move the same piece twice without a reason, keep the queen at home until the minor pieces are out, and finish by connecting the rooks.

3. What is the best first move in chess?

   1.

4. Best chess openings for Black as a beginner

   Against 1.

5. The Italian Game explained

   The Italian Game is 1.

6. The London System for beginners

   The London System is 1.

7. What is the Queen's Gambit?

   The Queen's Gambit is 1.

8. The Ruy Lopez (Spanish) explained

   The Ruy Lopez, also called the Spanish, is 1.

9. The Sicilian Defence for beginners

   The Sicilian Defence is 1.

10. How to defend against Scholar's mate

    Answer the early queen with 2.

11. Common opening mistakes beginners make

    The five that cost real games: bringing the queen out on move two, moving the same piece over and over while your opponent develops, grabbing pawns with the king still in the centre, forgetting to castle, and pushing the f-pawn.

12. How many moves is the opening?

    Count tasks, not moves.