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Time to read 9 min
If you are just starting out, the fastest way to improve your openings is not to memorise theory but to learn a handful of sound openings and the ideas behind them. This guide lists the openings every beginner should know, with the moves, who each one suits, and why it works, followed by the principles that make all of them tick. Learn three or four of these and you will handle the opening better than most players at your level.
Here are the openings to start with.
The Italian is the ideal first opening for most players. Its moves follow the core opening principles almost perfectly: a central pawn, two developing moves, and a clear path to castling. The bishop on c4 eyes Black's weakest early square, f7. It teaches good habits and rewards you for following principles rather than memorising lines, which is exactly what a first opening should do. If you learn only one opening for White, make it this one.
Also called the Spanish, the Ruy Lopez is one of the oldest and most respected openings in chess. The bishop move to b5 pressures the knight defending Black's central pawn. It leads to rich, strategic middlegames and is a staple at every level from club play to world championships. It rewards patience and understanding, so it is a natural step up once the Italian feels comfortable.
The Sicilian is the most popular response to 1.e4 at every level, and for good reason. Instead of mirroring White, Black immediately fights for the centre from the side with the c-pawn, creating an unbalanced position full of counterattacking chances. It is sharp and rewarding, but it carries more theory than most openings, so it suits beginners who enjoy studying. The Najdorf and the Dragon are two of its most famous variations.
The French is a solid, resilient choice for Black against 1.e4. The plan is to build a firm pawn chain and strike back at White's centre. It can feel a little cramped early on, and the light-squared bishop can be tricky to develop, but the resulting positions are hard to break down. It is a fine choice for players who prefer structure over chaos.
The Caro-Kann gives Black a solid structure with fewer sharp tactics to memorise than the Sicilian, which makes it a favourite for players who want reliability. Black supports a central pawn push with the c-pawn and develops smoothly. It has a reputation for toughness and has been used by many world champions as a dependable, low-risk defence.
Despite the name, the Queen's Gambit is not a true sacrifice, since White can usually regain the offered pawn. The idea is to challenge Black's central pawn and build a strong, space-gaining centre. It leads to instructive strategic positions and is one of the best openings for learning how to play with a space advantage. It splits into the Accepted and Declined variations depending on whether Black takes the pawn.
The London System is one of the most popular beginner openings for White, because it sets up the same solid, harmonious structure against almost anything Black does. You develop the dark-squared bishop to f4, support the centre, and castle, without needing to memorise different responses to every defence. That reliability is exactly why so many players start here: it lets you learn one setup and play it again and again while you focus on the middlegame.
The Scotch is an excellent attacking alternative to the Italian and Ruy Lopez. White strikes in the centre early with d4, opening the position quickly and leading to active, tactical play. It has less heavy theory than the Ruy Lopez, so a beginner can play it on understanding rather than memorisation, while still getting the open, piece-active positions that teach tactics fast.
The King's Indian is a bold, counterattacking choice for Black against 1.d4. Black allows White to build a big centre, then strikes back with pawn breaks and a kingside attack. It leads to complex, double-edged games and rewards aggressive players who are comfortable defending before they attack. It is more advanced than the other defences here, so it is one to grow into.
The Scandinavian is direct and practical: Black challenges White's central pawn on the very first move. Black's queen often comes out early to recapture, which breaks the usual rule about early queen moves, so you need to know how to handle the queen being nudged around. It is easy to learn and a great surprise weapon for club players who want something simple against 1.e4.
Use this table to pick an opening that suits how you like to play. Learn one for White and one defence against each of White's two main first moves, and you have a complete starter repertoire.
Once you have the openings above, this is the understanding that makes them work. Learn these three ideas and you can play a reasonable opening even against a line you have never seen.
Control the centre. The four central squares are the most valuable real estate on the board, because a piece in the centre influences more of the board than one on the edge. Most openings begin by placing a pawn in the centre, usually the king's pawn or the queen's pawn, to stake a claim and open lines for your pieces.
Develop your pieces. Get your knights and bishops off the back rank and into the game as quickly as you can. A common beginner error is to attack before enough pieces are in play. Knights usually come out before bishops, and both should be doing something useful rather than sitting at home.
Keep your king safe. In most openings this means castling early, which tucks the king into the corner behind a wall of pawns and connects your rooks. A king left in the centre while the position opens up is asking for trouble.
Almost every mistake in the opening is a violation of one of these three. If you are ever unsure what to do, ask which of the three you have not yet done, and do that.
Even players who know a few openings fall into the same handful of traps. Each one maps back to the three principles.
Bringing the queen out too early. The queen is powerful, so beginners love to develop it first. The problem is that the opponent develops pieces with tempo by attacking it, and you lose time chasing safety. Develop knights and bishops first, with rare exceptions like the Scandinavian where the early queen move is part of a known plan.
Moving the same piece repeatedly. Every move you spend nudging one piece around is a move you are not developing another. In the opening, aim to move each piece once and get everything into play before launching an attack.
Neglecting to castle. Leaving your king in the centre is the most common cause of quick losses. If the position opens while your king is stuck on e1 or e8, you are in danger. Castle early unless you have a concrete reason not to.
Grabbing pawns instead of developing. Snatching a pawn in the opening often means falling behind in development, which usually costs far more than the pawn is worth. Our guide to the value of each chess piece covers when a pawn is and is not worth taking.
The biggest mistake improving players make is trying to learn too many openings at once. A repertoire is simply the set of openings you have decided to play, and a small, well-understood one beats a large, half-remembered one every time.
Start with one opening for White and one defence against each of White's two main first moves. That is three openings in total, and it is plenty to begin with. Pick ones that suit your temperament: the Italian and the Caro-Kann, for example, are a gentle, principled starting point.
Then learn ideas, not just moves. For each opening, understand where your pieces want to go, which pawn breaks matter, and what your general plan is. When your opponent plays something you have not seen, fall back on the three principles and you will usually find a sensible move. No amount of memorisation survives contact with an opponent who plays an unusual move, so understanding always beats rote learning.
If you want to get stronger across the whole game rather than just the opening, our guide on how to become a better chess player covers the study habits that actually move the needle.
Here is something a chess app cannot do for you: openings sink in far faster when you play them out with real pieces than when you only click through them on a screen. Setting up a position by hand, playing it out for both sides, and leaving it standing between sessions builds a physical memory of where the pieces belong that screen study never quite matches. It is the difference between recognising a position and knowing it in your hands.
This is how serious study players work: a board left set up on the desk, a line played and replayed until it is second nature. A well-weighted Staunton chess set is the pattern every opening diagram and book assumes, which makes following along far easier than on a novelty set. If you play at a club or want the regulation feel at home, a tournament chess set gives you the exact size and weight used in competition, so your practice matches the real thing.
If you are still finding your feet before you get to openings, our guides on how to play chess and how to set up a chess board cover everything that comes first. And for players who want to drill against an opponent that never tires, our range of chess computers lets you practise openings and get instant feedback at a level you choose.
For most players the five most useful openings to know are the Italian Game, the Ruy Lopez and the London System for White, and the Sicilian Defence and the Caro-Kann for Black. Together they cover both of White's main first moves and give you a complete, dependable starter repertoire.
The ten openings you will meet most often are the Italian Game, Ruy Lopez, Scotch Game, London System and Queen's Gambit for White, and the Sicilian, French, Caro-Kann, Scandinavian and King's Indian defences for Black. All ten are covered in the list above with their moves and who they suit.
The best openings for beginners are the ones that follow the core principles and do not demand heavy memorisation: the Italian Game and the London System for White, and the Caro-Kann or Scandinavian for Black. Start with one for White and one defence, learn the ideas behind them, and add more as you improve.
There is no single deadliest opening, but the sharpest attacking choices for a beginner are the Scotch Game and the aggressive lines of the Italian, which open the position quickly and create early threats. Traps like the Fried Liver Attack arise from the Italian and can be devastating against an unprepared opponent, though sound play defuses them.
No. Understanding the ideas behind an opening, where your pieces belong, which pawn breaks matter, and what your plan is, is far more useful than memorising move sequences. When an opponent plays something unfamiliar, the three opening principles will guide you to a sensible move.
The fastest way to improve is to pick one opening for each side from the list above, learn the ideas behind it, and play it often enough that the moves become second nature. Do not chase novelty or try to memorise everything the top players do. Understand a little, play a lot, and let your repertoire grow slowly.
When you are ready for a board to study on, our full range of chess sets runs from practical tournament sets to pieces worth keeping on display, and every order is backed by our 100 day free returns, so you can choose with complete confidence.
Written by Kurt Ebrado, Customer Experience and resident player at Sterling Chess. Kurt plays regularly and fields the questions customers ask every day about getting started and getting better, from which opening to learn first to which board suits serious study. He has handled and set up most of the sets in the Sterling Chess range and believes the best way to learn an opening is to play it, badly at first, until it clicks.
Every Sterling Chess order is backed by our 100 day free returns, so you can choose your next set with complete peace of mind.
