Chess is a sleek game of permutations, luck, risk, and manipulation. So, it’s technical, to say the least. But thankfully, we’re chess players too, and occasionally, folks over at Player.me play a few rounds. So, this article is for newbies who are interested in getting better at playing chess. Learning a few opening moves today!
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Best Tips for Playing Chess
Before diving into the top 10 strategies for playing chess, have a look at these tips first. The list is packed with moves that will encourage you to take a risk.
- Always send your bishops and knights out the first chance you get.
- Backtrack and watch out for traps.
- Avoid picking off your opponent’s pawns unless it’s necessary.
- Don’t play too fast so you won’t lose your most valuable pieces, including the queen, rook, bishop, and knight.
- Move the pawn in front of the queen or bishop.
- Also, don’t bring the queen out too early.
- Avoid moving the same piece twice.
- Make sure the rooks are close and connected to survive the mid-game.
- Choose White over Black; The player that makes the first move is White.
The Top 9 Opening Strategies in Chess
These are the top 9 strategies for beginning a round of chess. Also, try to use the tips above to guide your moves. Some of these strategies are beginner-friendly, while others, like the Ruy Lopez Opening, are multifaceted.
#1: The Bobby Fischer 1.e4 or King’s Pawn Game Strategy
The Bobby Fischer 1.e4 was pioneered by Bobby Fischer, and it’s a strategy that’s aggressive and best for players who prefer attacking from the middle. If you favour bishops and you’re watching out for the queen’s prowess in the end game, the Bobby Fischer 1.e4 is the strategy to use. With this strategy, you’ll be in control of your attack and defence.
The downside to this strategy is that the number of moves you can execute after this opening strategy will be limited. But to conquer this strategy, you shouldn’t be afraid of defeat. That’s the only way to learn the moves that’ll lead to your loss and win. To wrap things up, this strategy is weak against the Sicilian Defence.
#2: The Italian Game Strategy
Besides the 1.e4 strategy, the Italian Game is another popular strategy among chess players. It’s not a strategy that awards ample space to players, but bishops can sneak out to flank the opposing chess pieces. Eventually, you’ll expose your e4 pawn to being claimed. It’s also one of the oldest chess strategies in history, easily traced back to the 15th century. This strategy is weak against the Giuoco Piano. You can play the Italian Game by following the steps below.
- e4, e5.
- Nf3 Nc6.
- Bc4.
#3: The Ruy Lopez Opening
Similar to the Italian game strategy, the Ruy Lopez system lets players control the centre of the chess board using a knight and a pawn. The only difference is that the bishop will be played deeper into the opponent’s side of the board. Also, players must be attacking from the queen’s side, so this is just another variant of the Queen’s Game. The most effective way to counter the Ruy Lopez Opening is by using the Berlin Defence. The strategy’s other features are:
- It’s complex to learn and pull off, so it’s not beginner-friendly.
- It pressures Black constantly.
- Both tactical and positional players will enjoy this opening.
#4: Nimzowitsch-Larsen Attack Strategy
Named after Aron Nimzowitsch and Bent Larsen, this aggressive playstyle uses two uncommon openings, which are:
- b2, b3, or Nf3.
It’s the best strategy for newbies because it doesn’t take a lot of preparation to execute the strategy. While this strategy is extremely flexible, it’s weak against Owen’s Defence. Also, your goals are to capture your opponent’s knight and then their pawn, using the moves:
- e5.
- Bb2 Nc6.
- e3 Nf6.
- Bb5 Bd6.
#5: The Sicilian Defence
The Sicilian Defence is the perfect response to any opening move, starting with e5. So, while it’s excellent to attack, learning how to defend as the Black is equally important. But it’s one of the roughest styles out there. Black players start with c5 to discourage White from playing d4, an ideal move after e5. The Sicilian Defence is weak against Nc3, but if White plays Nf3, a Sicilian Defence user has the edge.
#6: French Defence
Another opening move against 1.e4 is the French Defence. The 1.e4 opening move signals that White wants to dominate the chessboard centre. So, you challenge White’s control over the centre by playing d5. If you’re playing against a professional player who favours 1.e4, this is a great defence to beat back your opponent’s advances. However, using the French Defence will cause your offence to suffer. The French Defence is also potent for reasons such as:
- It’s easy to learn for beginners.
- Great for quick counterattacks.
- Your line of defence is solid.
#7: Caro-Kann Defence
After the French Defence, this is the most popular move against 1.e4 players. You’ll also compete for control of the centre by countering with a d5 move. The only difference between this strategy and the French Defence is that your light-squared knight won’t be blocked. Some of the advantages of using the Caro-Kann Defence are:
- Its pawn structure is strong.
- An extra light-squared bishop will be awarded.
- Safe for beginners and intermediate players to use.
#8: Scholar’s Mate
Scholar’s Mate is well known for being a checkmating strategy in chess. It’s hard to defend against if you can’t recognise the moves and patterns. So, you can avoid being beaten by learning about this opening move. But of course, it doesn’t stand up to other strategies on the list. Hence, it’s ranked so low on the list. You can execute the Scholar’s Mate by following the moves below.
- e4 e5.
- Qh5 Nc6.
- Bc4 Nf6??.
- Qxf7#.
So, it’s essentially a four-move strategy to beat newbies that can’t recognise it. To defend against this move, you can try out one of three moves, which are:
- The g6 move will help you position your bishop to protect the king.
- Another option is to move your queen to the e7 square.
- Lastly, you can move your queen to the f6 square.
#9: Queen’s Gambit
The Queen’s Gambit is reputable for its 1.d4 opening move, which prioritises strategy over all-out battle. It’s one of the best moves for beginners and intermediate players. To pull off the Queen’s Gambit, here’s the extended version of the strategy:
- d4 d5.
- c4.
You may lose a pawn even if you pull this off, which is why it’s called a gambit. In the end, this strategy helps you gain a lot of space on the chessboard. The most popular variant of the Queen’s Gambit is the Slav Defense which extends the move set by adding c6 to the end of the combo.
Our Final Say
You can try out any of these opening moves and modify them to dominate the chessboard. They’re not foolproof, so you’ll have to experiment to avoid quick defeats, especially if you’re a newbie. But without a doubt, the most popular strategy for beginners is 1.e4.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Are the Special Three Moves in Chess?
The three special moves in chess are castling, pawn promotion, and en passant. These moves offer some nifty advantages, such as:
- Ability to break three of the basic movements of chess.
- Pawns that reach your opponent’s end of the board will be promoted.
What Is the 75-Move Rule?
The 75-move rule forces players to draw if no pawn has been moved or no chess piece has been captured within 75 moves. Players can claim 50 moves to restart the round, but they still have the option to play on. However, after 75 moves, if no captures or pawns have been moved, the tournament director will declare the game a draw.
What Is the Most Effective Opening in Chess?
The most effective opening in chess is 1.e4, otherwise known as the grandmaster Bobby Fischer 1.e4. It was a strategy that was introduced by Bobby Fischer, an American chess grandmaster who favoured an aggressive playstyle. The attack immediately attacks the centre of the chessboard, so you can deploy the queen and a bishop.