Answers.Body: <p>In reading your question, I can't help but think you aren't asking your real question, which I read as, "When I'm out of my book I get abused.  How do I stop this from happening?"</p>
  
  <p>I'm assuming that, like me, you're a USCF player rated under 1800.  I offer the following advice:</p>
  
  <ol>
  <li>Learn two openings with White and two with Black.  Choose white openings begin with e4 or d4.  Avoid long lines where your opponent may be more booked-up.  At the amateur level, most openings and variations are playable.  Your openings with the Black pieces should be sound but off the beaten path a little.  Study games online, buy books, whatever.  Hour for hour, books are cheaper than movies. Go for it.</li>
  <li>Find an instructor who's rated 400 or more points above you.  Ask this person to help you with your game, especially when you're out of your book.  They'll help you with applying guiding principles.  Chess principles are simple until it's time to apply them. Your instructor can help.</li>
  <li>Don't memorize without understanding.  It is critical to understand why book moves are standard.</li>
  <li>Don't be afraid to lose.  "I'm out of my book, I better play it safe!" is poison.</li>
  </ol>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2021-07-31T08:53:58.163Z
Answers.Text: Another good way I found was making a study on lichess for black + white openings you want to pick and make chapters studying each variation and different lines.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Emobe
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2013-08-24T15:30:39.830Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2013-08-24T15:30:39.830Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Tony Ennis
Answers.Body: <ol>
  <li><p>Write your opening down somewhere . Read it every day. Play it against real opponents / engine. Analyse your opening games, did you move the wrong piece? Try to figure out the plans of the opening. For example in <code>c5</code> sicilian, one plan might be playing <code>d5</code> if white played <code>f3</code>, because <code>f3</code> is really weak after the trade-off on <code>d5</code>.</p></li>
  <li><p>Just play nearly every variation and take a look at the end position. If you like it, write it down, remember it and play it. If not, discard the variation.</p></li>
  <li><p>You need to know the plans of the opening and not only the moves. If you know the plans, you can play without knowing the moves.</p></li>
  </ol>
  
  <p>It might be hard to figure out the plans on yourself, but you might find some good games of chess in the internet, which are documented / commented from a good player.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2013-07-31T21:55:04.597Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2019-09-17T11:03:29.703Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2019-09-17T11:03:29.703Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Niklas
Answers.Body: <p>Studying Opening Chess theory is definitively not about memorizing long lines of theory where you'll get lost if you opponent diverges...
  Also what to do next once you're out of your book?</p>
  
  <p>The best way is....to practice!</p>
  
  <p>In a nutshell:</p>
  
  <ul>
  <li>Study Few GMs or important games for that opening and/or system you
  would like to play: you'll get a general feeling of the opening/variation, you'll 
  identify tactical and strategical ideas...no opening manuals at this point!</li>
  <li>Then Practice, Practice and Practice! (numerous blitz, 15 minutes games,
  even longer time control) the more the better!</li>
  <li>then only take a look at some opening manuals on this very specific line / system: you'll soon realized you have memorized and understood more than you =thought possible!</li>
  <li>Rinse and repeat!</li>
  </ul>
  
  <p>If interested, I wrote detailed post on this very topic:
  <a href="http://improveyourchessornot.blogspot.ca/2013/05/how-to-study-opening.html" rel="noreferrer">http://improveyourchessornot.blogspot.ca/2013/05/how-to-study-opening.html</a></p>
  
  <p>Hope it helps,</p>
  
  <p>Cheers!</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2013-08-23T20:51:23.323Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2013-08-23T20:51:23.323Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: MSA
Answers.Body: <p>It's better to know a few good openings well, rather than a bunch of various ones. You might get thrown by some novel (to you) opening by learning a few basics, but unless you're a master who has time to learn many of them, your best defense against seemingly novel openings is good fundamentals. It will be less often that someone will be able to throw you if you focus on a few fundamental lines.</p>
  
  <ul>
  <li>Learn the theory behind the most common openings for white that stem from e4-e5, such as Ruy Lopez or Italian game. </li>
  <li>Learn one of the most solid responses to 1. e4, such as the Sicilian, or maybe the Caro-Kann.</li>
  <li>Learn the most classic responses for white to the Sicilian </li>
  <li>Learn the most common theory behind the most common lines after 1. d4 d5</li>
  </ul>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2013-08-07T13:35:36.993Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2013-08-08T03:44:13.843Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2013-08-08T03:44:13.843Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: James Christopher
Answers.Body: <p>In my opinion a lot depends on your level. </p>
  
  <p>For a <em>beginner</em> I would not recommend to learn an opening by heart. Instead focus on tactics and play openings based on general opening principles:</p>
  
  <ul>
  <li>occupy the center</li>
  <li>develop minor pieces</li>
  <li>castle</li>
  <li>don't blunder a piece to some tactics</li>
  </ul>
  
  <p>A good indication for when you need to learn some opening theory is, if you regularly end up with slightly worse positions after the opening. (If you lose a piece or more in the opening, that would usually mean that you should improve your tactical skills instead). </p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2016-12-21T14:37:00.283Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2016-12-21T14:37:00.283Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: user1583209
Answers.Body: <p>I highly suggest finding one or two openings for each side,and then playing them against computers and people until they become second nature. I personally enjoy playing the Grand Prix, Fort Knox, Dunst openings; however, those are all just my personal preferences.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2013-08-06T16:14:47.493Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2019-09-19T22:26:22.513Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2019-09-19T22:26:22.513Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: DataChunk
Answers.Body: <p>The best way, in my opinion, to learn opening theory is to study a chess database. Chessbase has a free one online, and so does chesstempo.</p>
  
  <p>Look up games that match a particular position of your choosing. See what moves strong players play (also look at win percentages). Think about what moves you or an opponent would play in a particular position, and see how strong players respond. If there are no, or only a few games played in whatever line you are investigating, you can use a free engine, like Stockfish for example. Lastly, every time you play a game of chess, think about looking up in the database the opening that you played.  And of course, the entire time, you must try to understand why the moves are being played. If you don't do this, it will be very difficult to remember lines. </p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2019-09-19T22:11:22.647Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2019-09-19T22:24:47.727Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2019-09-19T22:24:47.727Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: CognisMantis
Answers.Body: <p>Write the various ideas that you discover in the opening. For example, in the Taimanov Sicilian against the English Attack when White attacks the Knight with g5, Black should consider playing  Nh5 and using the Knight to blockade the kingside. As you understand more and more ideas in the opening (and write them know), you'll begin to understand that it's not about memorizing moves but understanding how to respond to various plans that the opposing player can try.  That's should be your mindset when learning an opening.  Don't memorize - understand.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2017-02-14T02:33:39.627Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2017-02-14T02:33:39.627Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: ToddM
Answers.Body: <p>anyone mentionned playing correspondance online with open book.  The amount of opening knowledged keeps increasing with time, and demographics, well depends if the masses get to proportionally increase high level play that might somehow be the discovery mechanism behind that historical many human exploration process.</p>
  <p>At some point it might become that chess will be tabulated, and one would be like on some quizz show game, guess the best move.. and the art would be in the preparation, and knowing somehow who one would be playing. but we are not there yet...</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2024-09-18T20:59:00.860Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2024-09-18T20:59:00.860Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: dbdb
Body: <p>I'm a hobbyist chess player and usually play online. While I've seen thousands of great chess games and win a fair number of games online, the one thing that I have struggle with is studying openings. Simply put, there are just so many of them and each of them has so many variations. And to add to that, every out-of-book move my opponent makes throws me off and I don't know how to continue, so it turns out to be some hybrid/weird opening (or perhaps its a real opening with a name that I just don't know about)</p>
  
  <p>I guess my question would be:</p>
  
  <ol>
  <li><p>What's a good way to learn some of the common/easy openings? Is it
  just memorize or understanding the principles for instance, what
  that particular opening is looking to achieve?</p></li>
  <li><p>How do I identify which of the variations to look at for a
  particular opening, there are often so many?</p></li>
  <li><p>What's a good strategy to deal with my opponent suddenly going out
  of book or playing a novelty in an opening that I've memorized?</p></li>
  </ol>
  
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2015-10-04T14:40:24.253Z
Comments.Text: use [Visual Openings](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sleekapps.visualchessopenings) on Android. Much better than any textbook, since it is interactive.
Comments.UserDisplayName: Fischer
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2016-11-15T15:43:02.640Z
Comments.Text: If you play on [chess.com](https://www.chess.com), it tells you what opening you used. When reviewing the game, google your opening and see where you strayed (if at all).
Comments.UserDisplayName: Zaz
Tags: <opening><study>
Title: What's a good way to learn opening theory?
ThreadText: # What's a good way to learn opening theory?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2013-07-31)
  
  I'm a hobbyist chess player and usually play online. While I've seen thousands of great chess games and win a fair number of games online, the one thing that I have struggle with is studying openings. Simply put, there are just so many of them and each of them has so many variations. And to add to that, every out-of-book move my opponent makes throws me off and I don't know how to continue, so it turns out to be some hybrid/weird opening (or perhaps its a real opening with a name that I just don't know about)
  
  I guess my question would be:
  
  1. What's a good way to learn some of the common/easy openings? Is it
     just memorize or understanding the principles for instance, what
     that particular opening is looking to achieve?
  2. How do I identify which of the variations to look at for a
     particular opening, there are often so many?
  3. What's a good strategy to deal with my opponent suddenly going out
     of book or playing a novelty in an opening that I've memorized?
  
  **Tags:** opening, study
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_1**: use [Visual Openings](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sleekapps.visualchessopenings) on Android. Much better than any textbook, since it is interactive.  
  > **username_2**: If you play on [chess.com](https://www.chess.com), it tells you what opening you used. When reviewing the game, google your opening and see where you strayed (if at all).  
  
  ---
  
  ## 9 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_3 on 2013-08-24. Score: 17
  
  In reading your question, I can't help but think you aren't asking your real question, which I read as, "When I'm out of my book I get abused. How do I stop this from happening?"
  
  I'm assuming that, like me, you're a USCF player rated under 1800. I offer the following advice:
  
  1. Learn two openings with White and two with Black. Choose white openings begin with e4 or d4. Avoid long lines where your opponent may be more booked-up. At the amateur level, most openings and variations are playable. Your openings with the Black pieces should be sound but off the beaten path a little. Study games online, buy books, whatever. Hour for hour, books are cheaper than movies. Go for it.
  2. Find an instructor who's rated 400 or more points above you. Ask this person to help you with your game, especially when you're out of your book. They'll help you with applying guiding principles. Chess principles are simple until it's time to apply them. Your instructor can help.
  3. Don't memorize without understanding. It is critical to understand why book moves are standard.
  4. Don't be afraid to lose. "I'm out of my book, I better play it safe!" is poison.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_4**: Another good way I found was making a study on lichess for black + white openings you want to pick and make chapters studying each variation and different lines.  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_5 on 2013-07-31. Score: 10
  
  1. Write your opening down somewhere . Read it every day. Play it against real opponents / engine. Analyse your opening games, did you move the wrong piece? Try to figure out the plans of the opening. For example in `c5` sicilian, one plan might be playing `d5` if white played `f3`, because `f3` is really weak after the trade-off on `d5`.
  2. Just play nearly every variation and take a look at the end position. If you like it, write it down, remember it and play it. If not, discard the variation.
  3. You need to know the plans of the opening and not only the moves. If you know the plans, you can play without knowing the moves.
  
  It might be hard to figure out the plans on yourself, but you might find some good games of chess in the internet, which are documented / commented from a good player.
  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_6 on 2013-08-23. Score: 6
  
  Studying Opening Chess theory is definitively not about memorizing long lines of theory where you'll get lost if you opponent diverges...
  Also what to do next once you're out of your book?
  
  The best way is....to practice!
  
  In a nutshell:
  
  * Study Few GMs or important games for that opening and/or system you
    would like to play: you'll get a general feeling of the opening/variation, you'll
    identify tactical and strategical ideas...no opening manuals at this point!
  * Then Practice, Practice and Practice! (numerous blitz, 15 minutes games,
    even longer time control) the more the better!
  * then only take a look at some opening manuals on this very specific line / system: you'll soon realized you have memorized and understood more than you =thought possible!
  * Rinse and repeat!
  
  If interested, I wrote detailed post on this very topic:
  <http://improveyourchessornot.blogspot.ca/2013/05/how-to-study-opening.html>
  
  Hope it helps,
  
  Cheers!
  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_7 on 2013-08-07. Score: 5
  
  It's better to know a few good openings well, rather than a bunch of various ones. You might get thrown by some novel (to you) opening by learning a few basics, but unless you're a master who has time to learn many of them, your best defense against seemingly novel openings is good fundamentals. It will be less often that someone will be able to throw you if you focus on a few fundamental lines.
  
  * Learn the theory behind the most common openings for white that stem from e4-e5, such as Ruy Lopez or Italian game.
  * Learn one of the most solid responses to 1. e4, such as the Sicilian, or maybe the Caro-Kann.
  * Learn the most classic responses for white to the Sicilian
  * Learn the most common theory behind the most common lines after 1. d4 d5
  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_8 on 2016-12-21. Score: 2
  
  In my opinion a lot depends on your level.
  
  For a *beginner* I would not recommend to learn an opening by heart. Instead focus on tactics and play openings based on general opening principles:
  
  * occupy the center
  * develop minor pieces
  * castle
  * don't blunder a piece to some tactics
  
  A good indication for when you need to learn some opening theory is, if you regularly end up with slightly worse positions after the opening. (If you lose a piece or more in the opening, that would usually mean that you should improve your tactical skills instead).
  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_9 on 2013-08-06. Score: 2
  
  I highly suggest finding one or two openings for each side,and then playing them against computers and people until they become second nature. I personally enjoy playing the Grand Prix, Fort Knox, Dunst openings; however, those are all just my personal preferences.
  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_10 on 2019-09-19. Score: 1
  
  The best way, in my opinion, to learn opening theory is to study a chess database. Chessbase has a free one online, and so does chesstempo.
  
  Look up games that match a particular position of your choosing. See what moves strong players play (also look at win percentages). Think about what moves you or an opponent would play in a particular position, and see how strong players respond. If there are no, or only a few games played in whatever line you are investigating, you can use a free engine, like Stockfish for example. Lastly, every time you play a game of chess, think about looking up in the database the opening that you played. And of course, the entire time, you must try to understand why the moves are being played. If you don't do this, it will be very difficult to remember lines.
  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_11 on 2017-02-14. Score: 1
  
  Write the various ideas that you discover in the opening. For example, in the Taimanov Sicilian against the English Attack when White attacks the Knight with g5, Black should consider playing Nh5 and using the Knight to blockade the kingside. As you understand more and more ideas in the opening (and write them know), you'll begin to understand that it's not about memorizing moves but understanding how to respond to various plans that the opposing player can try. That's should be your mindset when learning an opening. Don't memorize - understand.
  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_12 on 2024-09-18. Score: 0
  
  anyone mentionned playing correspondance online with open book. The amount of opening knowledged keeps increasing with time, and demographics, well depends if the masses get to proportionally increase high level play that might somehow be the discovery mechanism behind that historical many human exploration process.
  
  At some point it might become that chess will be tabulated, and one would be like on some quizz show game, guess the best move.. and the art would be in the preparation, and knowing somehow who one would be playing. but we are not there yet...
  
  
  ---
  
  