Answers.Body: <p>First you should make sure you master the fundamental concepts of opening play. Once you understand those concepts most openings can be universally understood just based on those concepts alone. It's unnecessary (and impractical) to try to classify every opening as having "x - y - z" specific ideas related to it, especially if you're a beginner.</p>
  
  <p>But I believe it's a counterproductive approach to try to "learn openings". You're better off just learning Chess, and the openings will simply come naturally. Yes, there are repeating themes in certain openings, but if you want to truly master the openings those themes should always be readily explainable by general understanding.</p>
  
  <p>Only then do you research the specific lines of an opening and commit them to memory. As for a roundup of all the available openings, you can always just look at Wikipedia. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chess_opening" rel="nofollow">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chess_opening</a></p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2013-11-30T22:16:27.023Z
Answers.Text: +1 for : I believe it's a counterproductive approach to try to "learn openings" : Good Opening Principles need to be mastered WAY before even worrying about learning any opening beyond 4-5 moves.
Answers.UserDisplayName: shivsky
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Answers.CreationDate: 2013-11-30T21:35:11.883Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2013-11-30T21:42:22.653Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2013-11-30T21:42:22.653Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Sunny
Answers.Body: <p>Best way to learn openings as a beginning player: Don't.</p>
  
  <p>You are a beginner. You should be just playing. As in go, lose your first 100 games before you begin studying. Studying openings now will give you a very "easy" sense of how to play the openings, assuming you are playing the lines you study and you opponent agrees by playing the moves too. But, that is NEVER the case at that level. NEVER. It's never the case up to Category A.</p>
  
  <p>Play everything and see what you like, see what feels good. </p>
  
  <p>Don't get bogged down by openings. It is the fastest way to getting stuck.</p>
  
  <p>Just play.</p>
  
  <p>Best advice I heard here was not to study openings, but study BASIC opening principles, and play by those guidelines in a very Steinitzian manner.</p>
  
  <p>Follow this guideline and you'll be ok.
  <a href="https://www.chess.com/article/view/the-principles-of-the-opening" rel="nofollow">Basic Chess Opening Principles</a></p>
  
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Answers.CreationDate: 2016-06-16T14:51:00.587Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2016-06-16T14:51:00.587Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Priyome
Answers.Body: <p>I think you need a balance between what other people are trying to say here. Half of the answers are telling you to go ahead and memorize openings, and to use them when you play. Others are telling you to just play, and learn that way.</p>
  
  <p>I feel like you need a balance. You should definitely memorize some 3/4 move openings, such as 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6. Some openings are very common, such as this one, and you should know the ones that begin with e4, d4, or the knights (at least).</p>
  
  <p>But you have to take these openings and study them. Understand the weaknesses of such openings for both sides, understand the strengths of each opening for both sides. Each opening leads to a different style of play (e4/e5, or the King's Pawn opening, which usually leads to a king-side game, will often lead to quick attacks and a quick game, whereas d4/d5, or the Queen's Pawn opening, usually leads to a queen-side game that is built upon developing pieces and optimizing the best structure before launching attacks and tactics). It is up to you as the player to find whichever style fits you the best, and you can often play those.</p>
  
  <p>Note that better players are good with both king-side and queen-side openings, whether they are white or black. This is optimal if you want to succeed with playing tournament matches, as you'll have to adapt to other player's tactics well.</p>
  
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Answers.CreationDate: 2016-06-22T14:12:05.750Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2016-06-22T14:12:05.750Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: ragingasiancoder
Answers.Body: <p>When I was beginning I studied every book on the openings I intended to play. I had limited playing opportunities then, but today I would recommend playing those openings and using either human help or a computer analysis program to tell you where you went wrong.</p>
  
  <p>Study, Play, Get Feedback.   Wash, Rinse, Repeat!</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2016-06-16T15:33:53.053Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2016-06-16T15:33:53.053Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: MarkH
Answers.Body: <p>I think one of the best way of learning an opening is to buy a book about it and read this book. In general, opening books are written by great chess players. Therefore, you could save general ideas and some good hints of the opening by means of good comments of the writer on various positions.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2016-06-16T17:45:40.837Z
Answers.Text: Note however: while there are many good opening books, there are also many bad opening books. One should be careful when buying chess litterature in general, and for a beginner, I would recommend against buying opening litterature, as there is a serious risk of just wasting their money.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Scounged
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Answers.UserDisplayName: Zistoloen
Body: <p>I am a beginner in chess. I am finding it difficult to learn the openings. There seems to be tons of opening games in chess. Is there a way to learn them easily? Is there any website that has a collection of all the openings in chess?</p>
  
Tags: <opening>
Title: How to master the openings?
ThreadText: # How to master the openings?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2013-11-30)
  
  I am a beginner in chess. I am finding it difficult to learn the openings. There seems to be tons of opening games in chess. Is there a way to learn them easily? Is there any website that has a collection of all the openings in chess?
  
  **Tags:** opening
  
  
  ---
  
  ## 5 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_1 on 2013-11-30. Score: 4
  
  First you should make sure you master the fundamental concepts of opening play. Once you understand those concepts most openings can be universally understood just based on those concepts alone. It's unnecessary (and impractical) to try to classify every opening as having "x - y - z" specific ideas related to it, especially if you're a beginner.
  
  But I believe it's a counterproductive approach to try to "learn openings". You're better off just learning Chess, and the openings will simply come naturally. Yes, there are repeating themes in certain openings, but if you want to truly master the openings those themes should always be readily explainable by general understanding.
  
  Only then do you research the specific lines of an opening and commit them to memory. As for a roundup of all the available openings, you can always just look at Wikipedia. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chess_opening>
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_2**: +1 for : I believe it's a counterproductive approach to try to "learn openings" : Good Opening Principles need to be mastered WAY before even worrying about learning any opening beyond 4-5 moves.  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_3 on 2016-06-16. Score: 2
  
  Best way to learn openings as a beginning player: Don't.
  
  You are a beginner. You should be just playing. As in go, lose your first 100 games before you begin studying. Studying openings now will give you a very "easy" sense of how to play the openings, assuming you are playing the lines you study and you opponent agrees by playing the moves too. But, that is NEVER the case at that level. NEVER. It's never the case up to Category A.
  
  Play everything and see what you like, see what feels good.
  
  Don't get bogged down by openings. It is the fastest way to getting stuck.
  
  Just play.
  
  Best advice I heard here was not to study openings, but study BASIC opening principles, and play by those guidelines in a very Steinitzian manner.
  
  Follow this guideline and you'll be ok.
  [Basic Chess Opening Principles](https://www.chess.com/article/view/the-principles-of-the-opening)
  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_4 on 2016-06-22. Score: 1
  
  I think you need a balance between what other people are trying to say here. Half of the answers are telling you to go ahead and memorize openings, and to use them when you play. Others are telling you to just play, and learn that way.
  
  I feel like you need a balance. You should definitely memorize some 3/4 move openings, such as 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6. Some openings are very common, such as this one, and you should know the ones that begin with e4, d4, or the knights (at least).
  
  But you have to take these openings and study them. Understand the weaknesses of such openings for both sides, understand the strengths of each opening for both sides. Each opening leads to a different style of play (e4/e5, or the King's Pawn opening, which usually leads to a king-side game, will often lead to quick attacks and a quick game, whereas d4/d5, or the Queen's Pawn opening, usually leads to a queen-side game that is built upon developing pieces and optimizing the best structure before launching attacks and tactics). It is up to you as the player to find whichever style fits you the best, and you can often play those.
  
  Note that better players are good with both king-side and queen-side openings, whether they are white or black. This is optimal if you want to succeed with playing tournament matches, as you'll have to adapt to other player's tactics well.
  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_5 on 2016-06-16. Score: 0
  
  When I was beginning I studied every book on the openings I intended to play. I had limited playing opportunities then, but today I would recommend playing those openings and using either human help or a computer analysis program to tell you where you went wrong.
  
  Study, Play, Get Feedback. Wash, Rinse, Repeat!
  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_6 on 2013-11-30. Score: 0
  
  I think one of the best way of learning an opening is to buy a book about it and read this book. In general, opening books are written by great chess players. Therefore, you could save general ideas and some good hints of the opening by means of good comments of the writer on various positions.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_7**: Note however: while there are many good opening books, there are also many bad opening books. One should be careful when buying chess litterature in general, and for a beginner, I would recommend against buying opening litterature, as there is a serious risk of just wasting their money.  
  
  ---
  
  