Recommendations for Learning Openings

[Chessqueen]

Looking for recommendations for a good book to read and learn various openings. There are probably 1000's on the market so curious what you all thought or liked.

With covid still out and about I've wanted to improve my game so when things hopefully get better I would like to start playing FIDE rated tournaments.

Thanks!
-Josh

Don’t bother with the books. I’d suggest watching all the YouTube videos by Dan Narrodysky — he explains everything.

Steve

You are correct, there are too many Free Chess Opening instructions on Youtube as you mentioned the first 3 Links are by GM Dan Narrodysky and the last 4 Links are excellent for getting a winning advantage without too much memorization
1st ==>
2nd ==>
3rd ==>

These are very Simple Chess Openings that you do NOT need to memorize and give you great chance to win against Black
4th ==>
5th ==>
6th ==>
7th ==>

I just used the 4th Links recommended here and played this game vs a 2189 on Lichess.org and analyze it yourself

[Event "Rated Rapid game"]
[pgn][Date "2022.03.13"]
[Round "?"]
[White "ChessLearner1979"]
[Black "Munyos"]
[Result "1-0"]
[BlackElo "2189"]
[ECO "D04"]
[Opening "Colle"]
[Variation "3...c6"]
[WhiteElo "2101"]
[TimeControl "480+3"]
[Termination "normal"]
[PlyCount "29"]
[WhiteType "human"]
[BlackType "human"]

1. d4 {[%clk 0:08:00]} Nf6 {[%clk 0:08:00]} 2. Nf3 {[%clk 0:07:58]} c6 {A46
Indian Defense: Czech-Indian} 3. e3 {[%clk 0:07:57]} d5 {[%clk 0:07:56]} 4.
c3 {[%clk 0:07:46]} Bg4 {[%clk 0:07:57]} 5. Bd3 {[%clk 0:07:45]} e6 {[%clk
0:07:57]} 6. O-O {[%clk 0:07:41]} Ne4 {[%clk 0:07:45]} 7. Nbd2 {[%clk
0:07:30]} Bxf3 {[%clk 0:07:32]} 8. Qxf3 {[%clk 0:07:27]} Nxd2 {[%clk
0:07:30]} 9. Bxd2 {[%clk 0:07:27]} Be7 {[%clk 0:07:28]} 10. e4 {[%clk
0:07:19]} O-O {[%clk 0:07:25]} 11. exd5 {[%clk 0:07:16]} cxd5 {[%clk
0:07:26]} 12. Qh5 {[%clk 0:07:13]} h6 {[%clk 0:07:23]} 13. Bxh6 {[%clk
0:07:08]} gxh6 {[%clk 0:07:24]} 14. Qxh6 {[%clk 0:07:10]} Bg5 {[%clk
0:07:22]} 15. Qh7# {White wins by checkmate.} 1-0[/pgn]

[Chessqueen]

Looking for recommendations for a good book to read and learn various openings. There are probably 1000's on the market so curious what you all thought or liked.

With covid still out and about I've wanted to improve my game so when things hopefully get better I would like to start playing FIDE rated tournaments.

Thanks!
-Josh

Don’t bother with the books. I’d suggest watching all the YouTube videos by Dan Narrodysky — he explains everything.

Steve

You are correct, there are too many Free Chess Opening instructions on Youtube as you mentioned the first 3 Links are by GM Dan Narrodysky and the last 4 Links are excellent for getting a winning advantage without too much memorization
1st ==>
2nd ==>
3rd ==>

These are very Simple Chess Openings that you do NOT need to memorize and give you great chance to win against Black
4th ==>
5th ==>
6th ==>
7th ==>

I just used the 4th Links recommended here and played this game vs a 2189 on Lichess.org and analyze it yourself

[Event "Rated Rapid game"]
[pgn][Date "2022.03.13"]
[Round "?"]
[White "ChessLearner1979"]
[Black "Munyos"]
[Result "1-0"]
[BlackElo "2189"]
[ECO "D04"]
[Opening "Colle"]
[Variation "3...c6"]
[WhiteElo "2101"]
[TimeControl "480+3"]
[Termination "normal"]
[PlyCount "29"]
[WhiteType "human"]
[BlackType "human"]

1. d4 {[%clk 0:08:00]} Nf6 {[%clk 0:08:00]} 2. Nf3 {[%clk 0:07:58]} c6 {A46
Indian Defense: Czech-Indian} 3. e3 {[%clk 0:07:57]} d5 {[%clk 0:07:56]} 4.
c3 {[%clk 0:07:46]} Bg4 {[%clk 0:07:57]} 5. Bd3 {[%clk 0:07:45]} e6 {[%clk
0:07:57]} 6. O-O {[%clk 0:07:41]} Ne4 {[%clk 0:07:45]} 7. Nbd2 {[%clk
0:07:30]} Bxf3 {[%clk 0:07:32]} 8. Qxf3 {[%clk 0:07:27]} Nxd2 {[%clk
0:07:30]} 9. Bxd2 {[%clk 0:07:27]} Be7 {[%clk 0:07:28]} 10. e4 {[%clk
0:07:19]} O-O {[%clk 0:07:25]} 11. exd5 {[%clk 0:07:16]} cxd5 {[%clk
0:07:26]} 12. Qh5 {[%clk 0:07:13]} h6 {[%clk 0:07:23]} 13. Bxh6 {[%clk
0:07:08]} gxh6 {[%clk 0:07:24]} 14. Qxh6 {[%clk 0:07:10]} Bg5 {[%clk
0:07:22]} 15. Qh7# {White wins by checkmate.} 1-0[/pgn]

These are also 3 great chess Books to increase your rating rapidly within 6 months, if you read them all and NOT just a few pages here and there

[Chessqueen]

Looking for recommendations for a good book to read and learn various openings. There are probably 1000's on the market so curious what you all thought or liked.

With covid still out and about I've wanted to improve my game so when things hopefully get better I would like to start playing FIDE rated tournaments.

Thanks!
-Josh

Chess openings are important, but knowing chess openings that lead into favorable pawn structure endings is more important for chess players that are rated less than 1900 ==>
1st ==>
2nd==>
3rd ==>

[Peter Berger]

Looking for recommendations for a good book to read and learn various openings. There are probably 1000's on the market so curious what you all thought or liked.

With covid still out and about I've wanted to improve my game so when things hopefully get better I would like to start playing FIDE rated tournaments.

Thanks!
-Josh

Don’t bother with the books. I’d suggest watching all the YouTube videos by Dan Narrodysky — he explains everything.

Steve

After some thought I realized that your and some other posts in this thread here are actually +very+ much on-topic. Our computer should teach us how to play the opening and/or other parts of the game well, be it through chess engines, be it through youtube videos.

This guy you recommended is really tedious to the extreme, I never made it through his first video. There is one part of this, that is true and not worthy of discussion - you do have to develop some basic understanding of the opening principles - get your pieces out, control the centre, castle , get your rooks connected, that's it. I assume everyone here has heard and kind of picked up this one.

And then there is the world of chess theory - a wide, complicated and ever changing field. What most people need is something in-between at first.

I'll explain you the main poin of my knowledge of the queen's gambit with the black pieces now at some point in the past ( decent enough for at least ELO 1800).

We go 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Be7 5. e3 O-O 6. Nf3 Nbd7 7. Rc1 a6

Huh? Not too complicated actually, the idea is, if white goes 8. Bd3, we go dxc4 9. Lxc4 b5 10. Bb/d3 c5 - easy to understand how this is desirable.
If you get this, you can check this with your computer and make it a part of your repertoire.
+This+ seems to be the part that is still somehow missing - the (computer?) guy who comes up with ( and explains) the ideas.

The rest Stockfish can do for you.

Peter

[jshriver]

Wanted to thank you all for your recommendations Every night I study and feel I'm progressing well. To be honest it makes me happy now seeing an opening and can identify it, ok I need to do this, or they broke out early. Now its up to brain matter for middle game but no longer blundering opening and still many more to learn!

Thanks!
-Josh

[pepechuy]

Hi.

I recommend a series of four books by Karpov:
The open game in action.
The semi-open game in action.
The closed openings in action.
The semi-closed opening in action.

They are not traditional opening books.
They are more a collection of high quality annotated games, arranged by openings.
Karpov goes into detail even deep in the ending, he does not focus exclusively in the opening.

Greetings.

[jorose]

While I have not actually read the book, I am a fan of the author's writing, so I would recommend looking into John Watson's 4 volumes on chess openings. The first one can be found here:



In my opinion, the primary reason to use books for openings is if you are after the general ideas and want a nicely packaged way to learn these. If you want any more detail, scouring opening databases and checking engine lines for any relevant questions is more effective, imo.

[Chessqueen]

While I have not actually read the book, I am a fan of the author's writing, so I would recommend looking into John Watson's 4 volumes on chess openings. The first one can be found here:



In my opinion, the primary reason to use books for openings is if you are after the general ideas and want a nicely packaged way to learn these. If you want any more detail, scouring opening databases and checking engine lines for any relevant questions is more effective, imo.

You can learn all the openings that you want to learn, but if you do NOT know what to do in the Middlegame, or the endgame, you will most likely lose the game. It is the same as if you do NOT know how to get around in a strange city, and somebody drop you off in the middle of any unknown city blindfolded in a helicopter and remove your Blindfold and tell you now get to this address the fastest way you can without getting lost, but you do NOT know the city at all ( like not knowing what to do after the end of the opening specially in the middlegame, or if you survive the middlegame how to win the endgame)

Chess openings are important, but knowing chess openings that lead into favorable pawn structure endings is more important for chess players that are rated less than 1900 ==>
1st ==>
2nd==>
3rd ==>

Note: look for a good chess book that at the end of the opening explain to you how to follow that particular opening and the best way to continue it in the middlegame, and possibly what endgame to expect. For instance an opening the you can create an isolated pawn, or a pawn majority, or doubled pawns, and how to take advantage of that opening thru the endgame.

[Chessqueen]

While I have not actually read the book, I am a fan of the author's writing, so I would recommend looking into John Watson's 4 volumes on chess openings. The first one can be found here:



In my opinion, the primary reason to use books for openings is if you are after the general ideas and want a nicely packaged way to learn these. If you want any more detail, scouring opening databases and checking engine lines for any relevant questions is more effective, imo.

You can learn all the openings that you want to learn, but if you do NOT know what to do in the Middlegame, or the endgame, you will most likely lose the game. It is the same as if you do NOT know how to get around in a strange city, and somebody drop you off in the middle of any unknown city blindfolded in a helicopter and remove your Blindfold and tell you now get to this address the fastest way you can without getting lost, but you do NOT know the city at all ( like not knowing what to do after the end of that opening specially in the middlegame, or if you survive the middlegame how to win the endgame)

Chess openings are important, but knowing chess openings that lead into favorable pawn structure endings is more important for chess players that are rated less than 1900 ==>
1st ==>
2nd==>
3rd ==>

Note: Look for a good chess book that at the end of the opening explain to you how to follow that particular opening and the best way to continue it in the middlegame, and possibly what endgame to expect. For instance an opening the you can create an isolated pawn, or a pawn majority, or doubled pawns, and how to take advantage of that opening thru the endgame.

[supersharp77]

Looking for recommendations for a good book to read and learn various openings. There are probably 1000's on the market so curious what you all thought or liked.

With covid still out and about I've wanted to improve my game so when things hopefully get better I would like to start playing FIDE rated tournaments.

Thanks!
-Josh

These Five If Applied Correctly Are The Baseline...You won't need much else just use a GUI (Chessbase Fritz...Chess Assistant etc to keep up on developments......

1a. Batsford Chess Openings The ChessPlayers Bible https://www.amazon.com/Batsford-Chess-O ... 0713421142

1b. Modern Chess Openings....The Original ChessPlayers Bible https://www.amazon.com/Modern-Chess-Ope ... 261&sr=8-4

3. Chess Position Trainer v3.1.1 https://www.chesspositiontrainer.com/in ... n/download

4.CDB.exe (CDB Chess)...Plug in a tournament pgn file and it spits out all the openings played for the event...
https://www.chess2u.com/t8391-cdb-chess

5. Chess Informant (Paperbacks) High Level Opening Theory...(GM Human Games)
https://www.amazon.com/Sahovski-Informa ... oks&sr=1-8

ps You can learn quite alot fron RJ Fischers "My 60 Memorable Games"....A Must Read...