Best Chess Openings for Beginners
New players often try to memorise long opening lines before they understand why the moves work. A better start is to learn a few openings built on simple ideas: control the centre, develop your pieces quickly and keep your king safe. Below are four openings that are easy to learn, with the actual moves, the plan behind them and what to do when your opponent plays something different.
5 opening rules that matter more than any line
- Fight for the centre. Pawns on e4, d4, e5 or d5 give your pieces room and take squares away from your opponent.
- Develop knights and bishops first. Get them off the back row before you start attacking.
- Castle early. Usually within the first 10 moves. A king left in the middle is the most common reason beginners lose quickly.
- Don't bring the queen out early. It gets chased around by smaller pieces and you lose time.
- Don't move the same piece twice in the opening unless you must, for example to escape a threat or win material.
1. The Italian Game
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4
White puts a pawn in the centre, develops the knight with an attack on e5, then places the bishop on c4, pointing at f7, the weakest square near Black's king. Next steps: castle short, play c3 and d4 to build a strong centre, and bring the other knight out.
Black's most common replies are 3...Bc5 (the quiet "Giuoco Piano") and 3...Nf6 (the sharper Two Knights Defense). Against either, keep following the rules above: castle, play c3 and d3 or d4, and develop.
2. The London System
1.d4 2.Bf4 3.e3 4.Nf3 5.Bd3 6.c3 7.Nbd2 8.O-O
The London is a setup rather than a line: White plays these moves in roughly this order against almost anything Black does (many players start with 1.d4 and 2.Nf3 before Bf4, which is fine too). The bishop goes out before e3 so it is not locked in. Because the pieces land on the same squares nearly every game, you can spend your time learning typical plans instead of memorising.
A common plan later is Ne5 followed by a kingside attack, or a slow push with h3 and a pawn break in the centre.
3. The Caro-Kann Defense
1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5
A solid answer for Black against 1.e4. The c6 pawn supports d5, so Black challenges the centre without weakening anything. In the main line, 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Bf5, Black develops the light-squared bishop actively before playing e6. If White pushes 3.e5 (the Advance Variation), Black again plays 3...Bf5, then e6, c5 and Nc6 to attack White's pawn chain.
It is less flashy than other defences, but it is forgiving of small mistakes, which is exactly what you want while you are still learning tactics.
4. The Queen's Gambit
1.d4 d5 2.c4
White offers the c-pawn to pull Black's d5 pawn away from the centre. It is not a real sacrifice: if Black takes with 2...dxc4 (the Queen's Gambit Accepted), White usually gets the pawn back with e3 and Bxc4 and enjoys a strong centre.
As Black, the simplest answer is 2...e6, the Queen's Gambit Declined. Black keeps the d5 pawn protected, then develops with Nf6, Be7 and castles. It leads to calm positions that are excellent for practising plans.
Traps every beginner should know
Scholar's Mate: 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nc6 3.Qh5. White threatens Qxf7, checkmate. The safe answer is 3...g6 (and after 4.Qf3, play 4...Nf6). The losing move is 3...Nf6?? because 4.Qxf7 is mate.
Fool's Mate: 1.f3 e5 2.g4 Qh4 is checkmate. The lesson: don't weaken the pawns in front of your king early in the game.
The general rule: after every move your opponent makes, ask "what does it attack?" before you reply. This one habit prevents most early losses.
Which opening should you pick?
- You like clear plans and quick development: Italian Game as White.
- You want the same setup every game: London System as White.
- You want a safe, solid defence as Black against 1.e4: Caro-Kann (or simply 1...e5).
- Black against 1.d4: 1...d5 and, after 2.c4, 2...e6.
Learn one opening for White and one defence for Black well enough to reach a normal position by move 6 to 8. Then spend most of your study time on tactics: forks, pins and skewers win far more beginner games than any memorised line.
Practise against a real opponent
Playnook Games' Chess has an AI with Easy, Medium and Hard levels and a 3-hint helper per game. Start on Easy, play your chosen opening every game, and move up when you win comfortably. Free, no download, and it works with screen readers.
▶ Play Chess vs AI freePractise one move at a time with the free Daily Chess Puzzle.
Chess openings FAQ
What is the best chess opening for a complete beginner?
The Italian Game (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4) is one of the best first openings for White, because every move develops a piece toward the centre and the plan is easy to remember. As Black, answering 1.e4 with 1...e5 and 1.d4 with 1...d5 keeps things simple.
How many openings should a beginner learn?
Two is enough to start: one opening for White and one reply for Black. Learn the ideas behind the first 5 to 8 moves, then spend most of your study time on tactics.
Is the London System good for beginners?
Yes. White plays almost the same setup every game (d4, Bf4, e3, Nf3, Bd3, c3, Nbd2 and castling), so there is very little to memorise and you can focus on middlegame plans.
How do I stop Scholar's Mate?
After 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nc6 3.Qh5, play 3...g6 to block the queen (then answer 4.Qf3 with 4...Nf6). Never play 3...Nf6 here, because 4.Qxf7 is checkmate.
Should I memorise opening lines?
Not at first. Understand the ideas: control the centre, develop knights and bishops, castle early. Opponents leave memorised lines quickly at beginner level, but good principles always work.
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