Chess is one of the best activities for people who like to strain their brain cells a bit and focus on strategy. If we are planning to start a longer adventure with this discipline in the nearest future, we should familiarize ourselves with the absolute basics, i.e. at least a few advantageous openings.
Real men are said to be known not by how they start, but how they finish. It is completely opposite with chess players. The beginning of a game is considered to be a crucial moment and often decides about the further course of the game. The first few moves are the moments when we can relatively freely implement the initial strategic assumptions – there may not be another one. As a beginner there is no need to learn complex combinations, but it is worth remembering three simple rules, namely: developing light pieces, occupying the chessboard center with pawns and castling. These should be enough to enter the world of chess in at least decent style.
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However, if we want to achieve much better results, it is worth considering more complicated openings, which are of course available online. The aforementioned principles can still remain our foundation, and since there are ways to make them easier to implement, why not take advantage of them? Hundreds of different combinations have been created so far, but in this publication we have focused on the ones that beginner chess players will find best.
TheSicilian defense is undoubtedly one of the most common semi-open debuts among black players. This variant requires some experience and skill, as it makes the game unconventional. White often starts the game with a pawn on e4, so it’s worth responding by moving your “soldier” to c5. Not only will it help you gain that vital control in the center, it will also free up your Hetman, which may prove crucial later in the game. The Sicilian defense is divided into several variants, which include the Dragon II variant, the classical variant, and the Najdorf variant. The latter is shown in the video below.
Another opening worth considering is the so-called Italian game, ranked among the most peaceful combinations. As in the Sicilian defense, the main goal is to take the center of the board, but in this case – after moving the pawn in front of the king two spaces forward – in the next moves we immediately introduce a knight and a bishop. In this case – after moving the pawn in front of the king two fields in front – in the next moves we immediately introduce the knight and the pawn. By the way, we bring the light pieces to the center, thus fulfilling all three basic rules. The Italian game is divided into a quiet game, common variant and Evans’ Gambit.
The last one is worth a short stop, because it is a very interesting combination, which is used in the white game. It belongs to the open debuts and consists in sacrificing a piece (usually a pawn) in order to gain control of the center and immediately push the opponent to a desperate defense. The sequence of moves is as follows:
1. e4 e5
2. Sf3 Sc6
3. Gc4 Gc5
4. b4
It’s impossible not to mention one of the oldest and probably the most classic chess openings – the Spanish game by Ruy López. It provides in fact everything you need at the beginning of the game, i.e. quick development of pieces, fighting for the center of the board, and securing your own king. The right move with the pawn is fundamental. Here is the full sequence of the initial moves:
1. e4 e5
2. Sf3 Sc6
3. Gb5
One of the ramifications of the Spanish game is the so-called Morphy Defense. Once white has made the pawn move to b5 shown above, black can immediately try to chase the uninvited guest away with a pawn move to a6. This puts the player in a comfortable position, because no matter what decision the opponent makes, he will certainly not lose. The video below illustrates this example perfectly.
Featured Image: Adobe Stock
