Under 1000
Best chess openings for beginners
You need a position you understand on move eight, and a king that is castled. That is a repertoire. It is not twenty named variations.
Principles first
Most games at this level are decided by a hanging piece or an uncastled king, not by being out of book. Learn four habits, then pick three openings that do not fight those habits.
Centre
Occupy or fight for e4/d4 and e5/d5. Pawns first when you can; pieces if you cannot.
Develop
Knights and bishops out, then castle. Moving the same piece twice in the opening is usually a leak.
King
Castle before you start a combination. An attack with the king in the centre is how beginners lose open games.
Don’t hunt pawns
A free wing pawn that costs three tempi is not free. Development scores more games than greed at this level.
As White
One first move, one setup. The Italian teaches open games and a bishop that does something. The London teaches a solid triangle and a bishop outside the chain. Either is enough.
White · 1.e4 e5
Italian Game
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4
The first opening worth learning as White: pieces out, bishop on f7, and a plan you can still remember with five minutes on the clock.
White · 1.d4
London System
1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Bf4
One setup against almost everything Black plays. The opening for people who would rather spend study time on the middlegame.
As Black
Against 1.e4, French or Caro-Kann. Both are structured and forgiving. Against 1.d4, ...d5 and developing normally is enough; you do not need a King’s Indian yet.
Black · 1.e4
French Defense
1.e4 e6
Black builds a pawn chain, hits the centre with ...c5, and plays a structured game instead of an open brawl.
Black · 1.e4
Caro-Kann Defense
1.e4 c6
A solid reply to 1.e4 that gets the light-squared bishop out, keeps a sound structure, and does not require a Sicilian-sized library.
Leave these for later
Sicilian as a first defence
Too many White systems, too much attack aimed at your king. Learn open games or a solid 1...e6 / 1...c6 first.
A new trap every week
If it only works when they take the pawn, it is not a repertoire. At 900 it prints rating; at 1200 those people have stopped taking it.
Copying master main lines
You do not need fifteen moves of the Najdorf. You need a playable position and time on the clock.
How to practise
- Play the same three openings for a stretch of games. Switching every loss teaches nothing.
- After each game, open the review. Look at the first moment the evaluation jumped — often a tactic, sometimes an opening leak.
- Read the short repertoire note if you want permission to keep it small.
When the Italian or London feels automatic, move to the intermediate list. Not before.
FAQ
Italian or London as White?
Italian if you play 1.e4 and want open games. London if you want one setup against almost everything and would rather study the middlegame. Pick one. Do not rotate.
What do I play against 1.e4?
French if you like a pawn chain and a clear plan (...c5). Caro-Kann if you want the light-squared bishop outside the chain. 1...e5 is also honest — you will see the Italian from the other side.
How many moves should I memorise?
Five to seven of the main line, plus why each move is played. After that, principles. Review the games where you felt lost on move eight; that is the next move to learn.