Is there a best chess opening?

Question

Is there a best (or more efficient) chess opening, or is it just a matter of how you respond to the opponent's opening? It doesn't seem logical that there's a best opening, but I thought I'd ask anyway, since I'm not such a skilled player.

Answer 1

Simplified:

Whoever controls the 4 squares in the middle of the board will make it harder on the other guy.

That is why most openings have pawns, knights bishops or even the queen guarding or occupying as many of those 4 squares as possible.

Good luck

Answer 2

There is no good or bad in chess. It is all the matter of choosing which one suits you best. The most popular ones for white are d2-d4 and e2-e4 and for black if he plays those moves are  d7-d5 for d2-d4 and e7-e5 for e2-e4. Actually it is all the matter of controlling the center. It is the most important in openings.

Answer 3

This is hard to answer. It all depend to players to players!!

Most players would start (white) with e2-e4 (king-pawn opening) or d2-d4 (Queen Pawn opening), both are equally good since it tries to control the centre (the basic strategy of every opening) and release two pieces in to action. In King pawn openings, the person can divert the game as Spanish opening, Italian and so on. The usual response of black to this e4 opening is to play e5 and share the centre, or he can use French defense (there are many, but i dont want to complicate it too much). There is also most aggressive style of opening against e4 opening of white by black is Sicilian (c7-c5). This is one of the aggressive, sharp defense of black against whites e4 openings. The idea behind this opening is the black pieces control the centre from far placed pieces. This is very active opening for black. White usually go for Gambits (queen’s gambit or king’s gambit) after e4 opening (can be either queen/king’s gambit accepted or declined). Regarding the queen pawn opening, this is one of the strongest opening for white (I would say better than king pawn opening) since he do not give much chance for black in replying and also he can always keeps some kind of control and tempo in the game from the beginning. Try to learn Queen pawn games in detail if you like to play with white or Scicilian when you play with black (only in response to e2-e4). Sicilian dragon variation would be one of the best for black. At the same time for white try to learn many variations in Queen pawn opening.

If you are more serious about chess then go for LOGICAL CHESS MOVE BY MOVE: EVERY MOVE EXPLAINED by Irving Chernev (ever time classic book for openers) or very similar book by John Nunn. I would recomment book by Chernev since it is very simple, not too many complicated variations presented. Not only you will start enjoying games after reading these books but also you will see the board completely different way, you will see the board more logically than a simple wood pusher after reading these books.

Good luck.

Answer 4

Direct answer - there is no best opening. Amongst the very strongest Grandmasters in the world, they seem evenly divided between playing 1.e4 or 1.d4 as their first move. These are still the most popular first moves. Chess playing programs also evaluate these moves and the positions that arise from them the same. 1.c4 and 1.Nf3 are also totally respectable and give white good chances of an advantage.

As black some openings are popular but it not necessarily because they are seen as "better". The sicilian defence (1.e4 c5) is the most popular amongst strong players, but that's probably because it unbalances the position and gives black good winning (and losing) chances, hoping to avoid the dreaded draw. It is seen as "dynamic".

You should choose to play openings which you like or which suit your style of play (although you need some experience to work out what type of player you are). For example I'm an aggressive player happy to give up material (like a pawn) for the attack, so I love the King's Gambit. It is certainly no better objectively than say the Spanish Opening, but it suits me and I do well with it. Of course some opening moves are bad and just get you into trouble, but you won't find them in openings books. You may want to browse through general openings books (covering a whole range of openings) to see which openings appeal to you. If your opponent plays really random moves, not in the books, there is often something wrong with them, and strong players learn how to take immediate advantage of them.

So in summary, your intuitions were correct. It is not logical that a certain opening move is better than all the rest.

Answer 5

Let me start of by saying there is a lot to this question.  The best opening move you can make against your opponent is the opening you are most comfortable with AND the most your opponent is thrown off by.

Your comfortability in an opening relies only on your ability to anylyze positions within the board and your ability to shift from attacking to defending and vice versa at whim.  

Some people are very comfortable with an open game (where many exchanges happen in the beginning), in this case you should closed the game up and play on their weaknesses.  

Historically E4 is best by test.  I prefer to play D4 just because many are comfortable with playing against E4 opening.  Also D4 are commonly played by modern grandmasters now.

Answer 6

Strangely, if you would have asked this question 100 years ago they would have said there is a best opening for white.  The bishops opening was considered so strong that the opening was looked at as a sure win for white given two equally matched players!  This opening has fallen out of favor and is no longer considered a sure win for white.  If you know notation it is, e4 e5,  Bc4 -

My advice to the player that is beginning to look at openings is, for a winning game pick an opening with few variations.  This will let you take command of the board by limiting your opponents responses.  There are such openings and learning them isn't too hard.  You could learn them from books and other players.  The real key to an opening is knowing its strengths and how this leads to a satisfactory middle game.   People spend years learning this, and many still miss.  But books on openings are still worthwhile.  You may learn much from a book on openings.  You may have simply to play!

Answer 7

There are various which emphasize various strengths and de-emphasize various weaknesses.  Picking the "right" opening to fit your style of play is important.  There are many books which only deal with the "classic" opening strategies worked out by the grandmasters of the past.  If you're able to obtain one of the books from your library or on-line you can play each of the openings and determine for yourself which "feels" best to you based on whether you have an aggressive, responsive, or open/free-wheeling style of play.  you also might become well versed in a few openings that apeal to you and use them strategically based on what (if anything) you might know about your opponent's style of play.  You may be able to de-emphasize some of his or her strengths.

Answer 8

The most important thing is to find openings with which you are comfortable and learn enough about them that you are not going to be thrown by your opponent's responses.

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