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Knowing your openings goes a long way in getting an upperhand in chess. Knowing the openings and end games can give you a lot of edge. Have a look at this http:

Knowing your openings goes a long way in getting an upperhand in chess. Knowing the openings and end games can give you a lot of edge. Have a look at this http://www.gautamnarula.com/how-to-get-good-at-chess-fast/ http://www.gautamnarula.com/how-to-get-good-at-chess-fast/ the guy explains how to get good at chess.

TylerE 13y ago
That page says the exact opposite: "One of the biggest mistakes players make is to devote massive amounts of time to openings. This is because openings tend to be very concrete, and beginners think that simply memorizing an opening will give them an unassailable advantage over their opponents6. Don’t bother spending any time studying openings outside of analyzing your games. Just make sure you know the basic opening principles."
- Codhisattva 13y ago
  That's inane advice. Knowing several opening lines is always an advantage. It's how a beginner becomes an intermediate player.
  - TylerE 13y ago
    Beg/Ints don't PLAY the book openings anyway so you're out of book by the 4th or 5th move 99% of the time. There are some lines that are useful to know (Avoid various <10 move mates, mostly), but beyond that basic principles will get you to 1800-2000, IF you have the tactics and calculation skills. Plenty of examples in the high ranks too - notably Magnus Carlsen (World #1) spends very little time on openings compared to most 2600+ GMs.
    - Codhisattva 13y ago
      Hog wash. Knowing the SCO took me from 800 to 1600.
      - TylerE 13y ago
        Hey, if it worked for you...it worked for you... but why does ever reputable chess coach advise the exact opposite?
      - cpleppert 13y ago
        >>Knowing the SCO took me from 800 to 1600. Thats absolutely ridiculous and SCO is a poor reference anyway. There are a lot of good opening books that cover specific openings to ever rely on an a comprehensive guide anyway. I'll a little confused that you claim to 'know' it. You reviewed the entire book even if you don't play certain openings or defenses? There is a lot better use of your time.
        Codhisattva 13y ago
        Forgive my short hand. To be precise - "knowing the mainline of common and popular standard openings from the SCO..."
  - cpleppert 13y ago
    >>It's how a beginner becomes an intermediate player. No it isn't. Having a good grasp of chess tactics makes you an intermediate player. So what if you memorize opening lines? Your intermediate opponent isn't going to follow them at all.

TylerE 13y ago

That page says the exact opposite: "One of the biggest mistakes players make is to devote massive amounts of time to openings. This is because openings tend to be very concrete, and beginners think that simply memorizing an opening will give them an unassailable advantage over their opponents6. Don’t bother spending any time studying openings outside of analyzing your games. Just make sure you know the basic opening principles."

Codhisattva 13y ago
That's inane advice. Knowing several opening lines is always an advantage. It's how a beginner becomes an intermediate player.
- TylerE 13y ago
  Beg/Ints don't PLAY the book openings anyway so you're out of book by the 4th or 5th move 99% of the time. There are some lines that are useful to know (Avoid various <10 move mates, mostly), but beyond that basic principles will get you to 1800-2000, IF you have the tactics and calculation skills. Plenty of examples in the high ranks too - notably Magnus Carlsen (World #1) spends very little time on openings compared to most 2600+ GMs.
  - Codhisattva 13y ago
    Hog wash. Knowing the SCO took me from 800 to 1600.
    - TylerE 13y ago
      Hey, if it worked for you...it worked for you... but why does ever reputable chess coach advise the exact opposite?
    - cpleppert 13y ago
      >>Knowing the SCO took me from 800 to 1600. Thats absolutely ridiculous and SCO is a poor reference anyway. There are a lot of good opening books that cover specific openings to ever rely on an a comprehensive guide anyway. I'll a little confused that you claim to 'know' it. You reviewed the entire book even if you don't play certain openings or defenses? There is a lot better use of your time.
      - Codhisattva 13y ago
        Forgive my short hand. To be precise - "knowing the mainline of common and popular standard openings from the SCO..."
- cpleppert 13y ago
  >>It's how a beginner becomes an intermediate player. No it isn't. Having a good grasp of chess tactics makes you an intermediate player. So what if you memorize opening lines? Your intermediate opponent isn't going to follow them at all.