My current chess openings include the Jobava London with White (which brought me some success) and a super basic setup for Black. In rapid games, I play 1…e5 against 1.e4 and 1…d5 against 1.d4. In correspondence games I rely on the Opening Explorer. I even experimented with the Caro-Kann against 1.e4 in correspondence, though I’m not sold.
I have an okay grasp of opening principles. Such as controlling the center, developing knights before bishops, castling early, not moving the same piece twice, not pushing side pawns for no reason, etc. However, I’m now looking to build a beginner’s chess openings repertoire for both White and Black (at least against 1.e4 and 1.d4).
To avoid falling for traps in rapid games, systems are safer and very tempting. Think of the London System with White (whether the Jobava variation or the standard one), the French Defense against 1.e4, and the Pirc/Modern Defense against 1.d4. These setups are all very positional and safe.
However, I’m reminded of Umberto Eco’s quote which is not a chess quote but it very much applies to chess as well:
“Losers, like self-taught individuals, always have broader knowledge than winners. If you want to win, you need to know just one thing and not waste time knowing everything. The pleasure of erudition is reserved for losers.” — Umberto Eco
This resonates with me. While playing safe might boost my online ELO quickly, it might not be the best long-term educational strategy. It’s like learning a few opening traps. You might win 70-80% of the games against less experienced players, but once you face opponents who know how to avoid the traps, you’re done. Your rating will stall around 1000-1200 and you spent the last year playing the same traps over and over and learning little chess in the process.
Chess Openings Recommended by Vincent Moret
During the pandemic, I purchased several opening books. Most of them are not too helpful in picking a repertoire because they are either too advanced for me or are already specific to one opening that you would have already chosen. However, I also picked up Vincent Moret’s pair of books: My First Chess Opening Repertoire for White and My First Chess Opening Repertoire for Black.
Moret recommends more open and tactical openings to develop a sharp tactical vision, even if that means taking more risks and losing more often. This approach, echoing Eco’s sentiment, might pay off in the long run.
According to Moret, the recommended repertoire is:
- For White: Italian Game (Giuoco Piano) with a few variations to handle Black’s responses to 1.e4.
- For Black against 1.e4: Scandinavian Defense
- Against the Queen’s Gambit: Albin Countergambit
- Against other 1.d4 openings: Stonewall Dutch
I’m considering giving this new approach a try. For now, I’ve created three private courses on Chessable as placeholders for spaced repetition as I add the various variations from Moret’s books. While I suspect switching my opening repertoire might initially cost me some points, I believe it will pay off in the long run for my overall chess development.
I’m not 100% sold on this plan yet, but it might just be the right path for me. I’ll research the issue a bit longer before settling. Feel free to offer any advice or recommendations on building chess openings repertoires for beginners.