Every chess match is divided into three parts: the opening, the middle game, and the end game. Each part represents a clear stage of the game and has different features that show the style of that particular player.
Some players are able to use more than one playing style in the same match, which is remarkable even for the greatest ones. Through the change in their style, opponents normally get confused as to the next moves and may fail to see a possible threat coming.
Some players are skilled enough to cause that confusion even in the game’s first stages. This is normally accomplished through gambits, sequences of moves in which a player gives up material to achieve an advantage later on.
Openings are all about gambits, no matter if they are white or black. Since everyone who plays chess faces a stronger opponent at some point, it is important to know at least a few openings to prevent giving away the sought advantage.
Additionally, openings can even lead to highly threatening positions and secure a fruitful middle game. For that matter, there are gambits that cause kings to move so much ahead that they become extremely prone to be captured.
So, knowing a few openings as a starter in chess may save you a great deal of losses.
How Many Chess Openings Should I Know?
Most players agree that the number of openings one should know depends on his or her level of chess.
That is mainly because, especially in the beginning, players have so much to learn that if they focus too much on openings, other equally relevant aspects may get left aside.
As players progress through the rankings, they are able to learn more openings even by observing the starting moves of their opponents.
From the Ponziani opening, dating from the late 15th century to the latest ones, there are more than thirteen hundred registered openings, besides their variations. Do you still believe it to be possible to memorize all the openings?
Grandmaster Bobby Fischer designed an opening for white pieces named 1.e4, which brings the king’s pawn two spaces ahead, leaving a gap for attacking moves. The d4 opening is also quite effective, and it can lead the opponent pieces to a closed game.
As for the openings for black pieces, they are mostly referred to as ‘defenses’ since the white pieces are always the ones to move first. However, some of these so-called defenses can expose a highly threatening combination of moves, such as the Sicilian defense.
Some openings are so famous that pretty much every intermediate-level player knows them and these are the ones even starters should know. Highly ranked players will normally know more as they have both seen more and maybe even designed one or two to fit their playing style.
There is no exact number of openings you should know, but the more you know, the more you can threaten your opponent’s material and strategy.