5 Chess Openings Every Beginner Should Learn First
If you've just started playing chess and you're overwhelmed by the sheer number of openings, take a deep breath. You don't need to memorize all 500+ named openings. You need five. Learn these well, and you'll have a solid answer to almost every position you face in your first year of chess.
Why five openings is enough
I see this on Reddit constantly: a new player asking which opening they should learn, then getting bombarded with 20 different suggestions. The Sicilian Najdorf. The King's Indian Defense. The Grünfeld. The Semi-Slav. Somewhere in that discussion, the actual question gets lost: what should I actually play tomorrow?
Here's the truth: below 1500 rating, opening theory almost never decides your games. Games are won and lost in the middlegame and endgame, on tactical mistakes and positional blunders. Spending hours memorizing a 20-move opening variation is a waste — your opponent probably won't play the "book" move by move 5 anyway.
What you actually need is solid, simple openings that:
- Develop your pieces quickly to natural squares
- Control the center
- Get your king safe (castling)
- Don't require deep memorization
Here are five that check all those boxes.
The 5 openings you actually need
1. Italian Game (for White)
The Italian Game is what most chess coaches recommend as the first opening for White. It's classical, it's principled, and it's been played for 500 years for a reason: it works.
The idea is simple: push your king's pawn to grab space in the center, develop your knight to defend e4 and attack e5, and bring out your bishop to a diagonal aimed at the enemy king. In three moves, you have great development, central control, and a natural attacking setup.
Compared to more complex openings (like the Ruy Lopez, which is popular but has thick theory), the Italian gets you into playable middlegames without needing to know 15 variations by heart.
When to use it: every time your opponent plays 1...e5 (which is common at all levels).
→ Full guide: Italian Game
2. London System (for White, universal)
The London System is the ultimate "system" opening — you can play essentially the same setup against almost anything Black tries. This makes it a favorite of busy amateurs who don't have time to memorize theory for every possible Black defense.
You develop your pieces to natural squares (bishop to f4, knight to f3, then d2, king castled short) and reach a solid, playable middlegame every time. Magnus Carlsen has used it in world championship matches, so it's not just a "beginner" opening — it scales.
When to use it: as your main opening for White. Play it against everything.
→ Full guide: London System
3. Queen's Gambit (for White, alternative)
If you want more theory and sharper play than the London System, the Queen's Gambit is a great step up. It's been the choice of world champions from Alekhine to Karpov. The "gambit" isn't really a gambit — Black can't safely hold the c-pawn — but the pressure Black feels can lead to positional errors.
The main reason to consider the Queen's Gambit as a beginner is that it teaches you great strategic ideas: central control, pawn structure, and the value of pressure without immediate tactics.
When to use it: when your opponent plays 1...d5 in response to your 1.d4. If they play something else (Indian defenses), fall back to a London-style setup.
→ Full guide: Queen's Gambit
4. Sicilian Defense (for Black, against 1.e4)
The Sicilian is the most popular response to 1.e4 in all of chess — for good reason. It fights for the center asymmetrically and creates unbalanced positions where good chess wins games, not memorization.
Fair warning: the Sicilian has more theory than any other opening in chess. The Najdorf, Dragon, Sveshnikov, Kan, Taimanov, Scheveningen, and half a dozen other named variations each have their own body of literature. As a beginner, you don't need any of that — just play the general Sicilian setup (c5, d6, Nf6, e6 or g6) and get into a playable middlegame. Sharpen the theory as you improve.
When to use it: as your main defense against 1.e4. Alternative if this feels too complex: the Caro-Kann below.
→ Full guide: Sicilian Defense
5. Caro-Kann Defense (for Black, safer alternative to Sicilian)
If the Sicilian's complexity feels overwhelming, the Caro-Kann is the perfect alternative. It's solid, principled, and much easier to play. You prepare to advance your d-pawn to d5, challenging White's center head-on.
The Caro-Kann leads to fewer tactical fireworks than the Sicilian but produces good positional games. Many strong players (Karpov, Anand, Kramnik) have used it as a mainstay of their opening repertoire.
When to use it: against 1.e4, when you want a solid, less-theoretical alternative to the Sicilian.
→ Full guide: Caro-Kann Defense
Your complete beginner repertoire (from these 5)
Combining the above, here's a complete beginner repertoire that answers every common opponent move:
- As White, always play 1.d4 and follow the London System setup. Simple, universal.
- As Black against 1.e4, play the Sicilian (1...c5) or Caro-Kann (1...c6) depending on your taste.
- As Black against 1.d4, play 1...d5 and be ready for the Queen's Gambit (which is why you should also study it from White's side — you'll understand both).
That's it. Three lines of preparation. You'll be ready for 95% of games you play as a beginner or intermediate.
How to actually learn an opening
Here's how most people study openings wrong: they memorize a sequence of moves without understanding why. Then when the opponent plays a move that's not in their memorized line, they're lost.
Do this instead:
- Learn the main line 5-10 moves deep. Understand the ideas — why each piece goes where it goes.
- Learn the 2-3 most common opponent deviations and how to respond in principle (not by memorization).
- Play the opening in 20 games. You'll encounter surprising moves and figure out how to handle them naturally.
- Review your games. After each game, quickly check where you and your opponent left "book" and what would have been better.
- Deepen gradually. After 50 games with an opening, you'll have real feel for it. Then you can add nuance.
This process takes 1-2 months per opening. Since you only need 3-5 openings total, you're looking at maybe 6 months to have a complete, solid repertoire — for life.
Common opening mistakes to avoid
- Learning 10 openings shallowly. Better to know 3 openings deeply than 10 openings poorly.
- Studying grandmaster games in your opening. Their games are too complex to learn from as a beginner — they play moves that only make sense in context you don't yet understand.
- Getting emotionally attached to an opening. If you're not enjoying an opening or it doesn't feel right, switch. There's no shame in changing.
- Ignoring middlegame ideas. An opening isn't just the first 10 moves — it's also the positions it produces. Study the middlegame plans of your openings.
- Studying theory instead of playing. The best way to improve at any opening is to play it a lot. Books are a supplement, not a substitute.
Bottom line
Start with the Italian Game or London System as White. Choose the Sicilian or Caro-Kann as your defense against 1.e4. Learn the Queen's Gambit from both sides. That's your complete beginner repertoire — five openings, each with clear ideas, that will serve you until you're at least a solid intermediate player.
Don't overthink it. The openings above are recommended for a reason. Pick, learn, play, improve.
If reading this has left you wanting a game, start a free game of chess — it opens straight into a board with no account needed.