Opening lessons
Openings with plans
Each lesson covers the idea, typical plans, and who it suits — then sends you into Review so the opening meets your real games.
New to repertoire building? Best openings for beginners
- Italian Game
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 — a teaching opening. You develop, castle, and fight for the center with ideas you can reuse for years.
- Caro-Kann Defense
1.e4 c6 — Black builds a rock. You accept a bit less space early in exchange for a structure that’s hard to crack.
- Ruy Lopez
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 — White asks awkward questions about the e5 pawn and Black’s structure. The reward is a lifetime of rich middlegames.
- Scandinavian Defense
1.e4 d5 — Black challenges the center immediately. The queen often comes out early; your job is to retreat with purpose and finish developing.
- French Defense
1.e4 e6 — Black invites a pawn chain fight. If you like counterattacking a big center, the French gives you a map.
- Queen’s Gambit
1.d4 d5 2.c4 — White offers a pawn to pull Black’s center. Whether Black takes or declines, you play for space and harmonious development.
- King’s Indian Defense
As Black vs 1.d4, you let White take space, then strike. The King’s Indian is a commitment to counterplay — not a quiet draw offer.