One of the most common questions about openings is “What are the best ones”? This typically comes from newer chess players who choose what to study first. Also, you might’ve watched several videos on the topic and realized there are too many options. And you can’t learn them all. So it’s necessary to narrow down and figure out what you should work on first.
Besides, there are people who have already been playing for a while. But they only know a couple of openings and want to discover some popular ones. Or the ones that may fit their specific style of play better than others.
In this video, we go over the top ten examples of opening combos in chess. They all have different facets. Some are more for aggressive players. Others suit better passive ones who prefer to counterattack later in the game. In other words, the list has got something for everyone.
Top 10 examples of best openings
Slav Defense
- d4 d5
- c4 c6
It’s one of the more popular ways to defend against the legendary Queen’s Gambit. The latter is highly common at all levels. So having a strong way to combat that is always an advantage.
London System
- d4 d5
- Bf4 Nf6
- Nf3
The order may vary, but, eventually, it’s about getting the pieces to the specific squares.
From White’s perspective, the dark-squared bishop is one of the least commonly utilized minor pieces. Here the bishop’s relocation to f4 is what makes the difference. You always want to have more than one d4 opening in your repertoire.
And this is a great example. So it’s definitely a sound opening to employ.
Caro Kann
- e4 c6
- d4 d5
This one has the same pawn configuration as the Slav. However, it contains more aggression produced by White.
Namely, a central pawn makes the first move and not the one on the flank.
Fried Liver Attack
- e4 e5
- Nf3 Nc6
- Bc4 Nf6
- Ng5 d5
- exd5 Nfxd5
- Ngxf7 Kxf7
- Qf3
Until the fourth move of White, the combination shows nothing extraordinary. But after Ng5 the knight prepares to become a sacrifice.
Then, Black’s king takes it and gets chased by the opponent all over the board.
French Defense
- e4 e6
- d4 d5
It’s quite an annoying defense to be played against. It gives Black a lot of opportunities to counter on the queenside very easily.
The reason is that the initial moves make the pawns point in that direction. Also, the sequence opens ways for other pieces to develop.
Ruy Lopez
- e4 e5
- Nf3 Nc6
- Bb5 a6
- Ba4
It very well may be the first opening you learned. This is one of the most popular combinations in all chess. As a consequence, it’s properly researched and has a vast theoretical base.
The number of possible variations is also huge.
Nimzo-Indian Defense
- d4 Nf6
- c4 e6
- Nc3 Bb4
Here we can see how Black is putting a lot of pressure on the opponent. He is threatening a double pawn on the c-file. Besides, he hasn’t actually committed anything to the pawn configuration.
Therefore, the position is pretty flexible and allows for multiple potential moves.
King’s Gambit
- e4 e5
- f4 exf4
- Nf3
This one is geared toward players that find themselves loving the aggressive game.
The idea is about giving up the material and involving more pieces in the action.
Sicilian Defense
- e4 c5
This is officially the most played opening for Black. It scores the best, as far as the winning percentage is involved. Also, the sequence has an impressive number of variations.
So you should definitely be familiar with it whatever side you play for.
Queen’s Gambit
- d4 d5
- c4
It’s not actually a true gambit. The thing is White can hold on to the material if he wants to. But the given opening certainly belongs to the most common ones nowadays.
It’s useful to have in your repertoire for both sides. You have to know how to apply it and how to defend it, if necessary.
Conclusion
If you’re getting into chess and curious about what openings to learn, it’s for you. These were the top ten ways to open the game successfully.
Read more:
The 7 Best Aggressive Chess Openings
How To Learn & Study Chess Openings
Basic Chess Openings Explained
