Selecting appropriate opening chess moves is based on your ultimate style of play. There are many openings to explore. If you are an aggressive player, you may prefer a more offensive approach. Once you have decided on one it is helpful to consider the many variations involved as well as traps which are common to most openings.
Here are a few common openings to consider.
The Kings Gambit
Although this opening is one of the oldest used, it is still a common one used amongst many chess players. The development of the kings gambit comes from the influential Italian Chess master Giulio Polerio. It begins with 1.e4, e5 2. f4. If the f4 pawn is taken by black or 2.exf4 the opening transitions to become the Kings’ Gambit Accepted.
Kings Side Bishop Opening
This starter pins the knights’ pawn and rook as they are unable to move until the rook is protected. The bishop will advance (B7) and control the entire diagonal creating an immediate defense for the opponent. Most likely the king will castle or plan to castle on the king’s side.
The Polish Opening
This one, otherwise known as the Orangutan or Sokolsky Opening is an uncommon opening where whites’ possible move is ninth in popularity according to research on Chess Base. The involvements are listed below.
1.b4, e6 2.Bb2, Nf6 3.a3, c5 4. b5, d5 5.d4, Qa5+ 6.Nc3
The Kings Indian Defense
The Kings Indian Defense is a fairly easy one to play and derives from the Indian game style. From white it is also called the Four Pawns Attack because of the grouping of center pawns which creates congestion. Blacks’ game can become blockaded unless bold moves are taken.
1.d4, Nf6 2. c4, g6 3.Nc3, Bg7 4.e4, d6
Kings’ Knight Variation of English Opening
A kings’ knight variation is a difficult opening where the opponent will immediately begin advancing the king side knight (G1) across the board. The goal will be to capture the pawn in front of the opponent’s king side bishop (F7) which can be done in three moves. This creates a difficult situation as the king has no choice but to forfeit his ability to castle and take the knight, thus leaving himself exposed.
When exploring one of these options, consider the viewpoint from your opponent. If you know what style your counterpart generally plays it will be much easier for you to select the best opening chess moves to correspond.