Tips To Improve Your Chess Opening Study
Chess openings are a vital part of the game, especially for intermediate chess players and advanced chess players. An advantage gained out of the opening can give you an easier game to play - and therefore a better chance of scoring the full point.
However, chess players of all levels share the same problem - it is difficult to remember their openings!
In this article, we share the best ways to make your chess opening study more effective - so that when you show up to your next chess tournament, you will be fully “prepped” and ready to face whatever your opponent can throw at you.
Tip #1: Find A Chess Study Format That Works For You
Thanks to advances in technology, chess players now have a choice about how to learn.
The traditional way is through books.
Books have the benefit of being less distracting than electronic learning methods. Also, reading a book forces you to slow yourself down, because you will need to move chess pieces around on a physical board in order to follow the author’s explanations. There can be an aesthetic pleasure to studying this way as well, if you own a beautiful luxury chess set.
Related: Check out this list of 10 of the best chess opening books.
The modern alternative is video. Online courses and chess DVDs offer a more enriched learning experience than is possible on the printed page. The moves are animated on-screen, as the author adds their explanations. The author can also add arrows and highlights to aid the student’s understanding. Therefore, for the time-strapped chess player, learning in video form can be preferable.
Related: Click here to explore the USCF store’s wide range of chess opening DVDs.
The most important thing is to find a chess learning format that you enjoy.
If you find yourself struggling to finish chess books, try video. If you find yourself distracted by social media and email while trying to watch video courses, try reading a book instead.
Tip #2: When It Comes To Chess Training - Repetition Is King
Learning chess openings has a lot in common with learning almost anything, whether it be a new musical instrument, a foreign language, or how to dance: Especially at first - repetition is necessary to ingrain the new knowledge in your mind.
You cannot expect to read about an opening just once and retain everything you have learned with perfect fidelity. However good the book is, you will need to read and reread it in order to retain the information.
Make chess opening study part of your daily routine. Unless you are a professional, you don’t need to dedicate hours per day to it, but you should make it a regular discipline.
For example, set aside 10 minutes per day to go over your opening lines - perhaps before allowing yourself to play online chess. By linking the habit of opening study to a habit you already have, you stand a greater chance of sticking to it.
Tip #3: Engage A Chess Coach Who Knows Your Repertoire
For those who have the financial resources, enlisting the help of a chess coach can be one of the fastest ways to accelerate your chess learning progress - including when it comes to the openings.
There are many things to consider when working with a coach. For one thing, they should have a chess training style that matches your preferred chess learning style. For another, they should have experience working with students at a similar level as you.
Another factor, which many chess players do not think about, is what the coach’s own opening repertoire is. For example, if your would-be coach exclusively plays the French Defense when facing 1. e4, then they will naturally understand this opening system best of all.
If they play the opening themselves, your coach will be better able to analyze your games and explain the middlegame plans for both colors.
Related: Best Lessons of a Chess Coach - Extended Edition.
It is best to interview several coaches before settling on one to work with. Remember to ask about the coach’s opening repertoire when making your decision. You could even request to see some of their past tournament games where they have played the opening you want to learn!
Tip #4: Notice When You Find Something New In Your Chess Matches
No matter how well you have studied from a book or from a DVD or from a coach - once you start playing against human opponents, you are sure to encounter moves that were not covered (or which were covered, but you failed to remember).
When faced with something unexpected in the opening, there are a couple of possibilities:
- Your opponent has made a mistake - and it is now up to you to attempt to exploit it.
- Your opponent has found a gap in your opening knowledge - in which case you will have to do your best during the game. Slow down and take your time in such situations!
Either way, once the game is over, you should review the move which took you by surprise.
If it was a mistake from your opponent, perhaps it is a common enough mistake that it is worthwhile to learn the exact move-by-move refutation in case you encounter it again.
If it was a gap in your knowledge, then it is even more important to study the move, so that you are not unprepared for it next time.
In this way, your knowledge of the opening will expand organically as you accumulate experience.
Tip #5: Hone Your Chess Openings Against The Computer
This is a piece of advice which not many players will follow.
Consequently, there is a large advantage to be gained by the few who do!
Computer chess engines are stronger than any human player - and they are available to us anytime - day or night. You can leverage this by playing electronic chess games from important positions within the opening you are learning.
Naturally, you will not be able to defeat the computer. But that doesn’t matter! What matters is your performance against human opponents - and by seeing how the computer plays certain positions, you can glean useful insights which you can use in your own games.
The best way to approach this exercise is to give the computer a chance to play both colors.
- First, place the computer in the role of your opponent to find strong responses you may have to play against. This will help you be more prepared to face them, when the time comes. The computer may very well find good moves that you have never seen before. Do your best to understand what the computer’s plan is with such moves.
- Then, give the computer the side you intend to play, while you play the role of your opponent. Try to come up with the most “natural” moves that you can imagine your opponent playing - then sit back and watch as the computer shows the best way to play against it.
This uncommon technique - training against the engine - will give you an “unfair advantage” over your competition!
Related: The Millennium King Competition Chess Computer.
Tip #6: Refresh Your Chess Openings From Time To Time
One of the best ways to keep your chess fresh is to experiment with new openings. You will get different middlegame positions, which will give you a greater overall understanding of the game.
By trying new openings, you may discover a way of playing that suits you better than your old repertoire. Just imagine gaining 100+ elo points just from making an opening repertoire switch that ends up being a closer match for your strengths. If you never try, you never know!
Not only that, but trying new chess openings can be fun!
If you want a few wild and interesting chess gambits to try out, check out these articles:
Tip #7: Study Thematic Ideas - Not Just The Moves
Let’s face it - in some of the openings, it is necessary to memorize the moves in the exact order they should be played, considering all of the main responses your opponent can play at each juncture. It is virtually impossible to play an opening such as the King’s Indian Defense to a high level without learning the theory.
Related: EBOOK - Greatest Ever Chess Opening Ideas.
But it is just as important to learn the thematic ideas and tactics which commonly appear in the opening and early middlegame.
For example, in the King’s Indian Main Line, in many games it is important to know about this odd-looking Rf7 move from Black, to prevent a White piece from infiltrating on the c7 square.
If you were unfamiliar with the King’s Indian, then Rf7 would probably not be the first move which came to mind. It is a very unusual place for the rook - but without this move, Black will find themselves in huge trouble.
Knowing about a move like Rf7 is beyond the memorized opening lines. It needs to be played in the early middlegame. But knowledge of moves like these can still be considered a vital part of your chess opening study.
Final Thoughts On Chess Opening Study
Chess opening study can be very enjoyable if you go into it with the right mindset. By studying the opening, you are exploring this beautiful game more deeply.
By studying the opening, you can:
- Gain an advantage over your less-prepared opponents.
- Save crucial time on your clock, which can be put to good use later in the game.
- Steer the game towards positions you know and which you enjoy playing.
Want to improve your chess openings? Check out our lists of the best chess books: