Best chess opening for beginners: one pick per colour
Here’s the straight answer. As White, play the Italian Game: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4. As Black, answer 1.e4 with 1…e5 and 1.d4 with 1…d5. Three lines, none more than a few moves deep, and you’re covered for your first few hundred games.
Now the nuance, because “best” depends a little on who you are. If you hate memorizing or want quiet positions, the answer shifts. Here’s how to pick.
The best opening for beginners as White
The Italian wins this one, and it isn’t close. After 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 you’ve done everything the opening principles ask of you: a pawn in the center, a knight developed, a bishop pointed at f7, the weakest square in Black’s camp. Castling comes next and takes one move.
What makes it right for a beginner isn’t that it’s strong (it is), it’s that it teaches. Every Italian game shows you why the center matters, why pieces come out before the queen, what happens when a king stays too long in the middle. Those patterns follow you into every other opening you learn later. The full breakdown is in the Italian Game guide.
The theory load is light. Know what to do after 3…Bc5 (play c3 and d4) and after 3…Nf6 (d3 for a calm game or Ng5 for the Fried Liver). That covers most of what you’ll meet under 1500.
The alternative, if theory of any kind makes you want to close the app: the London System. 1.d4 d5 2.Bf4 followed by e3, Nf3, c3, Bd3 and Nbd2, in nearly any order, against nearly anything. It’s the same setup every game, which is why some coaches dislike it for beginners: you learn a formation rather than chess. But if the choice is between the London and quitting on openings entirely, the London is fine. Just don’t stay there forever.
The best opening for beginners as Black
Black has two decisions to make, one against 1.e4 and one against 1.d4. Keep both simple.
Against 1.e4, play 1…e5. You’re mirroring White’s most natural move, and if White plays the Italian against you, you already know the ideas from the other side. Two things to prepare: don’t fall for Scholar’s Mate (play Nf6 and g6 when the queen comes to h5 early), and know that after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 you’re in the Ruy Lopez, where 3…a6 is the standard reply.
If you’d rather have a solid, slightly slower game, two defenses do that well. The Caro-Kann (1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5) gives you a sturdy pawn chain and an easy development plan. The Scandinavian (1.e4 d5) forces the game onto your terms from move one and has very little theory. The Caro-Kann scales better as you improve; the Scandinavian is faster to pick up.
Against 1.d4, play 1…d5. Then, when White plays 2.c4, you have two good replies. The Slav Defense with 2…c6 keeps your pawn structure intact and frees your light-squared bishop. The Queen’s Gambit Declined with 2…e6 is the classical answer and teaches patience. Both are sound, both are playable for a lifetime.
Summary table
| Opening | Colour | Why it suits beginners | Theory load |
|---|---|---|---|
| Italian Game | White | Teaches every principle, natural moves, tactical lessons on f7 | Low |
| London System | White | Same setup every game, almost nothing to memorize | Very low |
| 1…e5 | Black vs 1.e4 | Mirrors what you learn as White, open and instructive | Low to medium |
| Caro-Kann | Black vs 1.e4 | Solid structure, clear plan, hard to attack | Low |
| Scandinavian | Black vs 1.e4 | Decides the game’s shape on move one, tiny theory | Very low |
| Slav Defense | Black vs 1.d4 | Sound pawn structure, bishop gets out | Low |
| Queen’s Gambit Declined | Black vs 1.d4 | Classical, patient, teaches structure | Low to medium |
What to avoid for now
Some openings are excellent and still wrong for a beginner. The Sicilian Najdorf is the clearest example. It’s the most played defense at the top because it rewards deep, precise preparation. At 900 Elo you don’t have that, and your opponent’s random sideline will leave you in a position you don’t understand. The Sicilian as a whole is fine later; the Najdorf specifically is a bad first choice.
The King’s Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.f4) is fun and sharp, and it will win you some fast games. It will also lose you some, because you’ve weakened your own king on move two without the calculation to justify it. Save it for later.
Obscure flank openings, the Grob (1.g4), the Polish (1.b4), anything with an early a4 or h4, are traps for the curious. They teach you nothing about how normal chess works, and you’ll have to learn real openings anyway.
Choose by your style, not by the ranking
If you like open games and quick tactics, stay with the Italian and 1…e5. That’s the fastest way to improve.
If you’d rather build slowly and avoid early fireworks, go London as White, Caro-Kann as Black against 1.e4, Slav against 1.d4. You’ll play fewer brilliant games and lose fewer stupid ones.
If you want the choice already made, the comparison in 1.e4 or 1.d4 settles it in five minutes. Then commit for at least three months. Switching openings every week is the most common way beginners waste their study time.
Whatever you pick, how you learn it matters more than which line it is. Play the moves out, don’t just read them. Prologue, the app I built, works that way: you replay each opening move by move, first guided, then with hints, then from memory, so the line sticks because your hands have played it. The Italian family is free there, which is no accident, since it’s the opening I’d hand every beginner first.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best chess opening for beginners as White?
The Italian Game, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4. It develops pieces quickly, controls the center, points a bishop at Black’s weakest square and leads to positions that teach the fundamentals of chess. If you want something with even less to memorize, the London System is a sound second choice.
What is the best chess opening for beginners as Black?
Against 1.e4, play 1…e5 for open, instructive games, or the Caro-Kann if you prefer something solid. Against 1.d4, play 1…d5 and follow with the Slav (2…c6) or the Queen’s Gambit Declined (2…e6). All of these are sound at every level and none needs more than a handful of moves of preparation.
Is the Sicilian Defense good for beginners?
Not as a first defense. The Sicilian leads to sharp, unbalanced positions where the side with better preparation usually wins, and beginners don’t have that preparation yet. Start with 1…e5 or the Caro-Kann, then move to the Sicilian around 1400 to 1500 Elo once your tactics can support it.
Is the London System good for beginners?
Yes, with one caveat. It’s easy to learn because the setup barely changes from game to game, so you’ll reach a comfortable middlegame almost every time. The downside is that it teaches less about chess than the Italian does, so plan to add a 1.e4 opening later rather than playing the London forever.
How many openings should a beginner learn?
Three. One opening as White, one defense against 1.e4 and one against 1.d4. Learn each one about six to eight moves deep, understand why the moves are played, and stop there. More lines at this stage only spread your study time thin and get forgotten before you can use them.