Chess Parents FAQs
  • Blog
  • Index
  • 5334
  • Camp
  • About

Why learning opening doesn't help my child much?

8/31/2015

0 Comments

 
40 years ago, as a child, I had been asked this questions many times: do you know a lot of openings by heart? My answer was NO.

Nowadays, I have been asked by beginners' parents many times: should my child learn some openings? My answer is still NO. 

Beginners will not understand why a move in an opening line should be there. Missing a move or switching move order will change the opening completely. A good sound opening may become total suicide. Learning opening this way will not help your child, instead will hurt your child. They will not think by themselves. If the move is in the line, they will consider it's good. If not, then bad. Sometimes it's just a similar move, they still consider it's good. When opponents change moves, going out of opening line, they will be surprised and stunned. They won't know how to handle it.

My suggestion for beginners always is: learn the 3 principles, controlling center, developing minor pieces, and castling for king safety, after that, fight.

When I played against the French for the first time 10 years ago, I didn't know the line, and I didn't even know the name. But I looked at my opponent's moves and thought that they were reasonable, so had to be some line. I followed my common sense and reasoning, and I survived.

9 years later at NJ Open, I thought I had already seen most openings, but I noticed all my white opponents played the same opening moves which I didn't know. I learned later they all played Catalan. Was I scared? No, I wasn't. I just did my best to survive the opening, and win all of them in middle game or endgame.


0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Coach Andy
    Princeton Chess Academy

    Having been a chess parent for more than 10 years himself, Coach Andy will answer questions about chess, chess education, scholastic chess for chess parents from his own experience and lessons. 

    Daily Puzzles

    Steps Method

    Online Course

    Chess^Summit


    Please like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.

    Picture
    Picture

    Archives

    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    April 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    May 2019
    February 2019
    November 2018
    August 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

© Copyrights 2015 All Rights Reserved | Daily Math Worksheet, LLC