The ten openings worth knowing first, with move orders, typical plans, and who each one suits.
The best chess openings to learn are the Sicilian Defense, Ruy Lopez, Italian Game, Queen's Gambit Declined, French Defense, Caro-Kann Defense, King's Indian Defense, Nimzo-Indian Defense, English Opening and Slav Defense. These ten account for a large share of games at every level, so learning them gives you both a repertoire and the ability to recognise what your opponent is playing. Each one below includes its move order, the kind of position it produces, and who it suits.
1.e4 c5
The most played answer to 1.e4. Even if you never play it, you will face it constantly as White.
Black accepts a slight lag in development in exchange for a queenside pawn majority and the half-open c-file, which becomes the main artery for counterplay. White typically attacks on the kingside while Black attacks on the queenside, so games often become a race in which tempo matters more than material.
Best suited to: Players who want winning chances with Black and are willing to learn theory. The main lines are heavily analysed, and being caught unprepared in the Najdorf or Dragon can lose quickly.
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5
The oldest opening still standard at the top level, and the main line of 1.e4 e5.
The bishop on b5 creates a long-term question about the c6 knight that shapes the whole game. Most main lines lead to slow manoeuvring positions with a closed centre, where both sides regroup pieces behind their pawn chains before committing to a plan.
Best suited to: Players who prefer strategic, long-game chess over immediate tactics, and who are comfortable playing positions where the plan matters more than the calculation.
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4
The most commonly recommended first opening, and one of the most played below master level.
Play can go two very different ways. The Giuoco Pianissimo leads to slow build-ups with a closed centre and long manoeuvring, while the Evans Gambit and the older main lines with an early d4 produce sharp open games with early sacrifices.
Best suited to: Beginners and improving players. The Italian teaches central control, rapid development, and king safety without punishing you for not knowing theory.
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6
The classical backbone of 1.d4 play for both colours.
Black shuts in the light-squared bishop with e6 in exchange for a stable centre. The recurring strategic themes are freeing the position with c5 or e5, and the minority attack, where White advances the queenside pawns to create a weakness in Black's structure.
Best suited to: Players who want a dependable answer to 1.d4 and are comfortable in classical positions where small structural advantages decide the game.
1.e4 e6
A mainstay reply to 1.e4 with a distinctive pawn structure worth understanding on its own.
The defining feature is the pawn chain. White's pawns typically run d4-e5 and Black's e6-d5, and both sides attack the base of the opponent's chain: Black plays c5 and f6, while White expands on the kingside. Positions are usually closed and strategically rich.
Best suited to: Players who like a defined plan from move one and do not mind defending. The French rewards understanding of pawn structure more than it rewards tactics.
1.e4 c6
The soundest of the 1.e4 defences and increasingly common at every level.
Black gets a sound pawn structure and few weaknesses, usually at the cost of some passivity in the opening. Many lines transpose into endgames where Black's structural solidity is an asset, which is why the Caro-Kann is often described as the drawing weapon that still plays for a win.
Best suited to: Players who value structural soundness and are comfortable with slightly slower positions. Also a practical choice for anyone who wants one reliable answer to 1.e4 without heavy theory.
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3
The sharpest mainstream defence to 1.d4 and a staple of attacking repertoires.
The classic King's Indian is a race: White plays on the queenside where the space advantage is, Black pushes pawns at the white king on the other wing. Because both attacks proceed independently, the games are unusually sharp and rarely end in draws.
Best suited to: Attacking players who want unbalanced positions with Black and are willing to accept worse positions objectively for practical winning chances.
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4
The most theoretically respected answer to 1.d4.
The central question is whether Black's willingness to trade the bishop for the knight — often doubling White's c-pawns — is worth the structural concession. Black gets long-term pressure on the light squares; White gets the bishop pair and a broad centre.
Best suited to: Players who understand structural imbalances and enjoy positions where a small permanent feature, like doubled pawns, defines the plan for both sides.
1.c4
The most played flank opening, and a complete repertoire in itself.
Strategic and slow-building. Common structures include the Reversed Sicilian, where White plays the Sicilian with an extra tempo, and the Symmetrical English after 1...c5. Fianchettos and long manoeuvring are typical.
Best suited to: Positional players who like flexible systems and are comfortable in structures where the plan is not decided in the first ten moves.
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6
The main solid alternative to the Queen's Gambit Declined.
Black often follows with dxc4 and b5 to hold the pawn temporarily, gaining time to develop the bishop outside the pawn chain. The resulting positions are solid but less passive than the Declined, with the c8 bishop playing an active role.
Best suited to: Players who want the solidity of the Queen's Gambit Declined without locking in the light-squared bishop.
Pick by the kind of position you want to play, not by evaluation. Every opening here is sound; the engine difference between them is far smaller than the difference between knowing a position and not knowing it. If you like open games and early piece activity, start with 1.e4 and the Italian Game. If you prefer slower games where plans matter more than tactics, start with 1.d4 and the Queen's Gambit Declined.
As Black you need two answers, not one: something against 1.e4 and something against 1.d4. The Caro-Kann and the Slav are the lowest maintenance pair; the Sicilian and the King's Indian are the most ambitious and the most work.
The opening explorer covers all 3,174 named openings on an interactive board, and you can check your own games against them with free Stockfish analysis.