Chess has been around for centuries but recent netflix series like The Queen’s Gambit has skyrocketed its popularity. We see a lot of new comers learning chess. In fact, number of chess learners on our platform has increased by 42% in last one year. To help all chess enthusiasts, here’s a list of 8 strongest chess openings you must try.
Strongest Chess Openings for White
1. King’s Gambit Moves for King’s Gambit: 1. e4 e5 2. F4 The King’s Gambit is a classic strong opening highly regarded by Romantic-era players. Since it has the term “King” in its name, you can assume the royalty and history of this move detailing back to the Romantic Era. Great players have used this opening for over 300 years because it often results in thrilling and decisive open games.
How to play King’s Gambit Simply put, the King’s Gambit is a high-stakes opening, particularly for inexperienced players. This concept is built around the moves e4, e5, and f4. If black accepts the king’s gambit, he loses an instant piece, but white gains an advantage with his f7 pawn. However, the semi-open F file makes it easier for White to attack the f7 pawn with his rook. NOTE: If White does not play properly, either they will fail to develop their knight to nf3, or they will shift their knight away to f7. As a result, White must quickly castle to defend their king and launch an aggressive assault on f7.
2. Queen’s Gambit Moves for Queen’s Gambit: 1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 Do you want to play a move based on a basic growth plan that leads to complex systems? Well, you should try the Queen’s Gambit. The Queen’s Gambit is the most common pawn “sacrifice” in chess opening theory. It is white’s most common response to the Symmetrical Queen’s Pawn Opening.
How to play Queen’s Gambit To play d4 with the expectation of d5 is the primary notion of the Queen’s Gambit. Queen’s gambit is when white plays c5, expecting black to respond with dxc4. White may now play e4 and have the best possible pawn structure, while Black can employ fewer pieces to catch up. Move E4 has a double meaning since it allows the bishop to attack c4. Note: Some opening players with first moves could be spooked by the bishop’s threat to recapture on c4 and play b5 to protect the piece instead. As a result, Black has to slow down their growth and move their attention to the queenside of the board. White may keep going with plans like a4 and nc3 to advance the knight and put additional pressure on Black’s pieces. You need to watch out for several tricks in this opening when playing black. Often, this will necessitate a light-squared bishop sacrifice on the f7 square. Read: How to play Queen's Gambit Declined?
3. Evan’s Gambit Moves for Evan’s Gambit: 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. B4 The Evans Gambit has been White’s most direct aggressive tactic for a long time. It is a pawn sacrifice popularized by Captain William Davies Evans in 1827. If you are a fan of casting directly and more often in your strategy, Evan’s Gambit should certainly be the move you should try.
How to play Evan’s Gambit? By giving up the b4 piece in an Evan’s Gambit position, the player can push c3 with a tempo on the bishop. Since Black will play cautiously to protect his bishop, he will play to advance it for the third time in the opening. If he returns it to c5, he’ll have to move it again on move 10, making this his fourth time doing so. After pushing d4, the key concepts of Evan’s gambit are to castle quickly and to maximize your position by giving up a pawn on c3. In most positions, Black has two minor pieces on the rear rank, while you have a clear view of the crucial f7 square.
4. Ruy Lopez Moves for Ruy Lopez: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 This move was named after Ruy López de Segura, a priest in Spain in the 16th century. It’s a standard opening used by the white or black.
How to play Ruy Lopez In Ruy Lopez, one of the most popular opening moves, the bishop is placed on B5 rather than C5. White has a strong control of the center as the knight and pawn can castle on the following step, making this a solid beginning similar to the Italian Game. The usual reply for White in this Ruy Lopez is a6, leaving White to decide what to do with their bishop. Taking the knight doubles Black’s pawns, which may be enticing. However, this is a risky tactic since bishops are often better than knights. At first glance, it could seem that White can win if Black plays a6 since White can capture the knight and then use the reclaimed bishop to capture the dangling pawn on e5. NOTE: White would be in trouble in the endgame if Black played Qe7 or Qg5, both of which would be allowed by Ruy Lopez
Strongest Chess Openings for Black
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1. Benko Gambit Moves for Benko Gambit: 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 b5 If you want to become a better chess player overall, you should use this move. While it is not a sharp or ferocious opening, it is very strong since it leaves no room for the opponent to survive. Hence getting a hold of it is useful. It is also popularly known as the Volga Gambit.
How to play Benko’s Gambit In Benoni defensive version, Black may trade off queenside pawns for more space and control of the board in return for a kingside assault. Black will have a significant advantage in the center, making this a similar situation to Evan’s Gambit, in which the player risks losing two pawns in exchange for a potentially devastating assault and position.
2. French Defense Forces Moves for French defense Forces: 1. e4 e6 Want to be like Mikhail Botvinnik or Viktor Korchnoi? Well, the French Defense Forces are their most-used moves. And the best part is that both beginners and grandmasters use it. French Defense forces come in helpful in chess while trying to beat a higher-rated opponent or when just learning the Game.
How to play French Defense Forces The plan of the French Defense Forces is for Black to respond to White’s d4 by playing d5. Thus rapidly challenging White for control of the center. French Defense is a strong move for Black since it often results in a tight situation for the opponent towards the middle of the Game. However, the improved defenses make scoring goals more difficult. The most important one is that Black’s pawn structure will likely make it difficult for Black pieces to develop his bishop on the light side of the board.
3. Italian Game Moves for Italian Game: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Did you know Italian Game is one of the oldest chess openings and has existed for centuries? It was popularized by players like Damiano and appeared in the earliest known chess book, the Göttingen manuscript. You must surely try this move next time because of its vast history and richness, and of course, because it is one of the strongest chess openings.
How to play Italian Game By pushing their pawns, White and Black gain some control of the center and make room for their queen and bishop. While White threatens Black’s e5 pawn, both players advance their knights. The move Bc4 may be used for more than one thing. The move forces Black to defend his vulnerable f7 square, advance a pawn, and strengthen. White’s position in the middle of the board sets up a castle for White’s next move. As Black, you should be careful of White’s potential to fork your queen and rook by taking the f7 pawn with Ng5.
4. King’s Indian Moves for King’s Indian: 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. g3 Bg7 4. Bg2 Want to know about a strong hypermodern move? There is King’s Indian for you. Top Grandmasters like Teimour Radjabov and Hikaru Nakamura favor the King’s Indian as one of their primary weapons.
How to play King’s Indian When black is moved using the king’s Indian, he foregoes a direct attack on the center in favor of a fianchettoed kingside bishop and an eventual attack on the center. Black may still avoid committing to c5 and instead attack the center with c6 in this version. With no opposition, White may get the ideal pawn arrangement on c4, d4, and e5.
FAQs How many best chess openings are there for Black pieces? As per the Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings, the most important openings and their variants (for both Black and White) may be broken down into 500 distinct codes in the Game of chess! What are the most solid and dependable chess openings for Black to play? In response to 1.e4, Black’s most well-known and dependable options are the Caro-Kann defense, English opening, Queen’s Gambit accepted, Dutch Defense, and French Defense. If White plays 1.d4, you should respond with 1.d5 and then play the Queen’s Gambit. What is the strongest opening in a chess game? King’s Indian and Queen’s Gambit declined are the strongest opening in chess game. They continue to be one of Black’s sharpest, most difficult openings, and it continues to serve as the stage for Grandmasters. What is the best opening for beginners when playing a chess game? D4 is the best opening for beginners seeking a well-balanced and risk-free opening. Most chess grandmasters prefer which opening? Most chess grandmasters prefer the Spanish Game of Ruy Lopez. It has been played for nearly 500 years, and many excellent grandmasters still play it now!
