What's the best opening?!

This is a recurring question among beginners and intermediate players as opening theory often plays a major role in their overall Chess training unfortunately.

As always, there is no clear cut answer to that.....

So the best opening? None!....or rather all of them!

There are lots of good and perfectly playable openings out there but really the best (for you) is the one:

• you understand!This seems pretty obvious but you'd be amazed how many players are just memorizing long opening lines and just don't know what to do with the resulting positions!So know, at least, the main standard strategic plans (and keep in mind that a wrong plan is still better that no plan at all) and tactics
• you enjoy playing!This is very important as Chess is a game after all!
• you feel comfortable playingThe opening fits your style of playing and provides room for growth and improvement.

Your next steps to improve your opening repertoire

• For each of your main White and Black openings, ask yourself:
  • Do I know the standard plans well enough for this particular opening?
  • Do I know the standard tactics well enough for this particular opening?
  • Do I feel that my middle games out of the opening are reasonably playable/well balanced?
  • Do I enjoy playing it?
  • What is my success rate with it?

Experiment...

• Based on the answers to the questions above
  • Try new sub-lines, plans and tactics
  • Learn new openings

and practice, practice, practice!

To wrap things up, I cannot resist to post a fairly well-known game, and a great one, between to fantastic players of the 80's, Anatoly Karpov (the ultra-dominant World Champion at that time,and, in my opinion, one of the greatest player of all times) and GM Tony Miles ....if you don't already know this game, you're in for a treat...Enjoy! (also with comments here):