How many chess openings are there?

The Oxford Companion to Chess lists 1,327 named openings and variants, and there are many others with varying degrees of common usage.

How many chess openings should I know?

In OTB chess its important to know your openings well, to save time on the clock if for no other reason. The faster the time control the more important it is imo. If you know the openings you play most often 8 to 12 moves deep it should be good enough.

How many chess openings does a grandmaster know?

At a bare minimum, they would have to know at least 4 openings inside out and upside down...how to play against e4 e5, e4 c5, d4 d5, and d4 "everything-but-d5". And they would probably know pretty much every variation of their opening arsenal out to 15-25 moves...

How many chess openings does Magnus Carlsen know?

Magnus Carlsen, a Norwegian chess grandmaster and the current world champion, has a remarkable memory for chess openings. He can memorize up to 10,000 different games and their corresponding opening moves.

How many chess combinations are there?

amazingly, there are even more possible variations of chess games than there are atoms in the observable universe. This is the Shannon Number and represents all of the possible move variations in the game of chess. It is estimated there are between 10¹¹¹ and 10¹²³ positions (including illegal moves) in Chess.

How To Learn & Study Chess Openings

What is the rarest chess rule?

Underpromoting to a bishop must be the rarest move in chess. We can easily think of some famous examples of rook promotions (such as the brilliant Saavedra study), and by comparison knight underpromotions happen every day - just think of this opening trap in the Albin Countergambit.

Are there chess 32 pieces all in all?

has 32 pieces, 16 per side. These pieces are sometimes called chessmen, but most experienced players refer to their pieces as “material.” The rules of chess govern how each piece is placed, how each piece moves across what number of squares, and whether there are any special moves permitted.

What is the weakest chess opening?

Of the twenty possible first moves in chess, author and grandmaster Edmar Mednis argues that 1. f3 is the worst.

What is the hardest chess opening?

Based on this premise and on the statistics in the opening database of chess.com I found out that the harder opening in chess Is the Barnes opening (1... f3).

What is the safest chess opening?

e4 and 1. d4. Typically, these openings are a great choice for Positional chess players, looking for a very balanced and safe-setup. The positions tend to get very solid, avoiding any immediate tactical breakthroughs, and is usually a lot safer choice for lower rated players.

What is the 20 40 40 rule in chess?

The 20-40-40 rule in chess is a rule for players rated below 2000 that states 20% of your study should be dedicated to openings, 40% to the middlegame, and 40% to the endgame.

What is Carlsen's favorite opening?

The Catalan has had proponents at the highest level in chess, with Vladimir Kramnik, Viswanathan Anand and Magnus Carlsen all employing the opening in their respective World Chess Championship title games.

Are chess grandmasters for life?

Grandmaster (GM) is a title awarded to chess players by the world chess organization FIDE. Apart from World Champion, Grandmaster is the highest title a chess player can attain. Once achieved, the title is held for life, though exceptionally the title has been revoked for cheating.

What is the 75 rule in chess?

Seventy-five-move rule

If seventy-five moves are made without a pawn move or capture being made, the game is drawn unless the seventy-fifth move delivers a checkmate. No claim needs to be made by either player, as the draw is mandatorily applied by the arbiter.

What is the 20 rule in chess?

According to this rule, only 20% of examining time should be spent on the opening, 40% of time should be spent on the middlegame, and the other 40% of the time should be spent focusing on the endgame. The rule of 20/40/40 applies to players under a 2000 rating.

What is the 15 second rule in chess?

Now, it is undeniable that Hikaru's speed is difficult to match by any mortal, which is why, on the basis of my own experience as well as my observations, I propose the 15-second rule: In general, you should only spend 15 seconds or more on a particular move when you believe that a critical position has been reached.

What is the most tricky piece in chess?

The pawn is the trickiest piece because it cannot go backwards. This aspect of the pawn means that when you move it, it can never return to its old duties. It can sometimes be very tricky to figure out when is the right time to move a pawn.

What is the funniest chess opening?

What is the most iconic chess opening?

The Double King's Pawn Game/Open Games (1. e4 e5) is the most common played opening in the game of chess. It was first played in the 16th century, and it has been used more than a million times by chess players all over the world.

Why is King's Gambit bad?

The King's Gambit is considered inferior because white is sacrificing king safety along with a pawn on move 2. Furthermore, although white would get an attack going along the f file in Morphy's day, now the correct defensive ideas are known for black and white has a harder time of it.

Why is f3 the worst opening in chess?

f3) There are 20 possible first moves in chess and 1. f3 is probably one of the worst choices. Not only this move does not take control of the center, block an important f3 square for the knight, and doesn't allow the development of any pieces but also it seriously weakens the safety of the king.

Does black have a disadvantage in chess?

In chess, there is a general consensus among players and theorists that the player who makes the first move (White) has an inherent advantage. Since 1851, compiled statistics support this view; White consistently wins slightly more often than Black, usually scoring between 52 and 56 percent.

What is the last move in chess called?

All chess games end with the move called the 'checkmate'. This is when the victorious player captures the enemy king, thus reaching the final objective of the match.

Is it a rook or a castle?

Each player starts the game with two rooks, one in each corner on their own side of the board. Formerly, the rook (from Persian رخ rokh/rukh, meaning "chariot") was alternatively called the tower, marquess, rector, and comes (count or earl). The term "castle" is considered to be informal, incorrect, or old-fashioned.

Is there a chess but every piece is a queen?

Queen it. In chess, the queen is no mere figurehead; she's the most powerful piece on the board. In All Queens Chess, the same holds true—except every piece is a queen. Each of your six queens can move any number of spaces in a straight line, as long as there isn't another piece in the way.