As a returning player, you don't need to memorise opening theory. Follow three simple ideas in your first ten moves, take the centre, bring your pieces out, and castle early, and you'll reach a good position almost every time. If you'd like a ready-made setup to start with, the Italian Game as White and a solid setup as Black are friendly, natural, and easy to remember.
This is part of our complete guide to returning to chess after decades away.
Three simple ideas
- Take the centre. Move a centre pawn early: e4 or d4 for White, e5 or d5 for Black. Pieces in the middle are strong
- Bring your pieces out. Develop your knights and bishops. Avoid moving the same piece twice, and keep your queen at home for now
- Castle early. Tuck your king away and connect your rooks. Do it within the first ten moves
A ready-made setup as White: the Italian Game
The Italian Game follows all three ideas naturally. A typical start goes:
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d3
The moves to remember are e4, Nf3, Bc4, c3, d3, then castle. You get a pawn in the centre, two pieces developed, and a safe king. Your opponent won't always follow these exact moves, and that's fine. Use the ideas as a guide, not a script.
A solid setup as Black
Against 1.e4, answer 1...e5 and develop in the same spirit as above. Against 1.d4, a solid and hard-to-break setup goes:
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Be7 5.e3 O-O
The moves for Black are d5, e6, Nf6, Be7, then castle. It's easy to remember and sturdy.
A quick ten-move checklist
After about ten moves, pause and tick:
- I moved a pawn into the centre
- I developed both knights
- I developed both bishops
- I castled
- My queen is still safe and sound
- Nothing of mine is hanging
If your opponent does something unexpected
Don't panic. Keep following the three ideas and ask: "What is my opponent trying to do, and is anything of mine unprotected?" Most tricks fall apart against calm development. The four-question habit helps here too. See how to stop blundering pieces.
Why not learn lots of openings?
People now study opening moves in great depth, and the theory runs far deeper than it did decades ago. You don't need any of it to enjoy your games. Learning a lot of theory too early is the quickest way to make chess feel like homework. Play first, learn later.
When you're ready to find your own style
After a few weeks, you may want to pick an opening that suits your personality. Some people like sharp, attacking play, and others prefer something calm and solid. Our free Chess Openings Quiz takes a minute or two, recommends openings to match how you like to play, and gives you a free sample cheat sheet and trainer for your opening.
If you'd like to go deeper once you've chosen, the Opening Mastery Trainer helps you learn lines by playing them, with no endless theory, and our opening cheat sheets show you a whole opening at a glance.
Want it all in one plan?
Back To Chess: The 30-Day Comeback Plan teaches the three ideas in Week 3 and includes a ready-made starting setup for both colours. It's £3.47, with no subscription and no pressure.
