Best opening moves in chess, ranked

Hundreds of years of developments in chess opening theory led to a very complicated early phase in the royal game, but players can still branch out into completely uncharted territory after just a handful of moves. This makes it very difficult to select the best opening moves in chess, especially because style also plays a factor in your choice. One thing is for sure: there is no sure-fire chess opening, and almost all lines will require some number-crunching and memorization. However, if you’re looking for pointers and directions, these openings are a great way to get started.

1. London System (1. d4 2. Bf4)

The London comes with comparatively little theory to other openings, and lets White follow a standardized gameplan regardless of what the opponent brings to the table. This, plus its relatively quiet nature, means that it also has many detractors. However, it is a great opening to get started, as long as players actively progress towards more complicated affairs to aid their chess development.

2. Réti Opening (1. Nf3)

Often, starting with 1. Nf3 will lead you straight into the usual tree of 1. d4 shenanigans, but it allows for a nice bit of flexibility in your move order choice, and it will surprise your opponent on lower levels of play. It’s fairly natural and noncommittal, and a little bit out of the ordinary, making it a good choice.

3. Sicilian Defense (1. e4 c5)

The Sicilian is one of the sharpest and most exciting openings out there, but this is also precisely why amateur players should consider very carefully whether they really want to get into the skirmishes it involves. You can very easily end up in a completely losing situation with either color after just a few moves played, so be sure you know what you’re doing if you opt for the Sicilian Defense.