What opening helped you improve the most in chess?

whatever indeed.

@TheDifferenceOfTier5 said in #6:

... The Bird's opening (1.f4) It's given me a 65% winrate as white on chess.com

@TheDifferenceOfTier5 said in #7:

@DerReelle said [in #5]:

... One does not get better because one plays a specific opening, but because one engages with the game and understands certain concepts. ...

No but you get better because you understand a certain opening better than your opponent does and you get a good position because of that.

@DerReelle said in #8:

... But hey, I won't hold anyone back focussing on openings. Do your thing.

I do not remember seeing TheDifferenceOfTier5 advocate "focussing on openings".

Don't focus on openings too much, middlegames and endgames are more important. Vienna is REALLY good at lower levels though, gained me a ton of rating and helped me reach 2000.

I switched from playing the same opening (Caro-Kann) to e4e5 and d4d5 as black and it helped me improve

my opening didn't help me improve. Developing board vision & drilling tactics helped me improve.

The bird (1.f4) for reasons I could fill an entire forum post with

First I was playing the Italian Game(Piano),but I think it's a little slow.So I then tried Vienna Opening.But I'm not 'responsible' to my opening.I never remember how to play it after 1e4,e5,2Nc3.So after that I played randomly.But soon I fell in love with 1d4,so I'm using it these weeks.

As a beginner: the Scholar’s Mate, because I had an initial plan for how to start a game.

As a more advanced beginner: the Ruy Lopez – the first “real” opening I learned, because of the natural flow of the moves.

As an even more advanced beginner: the Giuoco Piano, which is probably even better suited for beginners than the Ruy Lopez.

After that: the London System and the Caro-Kann Defense, because of their relative solidity against opening traps.

@ilovechess16 said ^

Don't focus on openings too much, middlegames and endgames are more important. Vienna is REALLY good at lower levels though, gained me a ton of rating and helped me reach 2000.

It is true that one does not win in the opening. But my experience is: You can offen already lose in the opening.

@MagnusNightmare83 said ^

Don't focus on openings too much, middlegames and endgames are more important. Vienna is REALLY good at lower levels though, gained me a ton of rating and helped me reach 2000.

It is true that one does not win in the opening. But my experience is: You can offen already lose in the opening.

That's correct and it's happened several times to me. Theory is a double edge sword. If you know little and you play systems like the London, you're guaranteed a position with good amounts of play. If you play heavy openings like the Spanish, you will always be worried someone knows more than you. It's all up to personal preference.