Of the twenty possible first moves in chess, author and grandmaster Edmar Mednis argues that 1.f3 is the worst.[1] Grandmaster Benjamin Finegold teaches "Never play f3".[2] In his text on openings, Paul van der Sterren considered 1. f3 beneath mention by name:
With so many chess openings and variations, it seems as if players are doomed to endless memorization cycles if they wish to make their way to winning. Memorization is important, but without understanding the logic behind opening moves, one also makes sure to become an easy target for opponent surprises. DecodeChess can help understand the concepts that govern (almost) each chess opening move, making you a better, smarter player!
Chess Openings For White Explained.pdf
Chess openings are a grand project of humanity, stretching back in history and filled with theory, experience, and most importantly, passion and love for the game of chess. There are over a 1,000 chess openings variations, but much less than that are used by the majority of chess players worldwide.
As a chess player, you probably had the following two questions pass in your mind: Which opening/s should I stick to; How many chess openings should I memorize? The answers to these questions depend on your personality, level of devotion to the game, and the number of people you speak with.
This is likely a better version of some other openings where black puts a bishop on b7 from the get-go. Since white has committed to playing f4, white will never be able to blunt this bishop later in the game by playing f3. 2ff7e9595c