KEBU Opening Memorizer is quickly becoming the preferred method of doing the otherwise tedious work of memorizing your opening variations. I’ve created this article to take you step-by-step through the process of creating files to memorize and then using the software to seal the variations into your memory.

KEBU Opening Memorizer is a fantastic training software program for efficiently memorizing your openings. The first step to using the program is to create a PGN file with the opening variations you wish to memorize. Developing the file is relatively easy and can be done with a number of software programs. If you don’t own any software to create PGN files ChessBase Lite is a great place to start. It can be downloaded for free. There are countless other software programs that will assist you in creating PGN files. For the purposes of example I’ve used ChessBase 11.

Let us say that I wish to develop a repertoire against the move 1.e4. Through some research I’ve learned that the “French Defense” (beginning with 1…e6) is a relatively easy opening to learn and play, and I like the ideas – it seems to suit my style. I’ve read a book on the opening, but I want to remember the key variations so that I won’t be “caught out” in the opening.

Since White has a few different ways to respond to the French Defense, I’ll probably need to focus on one important response at a time as I learn the opening. White’s most popular reply is 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 so I’ll start there – my first file will deal exclusively with how I plan to react against 3.Nc3.

Now using any of my materials: databases, chess engines, books, opening manuals – I develop a file which contains the most important ideas for my opponent and how I plan to respond to them. Here’s a screenshot:

(Don’t worry – I’ve attached a link where you can download this sample file right away!)

For each important option I found for White (using the database) I attached some line I’d like to learn for Black. Importantly, there’s no situation where I gave multiple ideas for Black  - the file just has all of the ideas I want to learn to play against, and then one single method of how to reply as Black.

Now I save the game as a PGN file (be careful not to save it in ChessBase format!).

Notice that I’m saving it as a PGN file! Click here to download the PGN file and take a look for yourself what I created.

Notice that I kept the file very simple. I think this is an important secret which I’ve written more about throughout this blog. You don’t need to make your files very complicated, you just want to be very confident about a smaller number of lines which, as a rule, don’t go too deep. Try it – and you’ll find that you’ll win a lot more games knowing a lot of basic lines as opposed to a few overly complicated lines.

Now there’s just one more step: getting these lines sealed in your memory! And here’s where KEBU Opening Memorizer comes in.

If you haven’t already done so please take a look at the following short video which in fact is a great introduction to how to memorize your files.

Best of luck with the openings software! We hope you find it to be truly enjoyable – but most importantly – we want you to win more games of chess!

Before you go, here are some great general articles that you might also want to take a look at on opening study and chess improvement:

Studying your openings

Should you commit opening lines to memory (part I)

Memorizing opening variations (part II)

How to select your chess openings

In the previous article, we talked about some of the big benefits of memorizing opening variations. We made a case that opening memorization, done correctly, can actually help you to accumulate strategic and tactical ideas as well as deepen your understanding of chess positions. Now I want to develop these ideas.

 To begin with, most openings have what can be called “critical lines”. This typically refers to those lines which are thought to give your side the most headaches, the ones which are theoretically “best” for our opponent as far as theory is concerned.

Let’s say I am playing the King’s Gambit as White (something I wouldn’t recommend – but to each his own!).

A cursory look through some books and database statistics shows that one of the lines that has been causing the most problems is 1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 d5! 4.exd5 Nf6 when White has had serious problems proving anything – and Black seems to have strong chances at the initiative.

In the previous article I discussed two important principles in building your opening repertoire. I suggest that you operate from your strengths (which I defined not as your personality or chess-related preferences, but as structures/systems you’ve developed a personal history with) – and secondly I recommended expanding towards main lines as much as you can stomach.

Here is an example of a very reliable opening repertoire –I’ve limited the number of replies I’ve considered for the opponent to the most common options.

Keep in mind that I’m not explicitly recommending you adopt these openings. I’m simply demonstrating what a repertoire based on a principled approach looks like.

 Sample Repertoire

White: 1.e4 with the Ruy Lopez against 1…e5, Open Sicilian against 1…c5

Black: Sicilian Dragon, Semi-Slav

Discussion

All of these openings have a long history as being sound. The Open Sicilian is a bit tricky for White to play/learn because Black has many diverse setups against it – but in the end the amount of setups for White to choose from in these systems is not very huge, and the plans are actually very closely related and limited no matter what system Black chooses.

Such a system of play allows you to constantly develop in new directions and develop a rich understanding of attacking chess.

Similarly, the Ruy Lopez tends to be more position but still has an aggressive basis with kingside attacks still being intrinsically tied into its basis. Again, Black has a large choice of systems but White’s plans are often quite similar no matter how Black plays, and it is learnable.

The combination of Open Sicilian and Ruy Lopez will have a high potential of success no matter what level you are or aspire to. Whether you’re 1000, 1700, or 2800 – these are time-tested systems.

Of course I haven’t mentioned how to play against the Caro, French, or other systems – they occur on a less frequent basis and White has a number of principled options against them. They are very good systems in their own right, but again White can react by following the principles we’ve discussed.

As Black this repertoire includes the very sharp Sicilian Dragon. This is a good time for me to talk about many of the fears related to opening study. Many players have heard that an opening like the Sicilian Dragon requires a lot of theoretical study. But this neglects the reality of your opponents who, just like you, don’t know everything about every system – in fact, they may know very little – including masters. Furthermore, even a more knowledgeable opponent (which is rarer than you might think) still has to be very skillful in converting the fruits of his labor if he should trap you.

The best way to learn a sharp system like the Sicilian Dragon is simply to start playing it. Play it in blitz games, play it against friends, and yes play it I tournaments. By brooding over the problems of the positions and having a couple of good and bad experiences – you’ll have something to study. Figure out what you could have done better by using books, databases, software…whatever you might have. After just a couple months of this process, you’ll very likely realize that no one is simply rattling off 20 moves of theory, and that you’ve acquired more knowledge than 80% of players have about your particular systems.

For a crash course in your openings I recommended looking at the “Starting Out” series which provides excellent content and explains the ideas of a great many positions.

I think we’ve demonstrated during this article what a principled approach to the openings might look like. If you feel intimidated, don’t despair. First of all, operate from positions you feel comfortable and experienced with. And gradually expand towards more main-line handlings of those systems.

If you are totally new to the game and all this sounds like Greek to you, then of course you may not benefit too much from worrying about the opening – but even in that case these suggestions can be very helpful.

This article takes a look at some principles upon which to predicate your choice of openings.

The most oft-repeated advice (even by Dvoretsky) is to select openings which suit your temperament and playing style. Thus, a young aggressive player should adopt the Sicilian Dragon, while a more mild-mannered fellow should defend the Ruy Lopez (for example).

I think this advice is a bit flawed for many reasons. Many players do not benefit from psychoanalyzing themselves in an attempt to find the openings which blend with their personality. First of all, such an analysis of one’s own character is often distorted. But more importantly, chess is a very dynamic game and in just about every opening there is a blend of strategic and tactical positions. In fact, in just about every position there is quite a blend of these things. You can attempt to steer the game in certain directions but often aiming for one extreme just leads to the next.

For example, many very sharp opening lines – if handled well by both sides – peter out quickly into balanced strategic situations. On the contrary, almost all strategic situations will inevitably “explode” into sharp tactical contests. Chess truly demands that you are able to do many things well. World champions can afford refined analyses of their strengths and try to steer the struggle there, but for most players this attempt is often fruitless.

The simplest way to select openings is to work from those systems which you’ve already developed a history of playing. Don’t get caught up in trying to find a perfect harmony between the opening and your tastes. If you’ve been playing the French all your life, sticking with it is often a very fruitful path if you are willing to investigate alternative ways of handling it from time to time (for example).

The second principle in selecting openings is somewhat different. In my experience of teaching, I always tried to steer a truly searching student towards progressively playing lines which are more and more respected at the top level. For example, a King’s Gambit addict may eventually want to expand towards the Ruy Lopez for White. Theoretically speaking there really is very little wrong with playing the King’s Gambit, though most strong players feel that it doesn’t offer White very much. The real problem is that such lines tend to be a bit too one-dimensional for the development of chess strength. When playing a King’s Gambit, the strategies and tactics are quite limited for White – rapid development, kingside attack (this is a bit crude of an assessment, but my point remains the same). The Ruy Lopez demands more strategic and tactical diversity on the part of both sides, and will assist you on your chess journey as far as you want to go – even if that’s World Champion.

This tends to be the case with almost all openings which are played at the highest levels on a frequent basis. Because they are so principled and reliable, many ideas, paths, systems have been developed and there is a ton to learn from such systems.

This an important point to keep in mind when selecting your openings. While selecting such systems may require more work, in the long run you develop better chess strength, and a more reliable set of openings.

In the next article, I will suggest some sample repertoires.

The openings are a strange topic for chess improvement because of the extraordinary number of mixed messages the student receives. Many chess teachers and authors advise that one focus, first of all, on tactics and endgames and give lip service to the idea that one should almost completely ignore openings until the player has already become quite strong.

On the other hand, many trainers focus almost exclusively on openings. The top players focus almost exclusively on openings, players around you are constantly talking about openings, and the chess section of any bookstore will be likely to have 3 to 4 times as many openings books as any other. In addition to that, there is also the sinking feeling of starting the game out against a well-prepared opponent who quickly traps you and the fear which this generates.

The truth is that establishing a strong opening repertoire is an important for many reasons. You can:

• Avoid well-known traps
• Develop experience with certain types of positions – and use this experience to your advantage
• Enhance your understanding of chess (if you study properly)

I have always advised my students to take on solid openings that lead to diverse strategic situations. A typical strategy is to choose off-beat lines hoping to con the opponent or “learn to play tactical positions” – but such a strategy is superficial for a number of reasons. Instead, I suggest finding truly solid openings to play as both sides – ones which are still frequented at the top levels – and to slowly begin to learn the strategy/tactics behind them. You can do this by buying manuals for the opening (the “Starting Out” series is one of my favorites because of its deep discussion on strategic matters). Learn the main lines and tactical lines by heart so as not to be caught in a dangerous territory by a knowledgeable opponent.

After you have studied a few books, and learned a few lines – play the openings as much as possible (online blitz is great for this) and after the game review the opening phase (as well as every other phase!) with an instructor or database/analysis software. Over time you will develop experience, knowledge, and deep understanding of your systems.

Finally, know when the point of “diminishing returns” is reached. Don’t spend a lot of time trying to keep up with every little wrinkle, or learn tons of theoretical evaluations and deep lines. They’ll almost never occur in your games – period. I’ve found this to be true even when facing 2300s.

If you follow these basic suggestions over a decent period of time, you’ll have all the knowledge you need to get out of the opening with a comfortable game that you understand.

Best of luck!