ChessOps - A Basic Chess Opening Guide

As I have beeen discussing opening theory lately here and here, let me just point you to an internet resource that I have used extensively. Chessops is a free internet resource that allows you to explore various openings. In their own words:

An interactive series of +8,000 unique board positions, from first moves through to full development of pieces, covering all major openings, defences and variations. Each page has an explanation and a notation list. Also +1,000 transposition pages.

The site features an interactive chess board that you can use to visualize the moves as you go through the tutorials and lessons. You make a move on the board, and if that move is in their database of opening moves, the move is reflected and an explanation and some additional information on the idea behind the move is provided. Then you proceed to make a move on the other side of the board, and more information is provided. The system will also tell you if there are alternative moves that you can make, corresponding to alternative opening lines, while the default or "orthodox" line is provided as the move to make if you choose to let the system show you the next move.

In addition, the site has plenty of resources pertaining to the game, such as categories of openings, annotations, history of the game, and more.

Another nice feature of the site is that it will not provide a move that is not part of the opening theory, and will simply return an error message saying "You can do better than that!" Thus, it confines itself as an opening resource, so there is no danger for you to overstep the line between opening books and unauthorized assistance should you have been using it during a game (usually in correspondence chess).

Each opening line presented usually comes with alternative lines, with its pros and cons. For one that is intent in gaining a deeper understanding of opening theory, it would be best to explore each of the alternatives before proceeding in making your moves. It also provides you a way of developing your own game repertoire. I also keep it interesting by guessing a move before actually checking to see if I did the correct one (been seeing improvements in the way that I have minimized the "incorrect" moves).

Check out the site. I am also featuring it permanently on the sidebar.