List of chess openings

Chess openings are listed and classified according to their first few moves. There are interesting statistics on the frequency of chess openings from chess databases.
Statistics.
The table shows how common each opening was for each era. It shows movement away from symmetrical defences and an increase in asymmetrical defences. In reply to 1.e4, the Sicilian and French Defence, and to 1.d4 the Indian Defence become more common. It also shows an increased use of the English Opening for White.
Sources.
Sources for beginners.
There are few opening book for beginners. Some degree of understanding is needed before the details of an opening can be grasped. The endgame and middlegame should be studied before opening theory. The following books show complete games with elementary explanations of the moves:
Other sources.
None of these are suitable for beginners, but might be used by chess teachers and players of intermediate strength. Tip for teachers: always check the book's reviews.