Vass wrote on 04/02/12 at 20:50:29:

Then you know he's not ready for stuff like that. As soon as you see this you should immediately stop.
2.d4 is just fine for him. Be honest though - tell him that it's a good move, but not the best one and why you still want him to play it (comparable with driving a car is faster than driving a bike, but he can't learn that either - yet).

I think Spanish is too complex for him for now.. You know, all these variations 3...Bc5, 3...d6, 3...Nf6, 3...a6 - not to mention that  Bc5, d6, Nf6 and even Nge7, g6 or f5 can be played on the fourth move after 3...a6. That's why I decided to show him some opening moves that are more suitable for him to comprehend. 2.d4 - open the game!, 3.Nf3 - give me the pawn back!, 4.Bc4 - fast development, bishop after knight...preparing for castling!, 5.0-0 - hiding the king faster than the opponent's one in an open game and 6.Re1 - rook on the open line against the opponent's king and so on..and so on..
For example, showing him 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Bc5 provokes his question "And what if 3...Nf6?" On which I start to explain "If 3...Nf6 then you have to play 4.0-0 because 4.c3 is not good in that case.." And in this moment I see how he loses his interest about all of this because of the fact that he just can't memorize all of the moves or ideas.. And even if the teaching process goes smoothly and you think that all of this is somehow comprehended by him...in his next game he plays 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 and after 3...Nd4 he is "out of book" and therefore out of confidence.. 
That's what I mean - Ruy Lopez seems too complex for a beginner. 

He is playing in Plovdiv, is that the same tournament that has the super-GMs playing last week? What section in Plovdiv?

And I think his opponents have quite some knowledge of openings based on his games. I think you should just teach the Spanish main line but not overemphasising all of the theory. The first 6-7 moves of the Sicilian lines and perhaps the same for the French and Caro-Kann. If he wants to learn slightly more about openings that would be fine too, since he seems to already have opening knowledge.

Vass wrote on 04/02/12 at 19:34:29:


Is he playing in tournaments? What rating is he, around 1400/1500? If his opponents are his rating, I doubt you need to teach theory, just simple main ideas and verbal explanations for the initial few moves should suffice. At least this is how my father taught me at that age.

Vass wrote on 04/02/12 at 18:59:51:

He'll pick it up when you go over the games with him. I am always amazed at what those kids "get" when you sit with them like that.

When I was that age my first repertoire was the Spanish Main Line: 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. 0-0 Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 0-0 8. c3 d6 9. h3. You can try to teach that, or the Exchange Variation. Who is he playing against? If Sicilian, play Open Sicilian; 3. Nc3 against French and Caro-Kann. The principal main ideas for the first few moves are probably all he needs to know.

Thank you, MNb!
He explained 13.Rac1 with his intention to push c3-c4.. 
I was amazed that he had tried to create a plan and didn't object too much. 
(Though I made my remarks on it, of course..) 

Smyslov_Fan wrote on 04/02/12 at 16:40:29:

So you think that it's too early to try teaching him to a repertoire?! 
I thought about it, too.. But, I was not sure.
I appreciate your opinion, Smyslov_Fan! Thank you!