Openings are are one of most important parts of chess. They can dictate the pace of the game and a bad opening can mean a loss right of of the bat. This doesn't necessarily mean you have to memorize every opening and know how to respond to different ones however. Understanding what an opening is meant to do is often better since you can then decide how to respond less predictably. Openings usually have a goal of controlling the center or to try and earn a quick advantage or even victory. One common opening is called the dragon and is designed to control the center so that your opponent has trouble attacking.
This next opening is an offensive opening meant to apply early pressure with a threat to win while also threatening different pieces your opponent owns. This can be seen by your queen being on your opponents half of the board . It is also sitting on the same diagonal as the king and has a line of attack towards a possible common spot for your opponents first move. This is good against new players and for setting the pace however can be easily punished if the opponent builds up their defenses by attacking the queen while getting pieces towards the center.
There are many other openings and while this next one isn't quite an opening but rather a move, it is very important to understand and is often done early. This is called the castle which is a move intended to protect your king by getting him out of the middle of the board.
