Hi Nick,
"I am worried that Peter's obsession with learning opening moves will
destroy his chances of either improving or enjoying competitive chess."
We have all gone through that stage and if memory serves then advice to the contary falls on deaf ears.
But you are correct and in time he will get over it.
Chris is also correct about mistakes/blunders.
You can read about and be warned 10001 times against getting back rank mated.
But it won't sink in till it happens to you.
The advice about playing the game every chance you get is the best one can give.
Opening books at that stage stifle a player's imagination.
All they really need are the basics, Develop the bits, castle, the centre.... and off they go.
Roger mentioned Red Hot Pawn, recently I posted a column begging my readers
not to get better because the freshness of their ideas kept me in column inches.
(I also lamented the fact I cannot play like that anymore.)
http://www.redhotpawn.com/blog/blogread ... postid=204
Here Black to play, what would you do.
The idea is unsound, the concept is brilliant and it worked!
Black can see the White King and Queen are in a Knight fork pattern, (Nf3+).
But the g2 pawn is stopping Nf3+.
But wait! If Nf3+ and gxf3 then the Black Queen can give a check on g5.
No that is no good because with a pawn on f3 the White Queen can interpose with Qg4.
So Black figured out. Nf3+ and Qg5+ and to stop Qg4 he played. 11...h5.
The possiblity that White may not take the Knight on f3 never entered his mind.
It never entered White's mind either.
12 e6 Nf3+
White resigned because he losing his Queen or getting mated. But....
13.Kh1 Nxd4 14.exf7.
Is Chess not a wonderful game.
So please no more advice about how to improve. I need these people, I love these people.