The article discusses the methods of debut training of athletes in the sport of chess, their improvement and increasing efficiency in the process of developing a sport. The specificity of opening preparation is studied in modern conditions, characterized by the prevailing advantage of computer programs over athletes in the strength of the game, massive access of athletes to large volumes of specialized information and the possibility of using computers in training, which allows us to consider the “computer” as a factor directly affecting the change in the conditions of activity and training athletes. The technique of playing in the opening stage of the game - “playing based on opening novelties” - is considered as the most striking example of the influence of computer technologies on opening preparation. The authors consider the technique of the game based on the description in specialized literature, specify the scope of its application, specifics, give a definition. The article considers in the historical aspect the dependence in sports of the highest achievements between the use of computer technology achievements in opening preparation and the increase in the effectiveness of the game, the tendency to widespread use of opening novelties as a fundamental principle of playing the opening stage of the game. An overview of the individual, group and cluster methods of opening preparation is carried out, the use of the systems “man - computer”, “man - neural network - computer”. The authors of the article consider it possible to transfer the methods of debut training from high - performance sports to the system of sports schools in order to increase the effectiveness of training a sports reserve. It is proposed to introduce the necessary changes in the programs of sports training and the creation of material, technical and personnel conditions conducive to this.