Basic Opening Principles

Basic Principales

The first lesson you must learn on the road to improving your chess game is to get your priorities straight. Not only should you not be trying to checkmate your opponent in the opening, but you shouldn’t even be trying to win material (that is, to gain advantage in the relative value of your pieces). Save both objectives for later in the game. The primary objective of the opening is the rapid deployment of your pieces to their optimal posts. You can’t put a piece on a good square, however, if that piece can easily be driven away by your opponent’s pieces. So getting your pieces not only on good squares, but also on safe squares, is critical to your opening game.

1. CONTROL THE CENTER

( e4,d4,e5,d5 ) So that you will gain the initiative in the center and will have good space.

2. Control or occupy the center

The center of the board holds the key to a chess game.

3. Castle your king

The king needs to be safe, as you are going to start attacking in the middlegame and you should not allow any attack on your king.You can castle on the Kingside (o-o) or the Queenside (o-o-o) – which one depends on the opening you play.

4. Do not move the same piece or pawn twice

unless it creates a huge attack against your opponent or you are winning material (opening stage only).

5. Do not move your queen

Unless it builds a huge attack on your opponent or you are winning material; the reason for this is that your opponent can easily attack your queen with his minor pieces and you will have to waste some moves on retreating your queen (opening stage only).

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