Chess Opening Principles Control the Center For new players, learning the numerous gambits, defenses, attacks

and variations of chess openings can seem like an impossible task. Trying to learn detailed op ening lines is not only unnecessary for beginners, but probably counterproductiv e. Instead, new players should first learn the basic principles of chess openings. These principles not only set out a good, general guide on how to play the openi ng, but also help to make sense of more advanced opening theory. Our first opening principle is control of the center. The center -- particularly , the squares e4, d4, e5 and d5 -- is the most important area of the chessboard; control of the center allows more mobility for the pieces, as well as easy acce ss to all parts of the board. Attacks in the center also tend to be the most eff ective. These factors often turn the opening into a fierce battle for central co ntrol between the two sides. In the diagram above, White has done an excellent job in establishing control of the center. His pawns on e4 and d4 control many key squares, while the knights on f3 and c3 are well placed to quickly jump wherever they may be needed. Conversely, Black has played the first few moves poorly. His pawns on a5 and h5 do not influence the center at all, and his knights on a6 and h6 are limited in their movements. King Safety In the opening, it is crucial to keep king safety in mind. Weakening the positio n of the king can lead to quick losses, or force the sacrifice of material to ke ep our king from being checkmated. Similarly, if the opponent's king looks vulne rable, it is important to exploit this before the king can find a more secure po sition. Often, the f-pawn (f2 for White, f7 for Black) is the weakest point in the openi ng for each side. The diagram above arises after the moves 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 f6? 3 . Nxe5 fxe5 4. Qh5+. White is taking advantage of the weak e8-h5 diagonal create d by Black's second move, and has a large advantage. Sometimes, these weaknesses can even result in quick checkmates. One example whi ch works on the same idea of weakness along the king's diagonal is the Fool's Ma te. King s Safety - Castling As king safety is so important, it is usually advisable to castle early, particu larly for beginners. A castled king is typically safer than one in the middle of the board, and castling will usually avoid the quick checkmates that can be fru strating for beginners. In the diagram above, both players have castled within the first 5 moves of the game. Both kings are quite safe, and neither player needs to fear a quick checkm ate. It is also worth noting that the positions around the kings -- specifically, the three pawns in front of the castled kings -- have not been disturbed. Moving th ese pawns in the opening will generally make the king very vulnerable, as it ope ns lines of attack for the other player's pieces. Development When the game begins, the pieces have little influence. The knights are the only pieces which can move off the bank rank; the others need pawns to move so that they can enter the battlefield.

The process of bringing the pieces off of the bank rank and into the game is kno wn as development. It is important to develop quickly; the player who is ahead i n development has an advantage, as they have better chances to attack or gain th e initiative. Development is more than just moving pieces. There are several principles to kee p in mind when developing. Knights and bishops should be developed first. In general, minor pieces should b e brought into the game before the major pieces. Knights and bishops can influen ce the center and create attacking opportunities, while being less vulnerable to attacks than rooks or the queen. Don't overuse the queen early. Related to the previous principle, moving the que en around early in the game is often a mistake. While the queen is valuable, thi s also makes it vulnerable; every time it is attacked by a weaker piece, it must move to avoid capture. After all, trading a queen for a knight or bishop isn't a good idea. Don't move the same piece multiple times in the opening unless necessary. It is more important to bring many pieces into play, and attacks using only one or two pieces are rarely successful. Develop with threats. Threatening the opponent's pieces will force him to take d efensive action, rather than continuing his own development. In the diagram above (which arises after the moves 1. e4 e5 2. Qg4 d6 3. Qh5 Nf6 4. Qf3 Bg4 5. Qa3 d5 6. Qa5 Nc6 7. Qa4), White has only developed his queen, le aving him far behind Black. Meanwhile, Black has followed the principles of deve lopment well, bringing three pieces into play and constantly harassing White's q ueen. Freeedom Freedom is related to development. In the opening, it's important to allow the p ieces to move freely into the game, facilitating healthy development. When piece s or the central pawns are blocked, it makes it much more difficult to develop p roperly. Pieces should also be developed to squares where they have great freedom of move ment. A piece that has very limited movement is not much better than one still o n its starting square. A common mistake made by beginners is developing one piece to a square that hind ers the development of other pieces. In the above diagram, both players have dev eloped their kingside bishop to the square in front of their d-pawn (d3 for Whit e, d6 for Black). While developing a bishop is a good idea, the placement of the se bishops prevents each player from moving their d-pawn, making it more difficu lt to develop their queenside bishops or gain more control over the center. In addition, both bishops are now hemmed in somewhat by their own e-pawns, which block their movements along one diagonal. For instance, the White bishop would have been better developed to c4 or e2, where it would have had freedom of movem ent in two directions. Similarly, the Black bishop would have more freedom on ei ther c5 or e7.