Chess — Strategy

Opening

The opening is the first 10–15 moves. Its job is not to win at once but to develop the pieces, take the centre and tuck the king away. An amateur does not need to memorise long lines: it matters more to understand why each move is played.

Three rules

• The centre. Pawns on e4 and d4 (e5 and d5 for Black) give your pieces room and take it away from the opponent's.
• Development. Knights and bishops first, then rooks and the queen. Do not move one piece twice without a reason while the others are still at home.
• King to safety. Castle within the first 10 moves and leave the pawns in front of the castled king alone unless you must.

Common mistakes

• Bringing the queen out early. It gets chased by knights and bishops, and every such move is a tempo for the opponent.
• Pawn grabbing. A pawn is not worth three moves taken from development.
• The weak f7 (f2). Before castling only the king defends it. The Scholar's Mate (Qh5, Bc4, Qxf7#) strikes right there.

Where to start

Pick one opening as White and one reply each to 1.e4 and 1.d4, and keep playing them until you understand their typical plans.

Chess variants

• Chess960. Memorised openings do not work, but the rules stay the same:centre, development, king safety. Before your first move, check which pawns are undefended and where corner bishops aim along the long diagonal.
• King of the Hill. The centre is not just space but the goal: a king ond4, e4, d5 or e5 wins. Keep the central squares covered, and do not let the enemy king walk in after the queens come off.
• Three-check. Every check counts, so close the diagonals to your king earlier than usual and be in no hurry to push the f-pawn.