Opening Principles Tutorial



1.
[{B:rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/32/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR}{W:003_051}The first and foremost thing that the aspiring chess player must understand is that chess is a game of coordination, a team game. Your pieces and your pawns are your team. In fact, they are your army. You are their leader!]

2.
[{W:003_053}Once this association is clearly understood, you will realize the need for coordinated actions. If your army is not working as a team, having an overall plan of action, you will lose. Further, you will not even have a clue as to why you are losing. You will continue to be savaged by better-skilled army captains. The principles have been proven.]

3.
[{W:003_056}Chess is well over 1,400 years old. It has been said that there are more books on chess than on any other sport. While this may be hard to prove, the point is well-taken. There has been a huge amount of written wisdom on chess.]

4.
[{W:003_057}A lot of this wisdom can be boiled-down to a few well-honed principles of play - principles that you should know and take to heart. The most important principles of play are those for the opening. Let's face it, if you don't know how to open the game, you're liable to be crushed.]

5.
[{W:003_059}The following principles don't guarantee safety, but will act as a guide. They are:]

6.
[{B:rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/32/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR}{D:1000}{N:e2d2d7e7}{D:1500}{C}{S:e2e4}{D:400}{S:e7e5}{W:003_060}1) Open the game with a center pawn.]

7.
[{C}{B:rnbqkbnr/pppp1ppp/8/4p3/4P3/8/PPPP1PPP/RNBQKBNR}{D:1500}{N:g1}{A:Wg1f3}{D:1500}{R}{N:f1}{A:Wf1b5}{D:1000}{R}{C}{S:g1f3}{W:003_061}2) Develop your Knights before your Bishops.]

8.
[{B:r1bqkbnr/ppp3pp/2np1p2/4p3/3PP3/2P2N2/PP3PPP/RNBQKB1R}{N:d1}{D:4000}{C}{S:f1b5}{W:003_062}3) Don't move your Queen too soon in the opening.]

9.
[{B:r1bqkbnr/ppp3pp/3p1p2/1B2p3/3nP3/2P2N2/PP3PPP/RNBQK2R}{D:1000}{S:h1f1}{S:e1g1}{W:003_063}4) Castle early in order to protect your King.]

10.
[{B:r1bqkb1r/ppp1n1pp/5p2/1B1P4/3p4/5N2/PP3PPP/RNBQ1RK1}{A:Wf1e1}{D:1500}{R}{S:f1e1}{W:003_064}5) Develop your Rooks to central or open files.]

11.
[{B:2kr3r/pp2q2p/n1p1bp2/2P3B1/1N1p2Q1/3P4/PP3PPP/R3R1K1}{W:003_065}6) Look to develop an attack after you have fully mobilized your pieces.]

12.
[{B:2krr3/ppp4p/4bp2/3Pb1n1/2Bp4/1P1NBN2/P4PPP/R3R1K1}{A:Wf3e5}{A:Wd3e5}{D:2000}{R}{A:Wf3e5}{D:500}{R}{S:f3e5}{W:003_066}7) Capture towards the center.]

13.
[{W:003_067}8) If you violate the above, your opponent will swiftly deal with you!]

14.
[{B:rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/32/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR}{W:003_068}These Opening Principles, taken as a whole, all talk about planning and coordination. You aim to control the center, mobilize and then, with coordinated motion, you go for the thrust and win.]

15.
[{W:003_070}By using and understanding these opening principles, you will stop being a beginner. You may even win a few games.]

16.
[{B:64}{F:B}{B:rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/16/3P4/8/PPP1PPPP/RNBQKBNR BLACK}
{Q:Which Pawn should Black move first?{W:003_Q1};
a7;Sorry, that's not correct.{W:stnc};
d7;Correct.{W:cor};
g7;Sorry, that's not correct.{W:stnc};2}]

17.
[{B:64}{F:W}{B:r2qk2r/pp2bppp/2n2n2/2P5/Q1P3B1/2B2N1P/PP3PP1/RN3RK1}
{V:To which square should White move his Rook?{W:003_Q2};
f1e1;That's right.{W:tr};
There's a better move.{W:tbm}}]

18.
[{B:rnbqkbnr/1pp1pppp/p7/3p4/3P4/4P3/PPP2PPP/RNBQKBNR}
{Q:In this set-up, should White move his Knight or his Bishop?{W:003_Q3};
Knight;That's correct.{W:tc};
Bishop;That's not the correct answer.{W:tnca};1}]

19.
[{B:64}{F:B}{B:rnbqkbnr/pppp1ppp/8/4p3/4P3/5N2/PPPP1PPP/RNBQKB1R BLACK}
{Q:In this set-up, should Black move his Pawn or his Queen?{W:003_Q4};
Pawn;You got it right.{W:ygir};
Queen;No, that's not correct.{W:ntnc};1}]

20.
[{B:64}{F:W}{B:rnbqk1nr/pp3p1p/6pb/4p3/4P3/3B1N2/PP3PPP/RNBQK2R}
{Q:Should White castle or take Black's Bishop?{W:003_Q5};
Castle;Correct.{W:cor};
Take Bishop;Sorry, that's not correct.{W:stnc};1}]

21.
[{B:64}{F:B}{B:rnbqk2r/ppp1bppp/3p1n2/4p3/1P2P1P1/BQP5/P2P1P1P/RN2KBNR BLACK}
{Q:Which Pawn should Black's Knight capture?{W:003_Q6};
e4;That's right.{W:tr};
g4;Sorry, that's not the right answer.{W:snra};1}]

22.
[{B:rnbqkbnr/pppp1ppp/8/4p3/4P3/5N2/PPPP1PPP/RNBQKB1R}
{Q:Which piece should Black move next?{W:003_Q7};
g7 Pawn;No, that's not correct.{W:ntnc};
b8 Knight;You got it right.{W:ygir};
The Queen;No, that's not correct.{W:ntnc};2}]