ChessschoolChess opening principles for beginners
Good opening habits are more useful than memorising a long sequence without understanding it.
Fight for the centre
Central pawns and active pieces influence important squares. Start with a sensible centre move such as e4 or d4, but check the opponent’s reply before making your next move.
Develop and protect your king
Bring out knights and bishops, avoid unnecessary repeated moves and prepare castling. The queen can be attacked by developing pieces, so do not send it out early without a reason.
Use a model line
A simple example is 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5. Both sides develop towards the centre. You still need to react to threats: an opening principle never makes an illegal or losing move safe.
Try it yourself
Why is developing a new piece often better than moving the same knight again?
Check the answer
It brings another piece into play and connects your position, unless a concrete threat requires the knight move.
Put it into practice
Open the related lesson Practise with puzzles
Sources and corrections
For the official rules, see the FIDE Laws of Chess. Found an error? Send the position and page address.