There is no need to take the game further - we see rapid development, a race to control the center squares and get the King to safety. Below are some typical chess opening moves, which illustrate the back-and-forth fight to dominate the center squares.

Notice that even the Black King has only three squares (yellow arrows) under control.Ĭenter occupation and central control, getting the King castled to safety these are the two principles of chess strategy behind all popular chess openings. But the poor Black Knight in the corner only has two (yellow) squares, its mobility cut by 75% - plus the White King, attacking eight squares, can move in (red arrow) to capture the Knight. The centrally placed White Knight can move to eight (green) squares it attacks and controls them.

Here's an example using only the Kings and a Knight for each side: Why? In chess geometry the center is important because each chess piece exercises maximum mobility in the center. These are the four squares right in the middle of the chess board (shown here in green):Įvery chess opening aims to occupy or control these central squares. The underlying principle of chess strategy in the opening phase is control of the board's center squares. But for right now, these chess tips are excellent to follow during the first few moves of your game. Later you'll notice that on occasion (rarely) it's best to ignore a principle of chess strategy in the opening nothing here is carved in granite. Aimed at beginners who know only the rules and moves, there is no talk about specific openings or strings of moves to memorize only general chess strategy principles to think about when starting a chess game. This page will provide you with some very simple, easy guidelines in chess strategy for playing the chess opening. It's usually after several moves of a typical chess game that the question arises, 'What now?' Here we will discuss general chess principles in the chess opening. Later you will discover many resources to aid in further improvement.īeginning chess players discover very quickly that learning how the pieces move is only the tip of the chess playing iceberg. The chess strategy outlined below will get any new chess player on the road to understanding correct chess opening strategy - how to control the chess board from move one. What is chess strategy? The art of chess strategy is knowing how to formulate a plan for the chess game, and arrange your chess pieces to accomplish this plan.

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