Chess Basics: Opening Principles

A chess game has three phases: the opening, middlegame, and endgame. In the opening, players aim to accomplish a set of goals that help them set up a strong position and increase their chances of winning. These are known as the opening principles. 

Let’s explore what these principles are, why they matter, and how to apply them in a game.

The Opening Principles in Chess

There are three main objectives chess players try to achieve within the first 10-15 moves of every game:

• Control the center

• Develop the pieces from the back rank

• Castle

Each move a player makes in the opening should have a purpose and get the player closer to accomplishing at least one of these three goals. Failing to accomplish any of these goals can make it difficult for a player to succeed. 

#1: Get Control of the Center

At the beginning of the game, White and Black are battling for control of the four squares in the middle of the chess board: d5, d5, e4, and e5, marked by red dots in the diagram above.

Pieces in the center typically have a broader reach than pieces on the edge or in the corner of the board, so the player with the most pieces in this area tends to control the most territory overall. 

#2: Develop Your Pieces

The main way players gain control of the center is by developing their pieces. This means moving pieces from the back rank, especially the knights and bishops, off of their starting squares and into the game. 

Here’s an example position showing White’s pieces developed and controlling the center:

Failing to develop quickly can leave a player far behind their opponent and make it difficult to catch up. Once enemy pieces have moved into the middle of the board and begun to control key squares, finding safe spots for pieces to travel to can be tough, if not impossible.  

#3: Castle Your King

Once most of the back rank pieces have developed and control of the center has been established, the next order of business is castling the king. This should be done as soon as possible; the longer a player waits to castle, the higher the likelihood something will happen that prevents them from castling at all. 

In the example below, White has followed the opening principles and castled their king on their last move. Black has not followed the opening principles and now finds themself in a far weaker position:

Look how much more territory White controls than Black. By moving with purpose, developing quickly, and castling as soon as possible, White has established a solid lead before they’ve even captured any pieces.