Five Basic Rules for Opening Play
“I don’t know what to do!”
“How do I form a plan?”
“I just make any old move.”
“I’m completely bewildered.”
Rueful remarks like these more or less sum up the way inexperienced players feel at the start of a game.
Some players are so puzzled that they fly to the opposite extreme. They clamor for a foolproof plan that will provide the whole course of the future play.
No chess book can do the whole job, nor would we want it to. We want our own initiative, our own spontaneity, our own fun in playing our own game.
We cannot expect to be infallible. Even the multimillion-dollar electric brains are not infallible. There is the story of a scientist who had developed a mechanical calculator capable of doing the most complicated problems in jigtime. On one occasion when the machine was being demonstrated, an exceptionally difficult problem was given to the electric brain.
The scientist pushed a button. The machine banged and clattered and hissed. Bright lights flashed on and off as its “innards” heaved to solve the problem. At last, after a loud crash the answer appeared:
“Drop dead!” Something had gone wrong.
Some such result bedevils us when we try to follow instructions too literally and too far. So let us try to find some generally helpful procedures, instead of looking for infallible methods.
The main difficulty of most players at the start of a game, as we’ve seen, is lack of plan.
To get over that hurdle, you don’t need a very elaborate plan of campaign. Many skillful public speakers will tell you they can deliver a much more effective speech from rough notes of a few basic ideas than from a completely prepared talk in which every last syllable is spelled out and every semicolon is carefully indicated.
The same applies to chess as well. What you need for the opening stage are a few basic rules that will work because they apply to all kinds of opening position.
And because these rules do work, they will keep you out of trouble; they will give you confidence; they will provide the momentum for reaching the middlegame with a promising position.
These basic rules can be expressed in both positive and negative form. We’ll state them both ways for some learn best from such instructions as, “Keep off the grass.” Others find more meaning in such instructions as, “Stay on the sidewalk.”
So here are the five basic rules:
1. Bring out your pieces and pawns so that they bear on the center squares of the board.
(or: Don’t neglect the center squares.)
2. Develop your pieces rapidly.
(or: Don’t neglect your development.)
3. Develop your pieces effectively.
(or: Don’t make repeated moves with the same piece.)
4. Guard your king against enemy attack.
(or: Don’t ignore the welfare of your king.)
5. Postpone the development of the queen.
(or: Don’t play the queen out early in the game.)
By “the center” we mean the central group of squares indicated by crosses in the diagram. (D)
We know from a vast amount of experience that pieces are placed at their best in or near the center. From this sector they can move rapidly to any other part of the board.
On the other hand, a piece that is kept at home is ineffectual. And if played to the side of the board, a piece is generally out of the battle.
If you place your pawns in the center, you prevent hostile pieces from moving to the squares commanded by those pawns. For that reason pawn to e4 (e4) is a splendid opening move. (D)
After 1.e2-e4
Your first move has accomplished a number of important things for you. It places the king pawn on an important center square. It prevents your opponent from bringing his pieces to d5 and f5, the two squares commanded by your pawn at e4.
Nor is this all that this first move accomplishes for you. Study the diagram and you will observe that the move of the e-pawn has opened the diagonal of your king bishop (now still at home at f1). You have also made it possible for your queen to move. However, you do not want to move that piece too early in the game.
Now what should Black do? On this point he can consult the great Chigorin, one of the outstanding masters of the nineteenth century.
When Chigorin had White, he played pawn to e4 (1.e4) on his first move and felt that he had the better of it. When he had Black, he answered his opponent’s pawn to e4 (1.e4) by playing ...pawn to e5 (1...e5) in the sincere conviction that he had at least an even game.
This may sound like bad logic, but it is good psychology, and we will adopt it. Black answers ...pawn to e5 (1...e5) and thus gives his position all the benefits White obtained from the same move. (D)
After 1...e7-e5
Let’s sum up the first rule in this way, then: Play to control the center, and always play out the king pawn (e-pawn) on your first move.
To win games, you have to put your pieces to work. They exert no force while roosting on their initial squares. To “develop” means to play them out so they can come to grips with the enemy. The faster they develop, the faster you can become aggressive.
Now back to our last diagram. You can play out your king knight (at g1) or you can develop your king bishop (at f1). What should be your choice?
Well, let’s see. Bishops move on diagonals and they sometimes have a choice of several possible squares on a diagonal. Thus, you can play bishop to c4 (Bc4); although bishop to b5 (Bb5) may seem desirable a little later.
Suppose on the other hand, we consider moving out the knight first. Can we reach an immediate decision about where to move the knight? Yes we can.
We have a choice of knight to h3 (Nh3); or knight to e2 (Ne2); or knight to f3 (Nf3). (D)
After 2.Ng1-h3
This is the position we will have if we play knight to h3 (2.Nh3). It is not inviting, for the knight has little scope at h3. It has only three possible moves, none of them located to a square in the center. (Because of its short hopping move, the knight is best placed in the center.)
For these reasons, we rule out knight to h3 (Nh3). And precisely for these reasons, knights are rarely played to squares on the rook files (a-or h-files). Now let’s consider another possibility: knight to e2 (2.Ne2). (D)
After 2.Ng1-e2
This is the position we reach after knight to e2 (Ne2). This development is also not inviting, although the knight does have five possible moves from the e2-square.
Another merit of playing the knight to e2 is that it strikes at the d4-square – one of the vital center squares.
But these advantages are completely cancelled out by the fact that the knight at e2 blocks the development of White’s king bishop at f1. Always distrust opening moves that block the development of some other piece!
Now only one other move is left for White’s king knight, That move is shown in the next diagram: knight to f3 (2.Nf3). (D)
The more we study this move the more it appeals to us. First, the knight attacks Black’s e-pawn at e5 and threatens to capture it. Development plus attack is the most economical form of development there is. Black is already on the defensive.
After 2.Ng1-f3
Secondly, on f3 the knight has far more scope than the knight gets from playing to h3 or e2. Note also that the knight strikes at two important center squares – e5 and d4. This tells us that the knight has a fine future at f3.
A final point – at this square the knight does not block the development of White’s king bishop.
Now we come to two conclusions:
1. The king knight should almost invariably go to f3 in the opening. You can forget about the alternative possibilities for this knight.
2. We know where we want to develop the king knight, whereas the king bishop’s development is still in doubt. Therefore we develop the king knight before the king bishop.
Let’s return to the last diagram to see how Black proceeds. He needs to protect his king pawn at e5, and he ought to do it with a developing move. The answer as seen in the next diagram: ...knight to c6 (2...Nc6). (D)
After 2...Nb8-c6
Black has done well. His e5-pawn is defended. Now it is White’s turn, and the logical move is to play out his bishop. He has two moves, either one quite good: bishop to c4 (3.Bc4), or bishop to b5 (3.Bb5).
This is an example of simple, purposeful development that will serve you well in game after game. Thus your opening problems are greatly simplified.
You can pay a heavy price for neglecting your development; therefore, don’t lose valuable time by running after some decoy pawn. Such a chase will cost you time and effort. It will leave you way behind in development and very likely expose you to sharp retaliation.
Don’t make one pawn move after another – as many players do because they don’t understand the value of development. Take the following position, after each side has made six moves: (D)
White has played out both his center pawns; he has developed both knights to their best squares; he has developed his king bishop; he has castled, bringing his king to safety. In short, White has achieved a great deal in six moves.
What has Black done? He has moved six pawns, and his utterly miserable position offers no promise whatever. Broadly speaking, many games are won or lost in the opening. Here it is no exaggeration to say that Black has lost the game in the opening.
This rule tells us it is not enough to develop rapidly; we must also develop effectively. In other words, bring pieces out to their best squares – the squares on which they do their best work. In the diagrams on pages 56-57 we see poor development of White’s king knight. On page 57 we see splendid development of the same knight.
Again as in the first diagram on page 58 we see that Black played out his queen knight with maximum effect (2...Nb8-c6). This piece is now admirably developed.
Suppose we take another look at the diagram. White wants to play out his king bishop. But where should this piece play? Suppose White tries bishop to d3 (3.Bd3). (D)
After 3.Bf1-d3
The development of the bishop to d3 is development, to be sure – but very bad development. Why is this so? The bishop move is shortsighted because it blocks White’s d-pawn at d2 and therefore makes it impossible to develop White’s other bishop at c1. This second bishop cannot move until the d-pawn advances and makes room for the development of the bishop.
On the other hand, suppose White plays bishop to c4 (3.Bc4), producing our next diagram. (D)
After 3.Bf1-c4
This bishop development is excellent. The bishop bears down effectively on the important central square d5 and points menacingly along the diagonal leading to the neighborhood of the black king.
At the same time White’s d2-pawn is free to advance, so that the development of White’s other bishop is not held back.
Now for the negative aspect of this rule: Don’t make repeated moves with the same piece or pawn.
When a player has no opening plan and no opening rules to go by, he is very likely to move the same piece – or pawn – repeatedly.
The result is that he falls far behind in development, with a loss of time that is generally impossible to make up. You can avoid these repetitious moves by moving a piece to its best square and leaving it on that square.
The initial position of your king, on a center file, is not a good one. As more and more pieces swing into action, you will find that the king is exposed to heavy attack.
Therefore you do well to castle early and tuck your king at the side of the board where it will be hard for the enemy to strike at the king.
Let’s see how this is accomplished from our previous diagram position. Black plays ...bishop to c5 (3...Bc5) and in reply White castles (4.0-0). This leads to the following position. (D)
After 4.castles (4.0-0)
Now White’s king is much safer than it was at its original square. Meanwhile White has brought his king rook to a square where it plays a more active role than at its original corner square.
Getting your king into safety by castling is one of the most important moves in the game. But if you look back a bit, you see that White’s castling was made possible by playing out his king pawn, his knight, and his bishop.
So there you see an additional and automatic value of development: it helps you castle early and assure the safety of your king.
Of course the same reasoning applies to Black in the above diagram. His immediate task is to play ...knight to f6 (...Nf6). He will then be ready to castle and get his king into safety.
Playing out the queen early has a great fascination for many players, because they are awed by the great power of this piece. However, it is precisely the power of the queen that makes it vulnerable. Take the situation in the next diagram, where White has aimlessly played out his queen at a very early stage, attacking three pawns that are all defended. (D)
Black to play
White last move was queen to h5 (3.Qd1-h5). Black’s reaction to the meaningless queen move is a disdainful “So what?” He plays ...knight to f6 (3...Nf6) developing with a gain of time. (D)
After 3...Ng8-f6
The knight thus plays to its best square. At the same time it attacks White’s wayward queen, which must waste a move for abashed retreat. Then it is Black’s turn to move again. White has lost the initiative.
Early queen moves must at least have the justification of working in combination with another piece. When the queen goes gallivanting in the early stages of a game, it is fairly certain that it will return home with nothing accomplished.
What have we learned about opening play that can help us to be winners at chess?
Here are the main points for playing the opening effectively:
These rules are easy to follow. Often you will find that following one rule enables you to follow another one at the same time. For example, if you develop your pieces consistently, you will avoid useless pawn moves.
Above all, following these rules helps you to be a winner at chess because they give you an objective; they give you a method for starting the game.
This spots you a definite advantage over the vast majority of players who start the game in a mood of aimless drifting.
Aimlessness is a likely prelude to losing. Purposeful play is an aid to setting up winning positions.