Transcript Chess Merit Badge Chess Opening Principles by Joseph L. Bell © 2011 Chess Openings • What Are Chess Openings? • Opening Principles • Some Chess Openings Page.

Chess Merit Badge
Chess Opening Principles
by Joseph L. Bell
© 2011
Chess Openings
• What Are Chess Openings?
• Opening Principles
• Some Chess Openings
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Chess Openings
• The opening refers to the first several
moves by both players.
• In most games the opening is the first
four to ten moves.
• Openings are often named after the
first famous player who used them
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What Opening to Use?
• It Depends:
– Try lots of them as a beginner
– Read about openings you are comfortable
with
– Consider your playing style and
preferences (closed/open, wild/cautious)
– How much theory do you have to
memorize to be effective is different for
various openings
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Opening Principles
• Development
• Control the Center
• Castling
• Pawn Structure
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Development
• Do develop minor pieces before major
pieces (B & N, before Q & R)
• Make the first Knight move toward the
center (c3, f3, c6, f6)
• The first Bishop move should attack
something or defend important square
• Learn from your mistakes
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Development
• Do NOT develop your Queen early
• Do NOT open with Rook pawns (a, h)
• Do NOT move the same piece many
times
• Do NOT put Knights on the edge,
unless required for defense
• Avoid blocking Pawns with Bishops
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Control the Center
• If you control more of the center
squares, it is easier to defend and
harder for your opponent to attack
• The “Sweet Center” (d4, d5, e4, e5)
squares are the most important
“Once we have chosen the right formation in the centre we
have created opportunities for our pieces and laid the
foundation of subsequent victory.”
- Alexander Kotov, Grandmaster
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Castling
• Castling makes the King safer by
moving him away from the center.
• Castling is efficient: 2 King moves in 1,
and it develops a Rook
• The option to castle to BOTH sides can
make your opponent commit to an
attack before you change the subject
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Pawn Structure
• Pawns do not move backward, so
carefully choose pawn moves
• Avoid moving pawns in front of a
castled King without a reason
• Pawn chains are stronger than isolated
pawns
• Attack the base of a pawn chain, where
it is weakest
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Pawn Structure (cont’d)
• Capablanca’s Rule: To create a pawn
majority, advance the unopposed pawn
(before the rest of the pawn majority)
• Recognize types of Pawn Centers:
Open, Closed, Blocked, Fixed, Mobile,
Dynamic
• Accumulate small advantages in pawn
control
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Some Chess Openings
– Ruy Lopez 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4.
Ba4
– Caro-Kann 1. e4 c6
– Scandinavian Defense (center-counter) 1.
e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. d4 Nf6
– King’s Indian 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3
– Queen’s Gambit 1. d4 d5 2. c4
– Colle System 1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. e3 e6
4. Bd3 c5 5. c3
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Books on Chess Openings
• Chess Openings: Traps and Zaps
(Pandolfini)
• Batsford Chess Openings (Kasparov &
Keene)
“In the opening a master should play like a book,
in the mid-game he should play like a magician,
in the ending he should play like a machine.
– Rudolph Spielmann, Grandmaster
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Opening Principles
• Development
• Control the Center
• Castling
• Pawn Structure
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Requirements
4. Do the following:
b. Discuss the differences between the
opening, the middle game, and the
endgame.
c. Explain four opening principles.
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Questions ?
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