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Opening

Three opening rules that decide the outcome of a game

The centre, piece development and king safety — three simple rules that determine who will be calling the shots by move 10. We go through each one with concrete positions.

📅 24 June 2026 ⏱ 14 min read 🎯 Level: beginner

Why the opening matters so much

The opening is the first 10–15 moves of a game, while the pieces are still at home. It seems hard to go wrong here: there are few moves and almost no tactics. In fact, it’s in the opening that the foundation for everything that follows is laid — who will control the centre of the board, whose pieces will get into the game faster, and whose king will be safe when the real fight begins.

The good news: you don’t need to memorise dozens of opening lines. Three rules are enough — and they work in any game, whatever your opponent plays.

Rule 1. Take the centre

The four central squares — d4, d5, e4, e5 — are the most valuable on the board. A piece in the centre controls more squares than the same piece on the edge: a knight on e4 covers eight squares, while the same knight on a4 covers only four. That’s why your first moves are best spent on pawns and pieces that fight for the centre, not on the flanks.

Example 1. Pawns in the centre — room for the pieces

Diagram 1 · Centre After 1.e4 Nf6 2.Nc3 d6 3.d4
the four central squares

White’s pawns on d4 and e4 have taken the centre and are fully protected — the e4 pawn is covered by the knight on c3, so taking ...Nxe4 simply gives Black’s knight away for a pawn. Black has played d6 to prepare development but isn’t challenging the centre directly yet. The pawns control c5, d5, e5, f5: the opponent is cramped, while White’s pieces, on the contrary, have open roads into the game.

Example 2. Flank moves — wasted time

Diagram 2 · Centre After 1.a4 d5 2.h4 e5
Black has got the centre

White’s pawns on a4 and h4 stand on the edge of the board and have almost no influence on the game. While White was pushing the edge pawns, Black calmly occupied d5 and e5 — the whole centre is already theirs, and Black’s very first developed pieces will work more effectively.

How to check yourself

Before every move in the opening, ask: “Does this move fight for the centre — by itself or through a piece that’s aimed at it?” If the answer is “no”, there’s probably a better move.

Rule 2. Develop your pieces quickly — and in the right order

To develop a piece means to bring it out from its starting position to where it controls important squares and is ready for action. The winner is usually the one who has more pieces in play by move 10. There’s also an order that works best: knights first, then bishops, then castling, and only after that the rooks and the queen.

Example 3. Knights first

Diagram 3 · Development After 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6
squares controlled by the knights

The knights on f3 and c6 are aimed at the centre straight away — the f3 knight covers d4, e5, g5, h4, and the c6 knight symmetrically covers d4, e5, b4, a5. Unlike a bishop, a knight’s best square in the opening is almost always obvious — which is why it’s convenient to develop it first.

Example 4. The bishop aims at the weak f7 square

Diagram 4 · Development After 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4
diagonal towards f7

The bishop on c4 hasn’t just come out of the corner — it’s looking straight at f7, a square that at the start of the game is protected only by the black king. One move both develops a piece and creates a future threat — that’s what an efficient opening move looks like.

Example 5. Bringing the queen out early costs a tempo

Diagram 5 · Development After 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.Qh5?! g6
queen attacked by the g6 pawn

Both sides have already developed their knights, but White has still brought the queen out to h5 too early — the bishops and rooks are still at home. With g6 Black’s pawn attacks the queen, and White will have to spend another move retreating — a second move in a row with the same piece while development stalls.

Example 6. Moving one piece twice = minus a tempo

Diagram 6 · Development After 1.Nc3 Nf6 2.Na4 Nc6
Black’s knights on c6 and f6

White’s knight is already changing squares for the second time (Nc3–a4) and ends up on the passive edge of the board, where it has almost no influence on the game. Meanwhile, in the same number of moves Black has brought out two different knights — to c6 and f6, both towards the centre. In the opening it’s better to place a piece well once than to shuffle the same piece around several times.

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Rule 3. Look after your king’s safety

While the king stays in the centre, it’s exposed to any open file or diagonal. Castling solves two problems at once: it takes the king to the corner, away from the action in the centre, and brings a rook into the game. As a rule, the earlier you castle, the safer the game.

Example 7. Castling — the king behind a pawn shield

Diagram 7 · King safety After 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.O-O
pawn shield f2–g2–h2

After castling kingside, the king stands on g1 behind a full pawn shield f2–g2–h2, and the rook has moved from h1 to f1, closer to the centre. The king is no longer threatened by attacks along the central files.

Example 8. King in the centre — on an open file

Diagram 8 · King safety After 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4
the open e-file

Both e-pawns were exchanged in the very first moves, and the file between the kings is completely open — yet neither the white king on e1 nor the black king on e8 has had time to castle. For now there’s nobody on the file except the kings, but not for long: as soon as a rook or queen gets onto it, whoever hasn’t castled will come under direct attack. Here it’s especially important not to delay castling.

All three rules together

On its own each rule is simple, but they really work together: while you’re fighting for the centre and developing your pieces, try not to forget about castling — ideally within the first 6–8 moves, as soon as the king’s path is clear.

Example 9. A model opening — centre, development, castling

Diagram 9 · Summary After 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.O-O Nf6 5.d3 O-O
both kings are already safe

By move five both sides have a pawn in the centre, both knights and a bishop developed, and the king castled. No piece has moved twice, none came out too early — and almost all the pieces are still on the board. That’s the three rules working at the same time.

Typical opening mistakes

  • Pushing flank pawns (a4, h4, a3, h3) instead of fighting for the centre
  • Bringing the queen out on move 2–3 and losing a tempo retreating it when it’s attacked
  • Moving the same piece several times without a good reason
  • Developing bishops before knights, even though the best square for the bishop isn’t clear yet
  • Putting off castling and leaving the king in the centre facing open lines
  • Playing only with pawns and forgetting that the pieces also need to come into the game
  • Starting an attack before development is complete — and being left without support

How to explain this to a child in simple words

The centre is easiest to show by comparison: a piece in the middle of the board “sees” many more squares than the same piece in the corner — just as a person on a hill can see further than someone in a pit. Developing pieces can be explained as “waking up the whole team”: while the knights, bishops and queen are still at home, there’s nobody to play except the pawns. And castling is easiest to present as “taking the king to his little house” — where his own pawns protect him.

Before making a move in the opening

  • Does the move fight for the centre — by itself or through a piece aimed at it?
  • Does the move develop a new piece rather than reposition one that’s already out?
  • Am I bringing my queen out too early, where a pawn could attack it?
  • Is the way clear for castling kingside yet — and isn’t it time to do it?
  • Am I starting an attack while my pieces are still at home?

Cheat sheet: three opening rules

  1. Occupy the centre with pawns on d4/d5, e4/e5 or with pieces aimed at it.
  2. Develop your pieces in order: knights → bishops → castling → queen and rooks.
  3. Don’t move the same piece twice unless you need to.
  4. Don’t bring the queen out before the other pieces — it’s easy to attack with tempo.
  5. Castle within the first 6–8 moves, as soon as the king’s path is clear.
  6. Don’t start an attack until your development is at least half complete.
Read more

More articles on tactics and strategy

Questions on the topic

Common questions about the chess opening

The four central squares are d4, d5, e4 and e5. Pieces that control these squares have more influence on the game than the same pieces on the edge of the board.
Usually knights first — it’s easiest to find them a good square straight away — then bishops, then castling, and only after that the rooks and queen.
The queen is the most valuable piece, and the opponent can attack it even with a pawn or a knight. Then you have to spend another move retreating, losing a tempo, while the rest of your pieces are still at home.
The king stays in the centre of the board, where it’s more likely to be caught on an open file or diagonal by the opponent. Even with equal material this can lead to a quick attack.
There are no formal limits, but most often by move 10–15 all the minor pieces are developed, the kings have castled and the game moves into the middlegame.
No, at the start the three rules from this article are far more useful — they work in any game. It makes sense to add specific opening lines later, once the child is applying the basic principles freely at the board.
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