Skybound Chess
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Beginner · 5 lessons

Opening Principles

Five habits that hand you a healthy position out of any opening — take the centre, develop with purpose, get the king safe, and don't waste moves.

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  1. 1Fight for the centreStart hereA pawn on d4 or e4 stakes out space and opens lines for your pieces.→
  2. 2Knights before bishopsA knight's best square is nearly always f3/c3; a bishop's depends on how the pawns land — so knights first.→
  3. 3Castle earlyCastling gets the king behind a pawn shield and brings a rook into play — usually by move ten.→
  4. 4Don't move a piece twiceEvery tempo counts early — moving a developed piece again usually means another one stays home.→
  5. 5Don't bring the queen out earlyAn early queen sortie gets chased by minor pieces, and you lose the very tempi the opening is about.→