10 chess opening tips

You don't need to memorise long opening lines to play the start of a chess game well. Strong players follow a handful of simple principles, and those principles work at every level. Here are ten that will make your first moves stronger straight away.

1. Fight for the centre

The four squares in the middle of the board, d4, e4, d5 and e5, are the most important at the start. Pieces in the centre reach more squares and can switch to either side quickly. A first move like e4 or d4 puts a pawn in the centre and opens lines for your queen and bishops.

2. Develop your knights and bishops

Developing means moving pieces off the back row to useful squares. Try to bring out your knights and bishops in the first few moves. Knights usually go to f3 and c3 for White, and f6 and c6 for Black, where they point at the centre.

3. Knights before bishops, usually

You often know where your knights belong before you know the best diagonal for your bishops. Bringing knights out first keeps your options open. It's a guideline, not a law, but it helps when you're unsure.

4. Move each piece once

In the opening, every move should bring a new piece into play. Moving the same piece two or three times while others sit at home gives your opponent extra time. Unless there is a real threat or a free capture, develop something new.

5. Castle early

Your king is safest tucked behind a few pawns in the corner. Castling does that in a single move and also brings a rook toward the centre. Many beginner games are lost because the king stays in the middle while the centre opens up.

A good target: castle within your first ten moves. On the king's side you only need to move the knight and the bishop out of the way.

6. Don't bring the queen out too early

The queen is powerful, so it is tempting to start attacking with her. But an early queen is easy to chase with knights and pawns, and each time she has to run, your opponent develops a piece for free. Let the smaller pieces do the early work.

7. Watch out for the four-move checkmate

One trap catches beginners all over the world. White plays e4, brings the bishop to c4 and the queen to h5 or f3, and then captures on f7 with checkmate. The f7 square, next to Black's king, is only defended by the king at the start. If you see the queen and bishop both aiming at f7 (or f2 when you play White), defend it in time. Against a queen on f3, a knight on f6 blocks the attack. Against a queen on h5, play g6 or bring your queen to e7, because a knight on f6 leaves f7 open.

8. Don't push too many pawns

One or two pawn moves in the opening open lines for your pieces. More than that usually wastes time and leaves holes around your king. Pawns can't move backward, so every pawn move is a decision you can't undo.

9. Connect your rooks

When your knights and bishops are out and you have castled, your queen can step forward one square. Then nothing stands between your two rooks on the back row. Connected rooks protect each other and are ready to move to open files. This is a good sign that your opening is complete.

10. Look at what your opponent just did

Before every move, ask two questions. What does my opponent's last move attack? And what is it preparing? Most opening disasters happen when a player follows their own plan and ignores a simple threat.

Practise them

These ideas are easier to remember once you have used them in real games. Play against the computer on Easy or Medium, and use Hint whenever you're unsure, then compare the suggestion with these ten principles. If you're new to the game, start with Chess rules for beginners, or play chess now.