Chess Basics: What to do in the Opening

Introduction

So congratulations! You finally started to learn how to play chess! You have made the first step in a very promising chess career!
Before reading this blog post you should be familiar with the absolute basics of chess, i.e. the 64 squares, all the chess pieces and how they move, how to set up the chess board, and special rules like castling and en passant.
Now the next step is to decide how to begin a game of chess. This blog will give you 5 key things to do to be successful in the Opening Stage.

1. Control the Centre

The very first step that you should do when beginning a game is to control the centre. The centre is defined as the four central squares, namely d4, e4, d5, and e5. Pieces on central squares have more mobility, range, and activity than pieces not in the centre.
The simplest example is a knight. On a central square, it has 8 squares it can go to. On the side, it can only go to 4 squares. Worse, on a corner (a1, a8, h1, h8) it only has two squares it can go to.

So, to control the centre, the best and most popular ways to start a game are to play 1. d4 or 1. e4.
Moves like 1. d4 and 1. e4 allow White to exert central control and have a great start to the opening.

Ideally, it would be best to have both pawns in the centre, but of course, black also knows principles and will also try to get centre control. However, for this lesson let's say you can make several moves in a row. Your first two moves would be 1. d4 and 2. e4 (interchangeably).
Having both pawns in the centre like this means that the entire centre is under white's control, as indicated.

2. Developing the Minor Pieces

After you have controlled the centre, the next step is to develop the minor pieces. The minor pieces are the knights and the bishops.

Knights Before Bishops - Developing the Knights

You may have heard this saying "Knights before Bishops." This is because your knights are almost always guaranteed one square, and that is f3 and c3. We do not know where the bishops are going to know as of now because they have a long range of motion. On these squares, they support the central pawns and exert even more control in the centre.

Developing the Bishops

The bishops have a long range of motion, and we can choose where to place them. However, we should always be as active as possible. However, do not get too active to the extent that your bishops will be vulnerable to attacks from the black pawns or pieces.
So, the ideal squares for the bishops would be c4 and f4. If the bishops go to the 5th rank early, then blacks will be easily able to kick them away with pawns like a6/c6, f6/h6.

3. Castle the King

This is the most important thing to do in any game. Your king is the most valuable piece...you lose your king, you lose the game. The king must be kept safe, and castling not only moves the king away from the lines of fire (the centre) but also allows him to bring the rook into action much more efficiently.

There are two ways to castle, kingside and queenside, but for simplicity, we will castle kingside.

4. Developing your Major Pieces

The major pieces are the queen and the rooks. The squares to develop them depend on the type of position. For example, the Queen on d2 and e2 would be equivalently good and both will lead to a great position for white. The rooks will want to utilise the central files, so most likely moves like Rad1 and Rfe1 will be played. Below is a sample shot of what your position may look like.

5. Manoeuvre your Pieces and Prepare for Attack

Once you have developed all your pieces, it is time to improve the placement of these pieces and get them ready for attack. This may involve using your central pawns to attack in the centre and use your pieces to create weaknesses that will be targeted later on. This is entering the middlegame stage, so we will leave the details for another time.

Watch out for opportunities!

You will never (or very rarely) have the chance to get the position above in 10 moves. Black will be able to make moves too, but in a game, these 4-5 steps should always be running in your mind as a checklist. However, be aware of any potential tactics or opportunities that arise. Make sure to look for any forks, pins, skewers, etc. and watch out for simple mates in 1-3. If you need to sacrifice don't be afraid to to get a big attack!

Review/Check and Conclusion

Time for a quiz!
You have the rare opportunity to play 10 moves in a row as white. What would your position look like? Note: there are several possible answers.
Without scrolling up, try and do this exercise on your own. Once you have got it then scroll up to see the sample position we have arrived at. If you are close and you have followed all the steps, you are set for the opening!

These are the main principles of the opening, and in 5 steps you now know how to play the opening phase accurately. Good luck in your future games, and looking forward to seeing you improve as a chess player!