1. Principles of Opening Play

The game of chess is divided into three parts—the opening, the middle game and the endgame. The divisions are purely arbitrary, merely for the purpose of facilitating study. No di­viding line separates the parts; the transition from the opening to the middle game and from the middle game to the endgame is indicated by the action and the number of men remaining on the board.

The opening covers approximately the first twelve moves of the game, with all or most of the pieces on the board. The middle game is characterized generally by the presence of Queens; the endgame is greatly simplified, with few of the forces remaining.

The opening is a development of forces. It begins with the first move and ends with the mobilization of nearly all of the men. The Rooks, as a rule, are the last to enter the skirmish, and often do not participate in the play until well into the mid­dle game.

TYPICAL OPENING POSITIONS

Queen's Gambit Declined with               Giuoco Piano—White's Rooks

Rooks developed.                                 not yet moved.

Ultimate Goal vs. Opening Goal

In order to understand the mechanics of the opening, it is necessary to know the opening goal. While checkmate is the principal goal of the game, it is subordinated in the opening, since the pieces are just beginning to get out. Of course, if the opponent plays very badly, or exposes his King critically or neglects his development glaringly, then checkmating ideas come to the forefront. With reasonably correct play by both contestants, lesser objectives are the goal. These all tie in with the prime purpose—checkmate of the opponent's King. Check­mate is the ultimate goal.

Try for Small Advantages

Opening play can contribute towards the checkmating goal in a minor way. Essentially, it can do so by laying a sound foundation for the middle and endgame; by gaining small positional and material advantages. Many small advantages add up to a large plus.

EXAMPLESOF RATIONAL AND IRRATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Ruy Lopez—Rational devel­opment on both sides. Check­mate is a consideration far in the future.

Ruy Lopez—. . . N-B6 mate. Violations of opening prin­ciples have brought a sud­den end.

What is a sound foundation and what are the small ad­vantages? The answers to these questions shed light on the function of opening moves.

A sound foundation is one which is free of structural weak­nesses, weaknesses which require attention or which under­mine anything built upon them. As the foundation pertains only to Pawns, the subject is better treated in a discussion of the endgame. Insofar as the foundation affects the opening, however, a limited discussion will appear later on.

More to the point is the question of small advantages. What are they?

There are two types of advantage in chess. One is posi­tional; the other material.

Positional advantage is the plus which derives from the ability to control squares, vital for immediate or future action, as well as from the sounder Pawn structure. Superior mobility and command of greater terrain augment the advantage.

Control of the Center

While the opening is concerned with every conceivable ad­vantage, emphasis is generally placed on the control of important squares. In the absence of outright blunders ceding ma­terial, the initial goal is the gain of squares.

EXAMPLES OF POSITIONAL ADVANTAGE

Black's men are hemmed in Black is a piece to the good, behind his own lines. White He lacks the time, however, enjoys operating space. to stave off mate.

Black suffers from chronic structural weaknesses. His Queen-side Pawns are not self-supporting.

Black's backward King Pawn is a vulnerable target. Soon White will attack it again and again.

There are 64 squares on the chessboard. Half are white and half are black. Except for color distinction, to all appearances they are very much alike. Yet some squares are more valuable than others. Which are the more important squares and why?

As indicated on the diagram, the squares in the center of the board are the more important ones. The reason they are more important becomes apparent when the squares are con­sidered in terms of a network of interlinked paths. It is clear that the player who controls the hub of the network can send his men from one side of the board, directly through the hub, to the other side of the board with ease. Whereas the player who does not control the hub must send his men from one side of the board to the other via devious routes, time-consuming routes.

The most important squares are the very centermost (in black). Other squares taper off in importance as indicated on diagram above.

As time is an important factor in chess—that is, as it is important to reach a goal in the least number of moves—it follows that it is important to control the central squares.

Control of the central squares is the primary positional ad­vantage sought for in the opening. It enhances the player's mo­bility and operating space to the detriment of the opponent. Exploitation of structural weaknesses pertaining to Pawns is a subsidiary objective of the opening. These will be covered later on.

Gain of Material

The gain of squares is a gain of ground over which the chessmen may move. Even more important, however, is the gain of material. For material is force, and a preponderance of force, by its very nature, brooks little or no interference or re­sistance.

In this position, White is able to utilize his control of the center to institute an over­whelming attack. White plays R-K4, followed by R-N4-typical mid-game advantage.

Here the advantage of the center has been carried to the endgame. White can advance on either or both wings or in the center, while Black must bide his time.

The power of the force of a lowly Pawn may be gleaned from the fact that, in a game between two chessmasters, the ad­vantage of a Pawn is sufficient to win. Hence it is imperative at all times, in the absence of other consideration, to maintain an even or favorable balance of force. The sacrifice of material, consequently, should be viewed with suspicion. "Always sacri­fice your opponent's pieces" is a sound guiding principle.

EXAMPLES OF PAWN MINUS

White has sacrificed a Pawn This could be the windup of for position. Should his at- the previous position! The tack fail, White will lose. extra Pawn queens.

In this connection, the table of the relative value of the chessmen is useful. Evaluating a Pawn as a unit of one, the Knight is the equivalent of three units, the Bishop three and a small fraction units, the Rook five and the Queen nine.

As it is not always possible or beneficial to exchange Pawn for Pawn or Knight for Knight, etc., it is well to calculate in an exchange the value of the units given for the units received. Two Rooks, for example, having a total value of ten units, may be considered better than a Queen, whose unit total is nine. A Rook, Bishop and Knight add up to eleven units plus and are clearly more valuable than a Queen.

In the absence of serious blunders, it is almost impossible to gain much material in the opening. Often, however, small profit may be gained by judicious exchanges, such as a Knight for the opponent's Bishop or a Rook for the opponent's Bishop and Knight. These small differences add up and their cumu­lative effect is a decisive factor in the outcome of the game.

The gain of material, no matter how little, is also the goal of the opening.

Changing Values

In any demonstration, the forces which join the fray may be momentarily more valuable than dormant forces of equal stature. This is particularly true when the King is the target. Thus an active Pawn or Knight, delivering checkmate to the opposing King, or compelling the surrender of material, cannot be given the wooden classification of one or three units. The worth of material at all times is related to the position. All things being equal, the preceding table of values applies.

EXAMPLES OF CHANGING VALUES

Black is a raft of material                      Black is lost as he cannot
ahead. He cannot, however,                 save his Bishop Pawn or stop
prevent mate, after 1 . . . Q-                 the advance of the White
B2; 2 RxB.                                          Bishop Pawn.

How to Try for Small Advantages

It is one thing to know the goal; it is another to reach it. The wide gap is bridged by the correct management of the forces.

Correct management requires the application of sound principles. As these, however, are founded on experience and logic, they are not difficult to master.

Technically, the principles fall into two classes—strategy and tactics. Strategy is the plan for obtaining advantages; tactics is the science of executing the plan by disposing of the forces.

As the major goal of the opening is to gain control of the central squares, that is the first strategic plan. As force is the only means of attempting to reach the goal, the principle evolves: Bring out the forces so that a maximum of power is brought to bear on the central squares in the shortest time.

Plan Your Development

To execute the plan properly, it is necessary to know in what order the forces should be brought out. Which should come first and which should follow? These are tactical con­siderations.

EXAMPLES OF PLANNED AND UNPLANNED DEVELOPMENT

White controls the center; King Pawn and Queen Pawn, Knights and Bishops bear down on the vital squares.

Haphazard development with Knights on the wing. Position is far from ideal for either White or Black.

The advance of the King Pawn or Queen Pawn to the fourth rank generally initiates the opening. This is so because the advanced Pawn attacks the central squares and, at the same time, frees the Queen and a Bishop for future action.

Knights First

After the Pawn moves, the minor pieces—Bishops and Knights—follow. Knights should generally be developed before Bishops, and there are sound reasons for this.

At the beginning of the game, the Knight has a range of two squares —R3 and B3. As the King Pawn or Queen Pawn is advanced, the range increases by one square, including either K2 or Q2. Thus, in the first few moves, the Knight enjoys a choice of practically three squares. As the square R3 is almost out of the question—a Knight on R3 does not bear down on the center and controls only half as many squares as at B3— the choice is really of but two squares. Consequently, with only two moves from which to choose, it is easy to determine which of the squares the Knight ought to occupy. The Bishop, on the other hand, has a long range. After the King Pawn has moved, the Bishop could conceivably go to K2, Q3, B4, N5 or R6. R6, of course, is not a good choice, but it is within the realm of possibility. This adds up to four good squares. When it is possible to go to four squares, it is difficult to determine the correct one. When it is possible to go to two squares, it is comparatively easy to determine the correct one. Thus there is practically no guesswork in developing the Knight, while the Bishop moves are subject to doubt. That is one reason why the Knight usually precedes the Bishop.

Another important reason for this sequence is that the Knights on B3 are aggressively posted. They control the central squares, attack hostile Pawns in the center or prevent their advance to the fourth rank.

Then Bishops

All in all, it is clear that the development of the Bishop is best deferred until some such time as its most effective post is determined. When, however, the best square for the Bishop is already known, the Bishop may precede the Knight. In the absence of specific convictions, the Knight comes first.

Major Pieces Later

With the development of the minor pieces—Bishops and Knights—the first strategic plan is nearly complete. As it is necessary, however, to bring as much pressure as possible to bear on the central squares, the major pieces—Rooks and Queen—should also assist in the action. That is why, among other reasons, they should be developed.

EXAMPLES OF BISHOP AND KNIGHT DEVELOPMENT

What is the best square for White's King Bishop?

The Knight at KB3 attacks the center and a Pawn.

At K2, the Knight is less ag­gressive. Moreover, it blocks the King Bishop. Black can seize the initiative with . . . N-KB3, as he attacks a Pawn, controls the center.

A Knight at R3 commands half as many squares as a Knight at B3. Moreover, it does not attack the center. Again . . . N-KB3 gives Black the initiative.

This is the Bishop's Opening. The attack on White's King Pawn gives Black a momen-tary initiative.

This is the Ruy Lopez. The early Bishop move attacks Black's support of the King Pawn in the center.

As Rooks assert themselves best on open files, they should be placed on such files or on files which may reasonably be expected to open during the early course of the game. The King file or the Queen file or both are often most suitable. For these files have been half opened due to the advance of the King Pawn or Queen Pawn. On these files, moreover, the Rooks join the center action. Occasionally, the Bishop files serve as excellent posts for the Rooks. For, in some openings, the Bishop Pawns advance and give free range to the Rooks.

EXAMPLES OF ROOK DEVELOPMENT

Here White's King Rook pins                White's best move is to play
Black's Knight on the open                    his King Rook to Kl, on a
King file in the early play.                      file which may reasonably be
Black is already in trouble.                    expected to open.

White's advanced King Bish-    By placing his Rook on the op Pawn helps to open the  Queen Bishop file, White ex- King Bishop file for use by          erts pressure on Black's the King Rook. Queen Bishop Pawn.

The Rooks as a rule, get into play slowly and the Queen Rook is about the last to join the action. This sequence is justified by the necessity of contesting control of the center. Pawns and the minor pieces play a major role in this plan.

Function of Castling

In order to be able to bring the Rooks to the King file and also to enable the Rooks to cooperate, the King must get out of the way. As long as the King remains on King square, he not only pre-empts the square Kl, but also prevents the Rooks from cooperating. Castling on either wing is the answer. Inci­dentally, also, castling should safeguard the King.

Develop the Queen with Care

The Queen generally assumes a positive role late in the opening. An early Queen sortie is apt to recoil: the Queen will serve as a target, be attacked and be compelled to retreat. The time expended in advancing and retreating will be used by the adversary to bolster his development. Moreover, since the Queen enjoys a wide variety of possibilities, it is difficult to determine its most suitable role. For the same reason that the development of the Bishop is deferred until its best post is known, the Queen should not join the fray until the position has crystallized. Then it is less of a "hit or miss" development.

Plan Soundly from the Start

From the first strategic plan, various propositions develop. It is obvious, for instance, that if a maximum power is to be brought to bear on the central squares in the shortest time, a haphazard development which fails to exert pressure on the center is a violation of principle. It is also clear that a unit should not be moved more than once in the opening, unless there is good reason for doing so.

EXAMPLES OF LOSS OF TIME IN THE OPENING

White's Queen has wandered over the board, picking up stray material. Black, how­ever, mates in three, begin­ning with 1 ... QxPch.

White's Queen has moved three times, while Black has brought out his pieces. Black now wins White's Queen with 1 ... BxPch!

Black has moved his King Knight three times. Now Black must lose a piece, thus: 1 P-Q5, NxKP; 2 P-B5 and the Knight is trapped.

Black has lost time by Pawn-grabbing with 1 . . . BxQBP. He loses a piece after 2 Q-K2! for White threatens both 3 N-Q6 mate and 3 QxB.

Two or more moves by the same unit, as a rule, are the equivalent of wasting opportunities to bring out more force. In fact, only special reasons will ever justify any deviation from the main plan—control of the center with a preponderance of quickly developed force.

When possible, the ideal placement for all units should be visualized before any one is moved. When that is not possible, then the choice and location of the unit to be moved should be judged on principle—in relation to the first strategic plan.

Are You Ready To Move Onto The Next Lesson? Click Here...