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Study the 5 Key Principles That Guide Successful Opening Play

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Many chess players think they know the main chess principles but they have in fact only a rather superficial understanding.

Consider the following observation:

Many chess players may be aware of the opening principles, but they may not have taken the time to practice and develop a strong understanding of how to apply them in different game situations. By practicing to apply these principles, you can develop a deeper understanding of the opening and significantly improve your opening play.

The opportunity you have here is that by obtaining a deeper understanding of these principles, you will have an advantage.

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  1. The Principle of Centre Control
  2. The Principle of King Safety
  3. The Principle of Development
  4. The Principle of Coordination
  5. The Principle of Weak Squares

1. The Principle of Centre Control

deeper understanding

2. The Principle of King Safety

deeper understanding why a weak king is a liability

3. The Principle of Development

in the opening development takes priority over other strategies such as attack

4. The Principle of Coordination

practice to observe and try to maximize flexibility

5. The Principle of Weak Squares

what they are and avoid them early on; Identify and prepare to control key squares

Internalize the 5 Principles Through Exercises

why? deep understanding and skill development, forces you to think from the start, which can give you an advantage over people who play mindlessly in the opening.

Practice to observe the consequences of opening moves from the very first move; it will become second nature but until that time you should practice it.

You should observe consequence in terms of:

  • Development
  • Centre control
  • King safety
  • Coordination
  • Weak squares

Next is a few examples that also serves as exercises.

Key Opening Principles: Exercise #1

diagram + description

Answer

Key Opening Principles: Exercise #2

diag + descr + detailed answer, etc.

more exercises as examples

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Next: Familiarize Yourself with Common Opening Strategies