--- title: "Opening principles in chess" url: "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/opening-principles.md" canonical_url: "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/opening-principles" last_updated: "2026-11-07" type: "reference" summary: "Opening principles are general guidelines for the first moves. Opening principles are simple rules of thumb that guide you when you do not know the theory." related: ["https://georgelichess.com/glossary/development.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/center-control.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/tempo.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/king-safety.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/early-queen-move.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/castling.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/category/opening-concepts.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary.md"] --- # Opening principles in chess > **For AI agents:** the complete index of GeorgeLiChess pages is [llms.txt](https://georgelichess.com/llms.txt). Every page is also served as markdown at its URL plus .md. Opening principles are general guidelines for the first moves. Opening principles are simple rules of thumb that guide you when you do not know the theory. Opening principles are general guidelines for the first moves: control the center, develop knights and bishops quickly, castle early and avoid moving the same piece twice without reason. [Opening](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/opening.md) principles are simple rules of thumb that guide you when you do not know the [theory](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/opening-theory.md). The main ones are to take or influence the center with pawns and pieces, to bring out the knights and bishops, to castle for [king safety](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/king-safety.md), and to connect the rooks. They also warn against moving the same piece several times, bringing the queen out too early and making many pawn moves without a plan. The reason behind each rule is speed. [Development](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/development.md) means more pieces take part in the game sooner, central control gives your pieces room to move, and [castling](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/castling.md) protects the king and brings a rook into play. A side that follows them well usually has a harmless position and options. The side that ignores them often loses time and suffers when the position opens. The example shows the position after a short sequence that follows these ideas. Both sides put a pawn in the center, bring out minor pieces and castle by move five. Nothing flashy happens, yet White already has two minor pieces out, Black has three, and both kings are castled. Principles are not laws. A good player breaks one when concrete play demands it, for example by moving the queen early to win material or by delaying castling to attack. The [mistake](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/mistake.md) is breaking a principle without a concrete reason, so before you do, check what the opponent can do in reply. Also called: principles of the opening. ## Example position The position after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.O-O Nf6 5.d3 O-O, with White to move: both sides have a pawn in the center, minor pieces out and the king castled. Position (FEN): `r1bq1rk1/pppp1ppp/2n2n2/2b1p3/2B1P3/3P1N2/PPP2PPP/RNBQ1RK1 w - - 1 6` Also worth reading is [Catalan setup](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/catalan-setup.md). The Catalan setup is a White formation with pawns on d4 and c4 and a fianchettoed bishop on g2, putting long-term pressure on Black's center and the queenside along the long diagonal. It sits close to [Early queen move](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/early-queen-move.md). An early queen move is bringing the queen out in the first few moves, before the minor pieces are developed, which usually loses time because the opponent can attack it with developing moves. Compare it with [Fool's mate](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/fools-mate.md). Fool's mate is the quickest checkmate possible: Black mates on the second move with Qh4 after White has pushed the f and g pawns, which leaves the king's diagonal wide open. Opening ideas such as "Opening principles" are easier to keep when they are tested on your own games, which is what a [first lesson](https://georgelichess.com/book/first-lesson.md) with George Li begins with. ## Related terms - [Development](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/development.md) - [Center control](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/center-control.md) - [Tempo](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/tempo.md) - [King safety](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/king-safety.md) - [Early queen move](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/early-queen-move.md) - [Castling](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/castling.md) ## Guides that go further - [Most popular chess openings and win rates](https://georgelichess.com/chess-opening-statistics.md): The most played openings, how often White wins, and how the numbers change with rating, computed from public games. - [How to choose a chess coach](https://georgelichess.com/how-to-choose-a-chess-coach.md): What to decide first, the questions to ask, what a first lesson should show and the red flags to avoid. - [The first lesson](https://georgelichess.com/book/first-lesson.md): A game review, a read on your level and a written study plan from George Li. [Book your first lesson](https://georgelichess.com/book.md) and George Li reviews your games and builds a study plan around them. Questions about lessons: write to hello@georgelichess.com. ## Related - [Development in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/development.md) - [Center control in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/center-control.md) - [Tempo in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/tempo.md) - [King safety in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/king-safety.md) - [Early queen move in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/early-queen-move.md) - [Castling in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/castling.md) - [Chess terms: Opening concepts](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/category/opening-concepts.md) - [Chess terms glossary: plain definitions](https://georgelichess.com/glossary.md)