Ferndale High School Golden Eagles Chess Club

Openings:
All You Need To Know

Openings Wisdom Distilled

OPENINGS - ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW

You don't need to memorize entire books of opening moves. To play the openings well, you just need to know your basic opening principles and how to apply them. It's helpful to avoid some common opening traps as well. So, start by memorizing these ten items:

Three Opening Principles:

1. Develop your pieces
2. Control the center
3. Safeguard your king

Four Opening Goals:

1. Creat ideal pawn centers
2. Castle
3. Connect the rooks
4. Activate at least one rook

Three Common Opening Errors:

1. Too many pawn moves
2. Moving the same piece repeatedly
3. Bringing out the queen too early

Now, what do these ten items mean? Learn all about it from IM Daniel Rensch. You can read the two articles, or watch the four videos. Or both! (ChessKid.com Gold required to watch videos)

Two articles:
Danny's Top Ten: The Opening - Part 1
Danny's Top Ten: The Opening - Part 2

Four videos:
Opening Guidelines 1 - 8 minutes
Opening Guidelines 2 - 7 minutes
Opening Guidelines 3 - 6 minutes
Opening Guidelines 4 - 9 minutes

OPTIONAL - COMMON TRAPS

Understand the above ten principles, goals and errors above, and you'll do fine. That's all you really need to play the opening well.

However, it's helpful to avoid common opening traps as well. Here are the ten most common. Click for an article or video.

1. Scholar's Mate - Part 2
2. Fool's Mate - Moving the f-pawn - Part 2+
3. 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 f6? - article
4. Blackburne Gambit - article - This trap is featured in Ch. 13 of Attacking Chess.
5. The Fork Trick
6. e-file accidents
7. Fried Liver Attack - Part 2
8. Guioco Piano 4.c3
9. Englund Gambit
10.Halosar Trap

© 2015 Ferndale School District No. 502