Opening PrinciplesFive rules that replace memorising lines for your first thousand games.ChessThe opening has one job: reach a middlegame where all your pieces aredoing something.1Control the centree4, d4, e5, d5. A piece in the centre reaches more squares thanone at the edge.2Develop knights before bishopsA knight has fewer good squares, so its best one is easier to knowearly.3Castle earlyUsually within the first ten moves. It safeguards the king andconnects the rooks.4Do not move a piece twiceNot before every piece has moved once, unless there is aconcrete reason.5Do not bring the queen out earlyIt gets chased, and every attack on it develops your opponent forfree.A SOUND START FOR EITHER COLOUR1. e4 e5 – 2. Nf3 Nc6 – 3. Bc4 Bc5 – 4. O-OCentre staked, both knights out, king safe.Knights on the rim are dim. From a corner a knight reaches two squares;from the centre, eight.Opening Principleslearnposters.com
Opening Principles — printable games wall chart from LearnPosters. Free vector PDF, US Letter and A4.

Opening Principles, step by step

The opening has one job: reach a middlegame where all your pieces are doing something.

  1. Control the centree4, d4, e5, d5. A piece in the centre reaches more squares than one at the edge.
  2. Develop knights before bishopsA knight has fewer good squares, so its best one is easier to know early.
  3. Castle earlyUsually within the first ten moves. It safeguards the king and connects the rooks.
  4. Do not move a piece twiceNot before every piece has moved once, unless there is a concrete reason.
  5. Do not bring the queen out earlyIt gets chased, and every attack on it develops your opponent for free.

A sound start for either colour

  • 1. e4 e5 – 2. Nf3 Nc6 – 3. Bc4 Bc5 – 4. O-O
  • Centre staked, both knights out, king safe.

Knights on the rim are dim. From a corner a knight reaches two squares; from the centre, eight.

Questions about the Opening Principles poster

What’s on the Opening Principles poster?
5 numbered steps, with a full worked run-through. The opening has one job: reach a middlegame where all your pieces are doing something. Control the centre — e4, d4, e5, d5. A piece in the centre reaches more squares than…; Develop knights before bishops — A knight has fewer good squares, so its best one is…; Castle early — Usually within the first ten moves. It safeguards the king and connect…; Do not move a piece twice — Not before every piece has moved once, unless there is a…; Do not bring the queen out early — It gets chased, and every attack on it develops yo…. Knights on the rim are dim. From a corner a knight reaches two squares; from the centre, eight.
Who is the Opening Principles poster for?
Opening Principles belongs to the Chess section rather than to a school year, because games is not something one grade owns. Anyone learning fundamentals can pin it up — a beginner, a student mid-course, or someone revising years later.
When should you use the Opening Principles poster?
Follow these instead of learning theory. They produce a playable position against anything. A wall chart earns its place by being glanceable from where the work is happening, so Opening Principles belongs on the wall where that games work actually happens, within glancing distance, rather than filed away.
What other posters go with Opening Principles?
Your First Game, Setting Up the Board and Check, Mate & Stalemate sit alongside Opening Principles in the Chess section. Printed together they make a wall rather than a single sheet, which is how a reference set actually gets used.Your First GameSetting Up the BoardCheck, Mate & Stalemate
Is the Opening Principles poster free to download and print?
Yes. Opening Principles downloads as a free PDF with no account, no email and no watermark, like everything else in the Chess section. Print as many copies as you like for a home, a classroom, a library or a tutoring group; reselling the file is the only thing the licence rules out.Read the licence
What size does the Opening Principles poster print at?
Opening Principles is a vector PDF laid out for US Letter, and prints on A4 with Fit to page — the same file, no separate download. Because every mark on it is drawn rather than photographed, it stays sharp enlarged to A3, A2 or A1 at a copy shop. Colour carries emphasis only, so a greyscale print of Opening Principles loses nothing.Printing guide

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