I often see people recommending to beginners not to worry about memorising all the lines of an opening, but instead to learn the main ideas / goals of an opening. This makes sense to me. But I haven't yet come across any particularly good resources at explaining the main ideas of openings.
Can anyone recommend any good websites that explain in plain English what the main ideas and goals are for particular openings?
In "general" The idea of any opening is to accomplish the following:
1. Fight for control of the center.
2. Place your pieces on active squares.
3. Develop a middle game plan.
The third point always frustrates me.
These high level Chess strategies are puzzle for me.
I always try to figure out what to do after... when the first development of the pieces is completed ?
Yep...the first 2 are easy. Its when you get to the middle game planning part that the game truly begins.
There are 2 ways to do this. One is easy, one involves a bit more effort.
The easy way:
Scan the opponents 5th. and 6th. ranks (3rd. and 4th. if they are white). Look for any weak pawns, and or weak squares. The closer to the center, the better. Those are your targets to attack.
If you want to put in more effort, and learn more:
Middlegame Planning.
1. Expand your position:
a. Gain more space.
b. Improve the position of your pieces.
2. Decide on what side of the board to play.
a. Queenside: a-c files.
b. Center: d-e files.
c. Kingside: f-h files.
Compare, space, material, and weakness(es)
3. DO NOT HURRY. Regroup your pieces, and be patient.
Оh, Bacon, thanks to you ! )
You're very welcome. But as with anything new. It does and will take time learning this. Like most things, it needs to become "muscle memory".
I often see people recommending to beginners not to worry about memorising all the lines of an opening, but instead to learn the main ideas / goals of an opening. This makes sense to me. But I haven't yet come across any particularly good resources at explaining the main ideas of openings.
Can anyone recommend any good websites that explain in plain English what the main ideas and goals are for particular openings?
In "general" The idea of any opening is to accomplish the following:
1. Fight for control of the center.
2. Place your pieces on active squares.
3. Develop a middle game plan.
The third point always frustrates me.
These high level Chess strategies are puzzle for me.
I always try to figure out what to do after... when the first development of the pieces is completed ?
Yep...the first 2 are easy. Its when you get to the middle game planning part that the game truly begins.
There are 2 ways to do this. One is easy, one involves a bit more effort.
The easy way:
Scan the opponents 5th. and 6th. ranks (3rd. and 4th. if they are white). Look for any weak pawns, and or weak squares. The closer to the center, the better. Those are your targets to attack.
If you want to put in more effort, and learn more:
Middlegame Planning.
1. Expand your position:
a. Gain more space.
b. Improve the position of your pieces.
2. Decide on what side of the board to play.
a. Queenside: a-c files.
b. Center: d-e files.
c. Kingside: f-h files.
Compare, space, material, and weakness(es)
3. DO NOT HURRY. Regroup your pieces, and be patient.
Оh, Bacon, thanks to you ! )