Reuben Fine's Thirty Rules of Chess

I've been reading Reuben Fine's Chess the Easy Way. Throughout the book's chapters are mini-chapters which Fine refers to as "the rules of chess." Really, they're general principles, and Fine explains them and when they should and shouldn't be followed. But, these heuristics seem helpful even without explaination, so I'll post them here:

Thirty Rules of Chess

Ten Rules for the Opening:

• Open with either the king's pawn or the queen's pawn.
• When possible, make a good developing move which threatens something.
• Develop knights before bishops.
• Pick the most suitable square for a piece and develop it there.
• Make one or two pawn moves in the opening, not more.
• Don't bring your queen out early.
• Castle as soon as possible, preferably on the king's side.
• Play to gain control of the center.
• Try to maintain at least one pawn in the center.
• Don't sacrifice without a clear and adequate reason:
  • Secure three tempi in development.
  • Deflect the enemy queen.
  • Prevent the opponent from castling.
  • Build up a strong attack.

Ten Rules for the Middlegame:

• Have all your moves fit into definite plans:
  • A plan must be based on sound strategic principles:
    • Material.
    • Pawn structure.
    • Piece mobility.
    • King safety.
    • Threats.
  • A plan must be suggested by some feature in the position:
    • A plan is for a few moves only.
    • Plans are for specific purposes only.
    • Plans are flexible.
• When you are ahead in material, exchange as many pieces as possible, especially queens.
• Avoid doubled, isolated, and backward pawns.
• In cramped positions, free yourself by exchanging.
• Don't expose your king while the queens are still on the board.
• All combinations are based on a double attack.
• If your opponent has one or more pieces exposed, look for a combination.
• In superior positions, you must open a file (or a diagonal) for your heavy pieces to attack the king.
• In even positions, centralize the action of all your pieces.
• In inferior positions, the best defense is counter-attack.

Ten Rules for the Ending:

• To win without pawns, you must be at least a rook or two pieces ahead.
• The king must be active in the endgame.
• Passed pawns must be pushed.
• The easiest endings to win are pure pawn endings:
  • Advance two connected passed pawns to get an enemy piece.
  • With two disconnected passed pawns, defend one with the king, while exchanging pieces.
  • Use an outside passed pawn to deflect the enemy king, and penetrate the other wing, using your king to protect other advancing pawns.
• If you are only one pawn ahead, exchange pieces, but not pawns.
• Don't place your pawns on the same color as your bishop.
• Bishops are better than knights in all but blocked pawn positions.
• It is worth giving up a pawn to get a rook on the seventh rank.
• Rooks belong behind passed pawns.
• Blockade passed pawns with the king.

-- Reuben Fine, 1942

Very good rules, Paul Morphy can illustrate this perfectly

...and that is why you are a 500 bum