The Fundamental Opening Principles of Chess

Thanks for watching!
Intermediate players might notice there are some tactics I have avoided delving into here, such as Nxe5 after f6, or the potential for Nd4 after Qe2, further exploiting the bishop g4 pin. This is deliberate. The video is aimed at players who are just starting out and who are still getting comfortable with how the pieces move. More intermediate and advanced content will be coming soon.
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Music: Lofi Girl Radio

[@TheChessfather]

After 2...f6, it's also possible to simply take on e5, giving up the knight, to play Qh5+ which wins the game.

[@milkhagiri3995]

Best beginner video

[@williamgoldberg1]

Great instruction. The concept of matter, time and space is compelling.

[@TheChessfather]

Thanks for stopping by! And glad you enjoyed it

[@robertburke5354]

Excellent instruction for beginners and those not well-versed in chess theory. Clear and easy to follow.

[@TheChessfather]

Thank you, Robert. Much more instructional content coming soon!

[@tomhuff1274]

Very good explanation with a clear voice.

[@TheChessfather]

Thank you!

[@selti1]

Excellent explanations. Thank you.

[@TheChessfather]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@Ramoe69]

Love this, Very concise and easy to follow

[@TheChessfather]

Thanks!

[@jkham131]

I enjoy the video. Thank you, Sir

[@TheChessfather]

Thanks!

[@teesoochan]

Thankyou for this, really clear for a beginner to understand. Liked and subscribed.

[@TheChessfather]

Thanks for your kind feedback. I'm glad it helped.

[@ElliottSpira]

Great vid! Thanks!

[@TheChessfather]

Thanks Elliott. Appreciate your support.

[@jeremyflowers8908]

I think there are times when delaying castling can keep your opponent from guessing where to target their attack. So I don't agree 100%.

[@TheChessfather]

Thanks for watching and for sharing your thoughts, Jeremy. That's certainly very true. These principles only address the majority of cases. There are times when a knight on the edge of the board might even be to your benefit, for example, such as in the Ng5 line of The Italian Opening: 1.e4, e5 2.Nf3, Nc6 3.Bc4, Nf6 4.Ng5, d5 5.exd5, Na5! (Since 5... Nxd5 loses to 6.Nxf7, Kxf7 followed by 7.Qf3+, of course). Nor would I 100% agree that castling is of the utmost importance in EVERY position. There's an interesting line in the Vienna where white deliberately gives up castling rights for an attacking edge: 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3, Nc6 3.Bc4, Bc5 4.Qg4, Qf6? 5.Nd5!, Qxf2+ 6.Kd1. Here white's a pawn down and without castling rights but is still considered to be winning due the positional compensation. However the risk incurred by leaving your king in the centre of the board tends to outweigh the positional reward in the majority of cases. It's this that makes it a fundamental principle - or consideration, if you prefer. I would encourage any of my students to be brave enough to break the rules provided here if it was to their advantage to do so in a specific context. That's part of the fun and exploration of improving as a player. The principles are simply general guidelines to help get the beginner started and on their way to better understanding these nuances. There'll be more intermediate and advanced material coming soon. I hope to see you there!

[@marknieuweboer8099]

If your rules were 100% correct iso 95% the best opening would be 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Nc3 Nf6 5.d3. Still no GM plays this. Two modifications are required. Rule 3 should be: get ready for castling before your opponent can open lines and diagonals towards your king. Rule 4: make sure that almost every move in the opening obeys at least two of the other rules. This should cover about 99% of the openings.

[@TheChessfather]

No rules in chess can be 100%. Which goes without saying. Thanks for watching.

[@marknieuweboer8099]

I didn't claim they can be 100% correct. Thanks for confirming my original comment.

[@TheChessfather]

@@marknieuweboer8099 Delighted to, we seem to be in total agreement about that.