Opening Principles (Under 8)

Test 1 – What is Your Choice?

1. … Bd6/Nc6/f6/Qe7 4. … c5/Nc6/d6
!""""""""# !""""""""#
çtMvWlVmT% çtMvWlVmT%
æOoOo+oOo% æOoOo+oOo%
å + + + +% å + + + +%
ä+ + O + % ä+ + + + %
ã + +p+ +% ã + Qp+ +%
â+ + +n+ % â+ + + + %
ápPpP PpP% ápPp+ PpP%
àRnBqKb+r% àRnB KbNr%
/èéêëìíîï) /èéêëìíîï)
2. Bd3/Bc4/Na3 5. Qf3/Nf3/Qh5
!""""""""# !""""""""#
çt+vWlVmT% çtMvWl+mT%
æOoOo+oOo% æOoOo+oOo%
å +m+ + +% å + + + +%
ä+ + O + % ä+ V O + %
ã + +p+ +% ã +b+p+ +%
â+ + +n+ % â+ + + + %
ápPpP PpP% ápPpP PpP%
àRnBqKb+r% àRnBqK Nr%
/èéêëìíîï) /èéêëìíîï)
3. Bc4/Bb5+/Bd3 6. … 0-0/Qe7/Rf8
!""""""""# !""""""""#
çtMvWlV T% çt+vWl+ T%
æOoO +oOo% æOoOo+oOo%
å + O M +% å +m+ M +%
ä+ + O + % ä+ V O N %
ã + +p+ +% ã +b+p+ +%
â+ N +n+ % â+ N + + %
ápPpP PpP% ápPpP PpP%
àR BqKb+r% àR BqK +r%
/èéêëìíîï) /èéêëìíîï)
26th January 2020 Page 1 of 9
 Opening Principles (Under 8)
7. Be3/Bxf6/0-0 !""""""""#
!""""""""# çtMvWl+mT%
çtM Wl+ T% æOoOo+oOo%
æOo+ +oOo% å + + + +%
å +oO M +% ä+ V O + %
ä+ V O B % ã + +p+ +%
ã + +p+v+% â+ N + + %
â+ Np+n+ % ápPpP PpP%
ápPp+bPpP% àR BqKbNr%
àR +qK +r% /èéêëìíîï)
/èéêëìíîï) 11. d4/Nf3/e3
8. … Nge7/Bd7/Nf6 !""""""""#
!""""""""# çtMv+l+mT%
çt+vWl+mT% æOoOo+oOo%
æOoO +oOo% å + + + +%
å +mO + +% ä+ V O + %
ä+ V O + % ã + + +pW%
ã +b+p+ +% â+ + + +p%
â+ Np+n+ % ápPpPpPb+%
ápPp+ PpP% àRnBqK Nr%
àR BqK +r% /èéêëìíîï)
/èéêëìíîï) 12. c3/0-0/Qd5
9. Nxe5/0-0/Ng5 !""""""""#
!""""""""# çt+vWl+mT%
çt+vWlV T% æOoOmVoOo%
æOo+o+oOo% å + + + +%
åm+o+ M +% ä+ + O + %
ä+ + O + % ã +b+p+ +%
ã +b+p+ +% â+ + +n+ %
â+ +p+n+ % ápPp+ PpP%
ápPp+ PpP% àRnBqK +r%
àRnBqK +r% /èéêëìíîï)
/èéêëìíîï)
10. Bb5/d3/Nf3

26th January 2020 Page 2 of 9

 Opening Principles (Under 8)

Opening Principles
To do list
1. Center
2. Minor pieces development
3. King safety

Not to do
4. Pawn movements without a proper idea
5. Queen movements without a proper idea
6. Moving a same piece again without a proper idea

To win
7. Activate the least active piece
8. Maximum activity
9. Teamwork

Space, Time and Force

More Space > More Activity> More Value for Pieces
Counting the Time in the Opening: Number of moves required to connect the rooks
1 pawn = 3 Tempi

Logic of the Minor Pieces Development

Short distance pieces should come to play
Second Bishop Development is to
Change the diagonal
Castling or ready to castling
Activate the rook

Analysis of the Forcing Moves

Checkmate ends the game!

26th January 2020 Page 3 of 9

 Opening Principles (Under 8)
Test 2 – What is Your Choice?
1. Qd6/Bd3/Na4 4. … e6/e5/Ngf6
!""""""""# !""""""""#
çtMvWl+ T% çt+ WlVmT%
æ+o+oMoVo% æOo+mOoO %
åo+ +o+o+% å +o+ + O%
ä+ + + + % ä+ + + + %
ã + +p+ +% ã + P N P%
â+nN B + % â+ +q+ N %
ápPp+ PpP% ápP + Pp+%
àR +qKb+r% àR B K +r%
/èéêëìíîï) /èéêëìíîï)!
2. Nf3/e3/Nc3 5. Nf3/a3/e3
!""""""""# !""""""""#
çt+vWl+ T% ç + TlVmT%
æOoOo+oOo% æOo+ +oOo%
å +m+ M +% å +m+v+ +%
ä+ V + B % ä+ + + + %
ã +p+ + +% ã + + + +%
â+ + + + % â+ N + + %
ápP +pPpP% ápP +pPpP%
àRn+qKbNr% àR B KbNr%
/èéêëìíîï) /èéêëìíîï)
3. … Be6/Bc5/Bg4 6. … dxe4/Bd6/Bg4
!""""""""# !""""""""#
çt+vWlVmT% çtMvWlV T%
æOoO +oOo% æOo+ +oOo%
å +m+ + +% å +o+ M +%
ä+ + + + % ä+ +oO + %
ã +bOp+ +% ã + +p+ +%
â+ + +n+ % â+b+p+n+ %
ápP + PpP% ápPp+ PpP%
àRnBq+rK % àRnBqK +r%
/èéêëìíîï) /èéêëìíîï)
26th January 2020 Page 4 of 9
 Opening Principles (Under 8)
7. … Bxd2/Qxd4/Nc6 10. Re1/Bxf6/Qe2
!""""""""# !""""""""#
çtMv+l+ T% çt+vWl+ T%
æOo+ +oOo% æ+o+ +oOo%
å + +oW +% åo+ +oM +%
ä+ + + + % ä+ V + B %
ã VpP + +% ã +bN + +%
â+ + + P % â+ P + + %
áp+ B P P% ápP + PpP%
àR +qKbNr% àR +q+rK %
/èéêëìíîï) /èéêëìíîï)
8. … h5/Qc7/f5 11. …a6/Ne4/Be6
!""""""""# !""""""""#
çt+ WlVmT% çt+vW Tl+%
æ+o+v+oOo% æOo+ VoOo%
åo+ +o+ +% å + + M +%
ä+ +oP + % ä+b+o+ + %
ã + + +qP% ã + Q + +%
â+ NbB P % â+ + + +p%
ápP + P +% ápPp+ Pp+%
àR + R K % àRnB R K %
/èéêëìíîï) /èéêëìíîï)
9. … Nb4/f6/Be6 12. c3/Re1/Qe2
!""""""""# !""""""""#
çt+vWlV T% çt+ Wl+ T%
æOoO +oOo% æOvOm+oOo%
å +m+ + +% å O +o+ +%
ä+ + P + % ä+ + P + %
ã + +pBm+% ã V + +m+%
â+ +b+n+ % â+ + +nP %
ápP + PpP% ápPpN PbP%
àRn+qK +r% àR Bq+rK %
/èéêëìíîï) /èéêëìíîï)

26th January 2020 Page 5 of 9

 Opening Principles (Under 8)
Find the Master Moves
With Black in the Spanish Opening you play the Marshall Attack, and take your opponent by surprise
with 9... e4:

1 e2-e4 e7-e5
2 Ng1-f3 Nb8-c6
3 Bf1-b5 a7-a6
4 Bb5-a4 Ng8-f6
5 0-0 Bf8-e7
6 Rf1 - e1 b7-b5
7 Ba4-b3 0-0
8 c2-c3 d7-d5!?
9 e4xd5 e5-e4!?
10 d5xc6. Start finding Black’s best replies. Don’t look at the answer. Cover the Black
moves beyond 10 ….. . 1st you try! Then Compare
10... e4xf3 1p
11 Qd1xf3
11... Bc8-g4 1p
12 Qf3-e3
12... Rf8-e8! 2p
13 d2-d4
13... Be7-d6 1p
14 Qe3-d2
14... Bd6-f4! 3p
15 Re1xe8+
15... Qd8xe8 0p!
16 Qd2-d3
16... Qe8-e1+ 1p
17 Qd3-f1
17... Bf4xh2+ 1p
18 Kg1xh2
18... Qe1xf1 0p White Resigns. What did you learn from this game?

26th January 2020 Page 6 of 9

 Opening Principles (Under 8)

Example Game 1 while Black has brought out just 2

pieces. Ne5? Black moves his knight hoping
1. e4 e5 
to mke advantage of the pinned knight on
2. Nf3 Nc6 
f3.What did Black miss? 
3. d4 exd4 
8. Nxe5! A forced tactic where Black loses a
4. Nxd4 Qh4 Black is attacking the pawn on
lot of material or gets mated. Bxd1 Find
e4 but he has brought his queen out too
mate in 2.Its a check and checkmate!
early.
(8. … dxe5 9. Qxg4+− )
( 4. …Nf6 and 4. …Bc5 are better developing
9. Bxf7+ Ke7 
moves and are more popular. )
10. Nd5#
5. Nc3 A developing move which also
defends the e4 pawn. Nf6 The Queen on h4
is awkwardly placed. The knight on f6
Example Game 3
blocks many of the queen's escape squares. 1. e4 e5 
It is time to exploit it!  2. Nf3 Nc6 
6. Nf5 Qh5 3. d4 exd4 
(6. … Qg4 7. f3 Qg6 8. Bf4+− saves the 4. Bc4 The Scotch Gambit Bc5 
queen but the queen is still misplaced and 5. Ng5⁈ This is not a good move as White is
White has a huge lead in development ) moving the same piece again and again.
7. Be2 Qg6  5. c3 
8. Nh4 and the queen is trapped. Don’t 5. O-O 
bring your queen out too early in the game. Nh6! Black is defending the pawn on f7 by
developing a new piece into the game.
Ne5? Here again Black defends the pawn on
Example Game 2 f7 but by moving the same piece again and
1. e4 e5  again 6. Nxf7 Nxf7 7. Bxf7+ Kxf7 8. Qh5+ g6 
2. Nf3 Nc6  9. Qxc5± 
3. d4 exd4  6. Nxf7? Nxf7 
4. Bc4 The Scotch Gambit. White sacrifices a 7. Bxf7+ Kxf7 
pawn for development. d6 A pawn move. In 8. Qh5+ g6 
the opening one should pay extra attention 9. Qxc5 d6
while making pawn moves  d5! 
5. c3 White sacrifices a pawn for 10. Qb5 Re8! Development 
development. On the other hand Black is 11. Qb3+?
underestimating the importance of 11. O-O 
development.  dxc3  d5 Black fights for the center 
6. Nxc3 Bg4  12. f3?
7. O-O White has a lead in development. 12. O-O Rxe4∓ 
White has brought 3 pieces out and castled Na5 

26th January 2020 Page 7 of 9

 Opening Principles (Under 8)
13. Qd3 dxe4  19. Qf1
14. fxe4 Qh4+ After this White can castle no 19. Qxa5? Re2+ 20. Kf3
more  20. Kg1 Qe3+ 21. Kf1 Qf2# 
15. g3 Rxe4+ 20. Kf1 Re1+ 21. Kg2 Qe2# 
Qxe4+ 16. Qxe4 Rxe4+-+  Qe3# 
16. Kf2 Qe7  Bh3! 
17. Nd2? 20. Qd1
17. Bd2  20. Qxh3 Re2+ 21. Kf3 Qe3+ 22. Kg4 h5+ 23. 
Re3!  Qxh5 gxh5+ 24. Kh4 Qe7+ 25. Kxh5 Rh8+ 26. 
18. Qb5 Kg4 Rg8+ 27. Kh3 Qe6+ 28. Kh4 Qh6# 
18. Qxd4 Re2+ 19. Kf1 Bh3+ 20. Kg1 Rg2+ 21 Rf8 The last piece joins the attack! 
. Kf1 Qe2# 
21. Nf3 Ke8 The f3 piece is lost by force
c6! 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

More Ideas
1: Always Number 1 Forcing Moves.
1. c4 d5
2. cxd5 Nf6
3. e4
Is 3. … Nxe4 correct? Visualize the position and answer.

2: Don’t be too greedy.

White to play. Is Nxg6 correct?

!""""""""#
çt+ Wl+mT%
æOoO + +o%
å +o+ +o+%
ä+ V Nv+q%
ã + + + +%
â+ + + + %
ápPpP PpP%
àRnB K +r%
/èéêëìíîï)
3: Mobility of the Pieces

26th January 2020 Page 8 of 9

 Opening Principles (Under 8)
White to play

!""""""""#
çt+v+l+mT%
æOoO +oOo%
å + O + +%
ä+ WnM + %
ã + +pB +%
â+ + + + %
ápPp+ PpP%
àR +qKb+r%
/èéêëìíîï)
4: Special Moves
White to play

!""""""""#
ç +vL +mT%
æO O +oOo%
å +o+ + +%
ä+ O + + %
ã +p+p+ +%
â+ N + + %
ápT + PpP%
àR + Kb+r%
/èéêëìíîï)

References:
www.nurtr.com > Dream Room > Beginner
Learning Chess Step 2 - Brunia Wijgerden
Learning Chess Step 6 - Cor van Wijgerden
Bent Larsen's Good Move Guide by Bent Larsen

26th January 2020 Page 9 of 9