Relevant Course with discount code link: The Complete Guide to Chess Opening Principles
Move your knights and bishops early to active squares, aiming to control the center and prepare for castling.
Use pawns and pieces to control the central squares (e4, d4, e5, d5). This gives your army more room to operate.
Castling helps protect your king and connects your rooks. Don't delay it unless there's a very good reason.
Try to develop all your pieces efficiently instead of moving one piece repeatedly unless you're gaining material or tempo.
Develop your minor pieces first. A prematurely active queen can be attacked and lose time.
Only move pawns to help develop your pieces or control key squares. Random pawn moves can weaken your position.
Once you've castled and developed your pieces, move your queen off the back rank to connect your rooks.
Always check whether your pieces are protected or can be easily attacked. Avoid giving away material for free.
Every move should contribute to your plan—often improving piece activity, creating threats, or securing king safety.
Ask yourself: Is my move safe? Does it help my development or control of the board? Can my opponent create threats?
By following these principles, beginners can dramatically reduce mistakes and improve their overall chess play—even without memorizing specific openings.