Free opening guides

Chess openings, explained by ideas

Every guide teaches where the pieces belong, the plans that follow and the traps to know — so you can play the opening with confidence even when your opponent leaves the book.

85 opening guidesFree for every levelInteractive boards

The four opening principles

Control the centre with pawns and pieces — e4, d4, e5 and d5 are the key squares.
Develop quickly: knights and bishops before moving the same piece twice.
Castle early to keep your king safe and connect your rooks.
Don’t grab pawns at the cost of development — time matters most in the opening.

Chess openings, explained by ideas

The four opening principles

For White

For Black

For both sides

Practise your openings with spaced repetition

The four opening principles

For White

For Black

For both sides

Practise your openings with spaced repetition

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