Opening Formations

What is a chess opening?
A chess opening refers to the first moves made in a chess game. The term can refer to the initial moves made by either White or Black, but an opening made by black might be considered a defense. There are many different chess openings, all with their unique strengths and weaknesses, and it is beneficial to grow familiar with many of them. This section of the workbook will introduce a few common chess openings and explain the logic behind them.

In openings, both players are typically aiming for common goals. Usually, these goals share many similarities with Morphy’s rules. These objectives typically include developing with threats, controlling the center, getting the king to safety, prevention of pawn weakness, piece coordination, and positional advantages.

A simple chess opening might also have many variations, different responses to the opening. As we continue our chess education, we will explore these variations and learn to properly execute and counter them. However, this particular workbook will focus specifically on introducing the most basic steps in some popular openings.