Develop your pieces

At the start of the game your pieces sit behind a hedge of pawns. They are useless until they come out. Developing means bringing them out — and there is a right way to do it.

One piece at a time, once each. Every move you play, your opponent gets one too. If you move the same knight twice while they develop two different pieces, you have one piece in play and they have two. You are behind, and being behind in the opening gets paid for later.

Knights before bishops. A knight has only two good exits on each side (f3 and c3 for White), and you know them from move one. A bishop has several diagonals to choose from, and the choice depends on what your opponent does. So: play what you are sure about, decide later.

Not on the edge. Nf3 looks at the centre. Nh3 looks at nothing. A knight on the rim is a sad knight — that one holds true at every level.

Your turn