Chess Strategy – Playing Chess Strategically

Some novice chess players may wonder why they are supposed to learn chess strategy, when they still have a slender knowledge of the chess openings. The reason for this is that learning to play Chess is a bit similar to learning a new language. All children acquire some language skills before they begin to study grammar and syntax at school, and some people are content to go through life without ever studying the language. The only thing that is important for them is that they are able to speak the language fluently.

In chess, learning when to use which moves under certain given conditions are similar to learning a vocabulary in a language. Language syntax may be compared to the study and analysis of the chess openings. The syntax or openings is therefore reserved for a later learning stage, by which time the novice chess player will be better equipped for the task. By this time, the player can more easily discuss the beauty and subtleties of the various complex variations in the different chess openings.

Some Opening Principles of Chess

When the game of chess is studied and analyzed, it is usually divided into 3 phases – the Chess Opening or Beginning Game, the Middle Game, and the Chess End Game.

The Chess Opening comprises of the first 6 - 8 moves, when the chess opponents endeavor to develop their ‘army’ into the center of the action where they will have the most powerful stance against the opponent’s defenses.

A good chess strategy is to avoid moving any chess piece twice during the opening. This chess strategy means that when you have moved a piece, it should not be developed again until the other chess pieces have been moved. If a chess piece has been attacked by the opponent, it must be moved. Moving an attacked piece is not a violation of this strategy of chess, as the opponent has probably departed from this principle when attacking your piece, which could prove to be advantageous to you in the long run.

It is a better chess strategy to move your knights before your bishops. This principle doesn’t mean that your should move both your knights before bringing out a bishop, but that it’s advisable to develop the king’s knight before the king’s bishop, etc.

A good strategy of chess is to develop both your knights before you move the queen’s bishop. Another good chess strategy is not to move your chess pieces exclusively on one side. Lastly, it is also a good chess strategy rule to not play a piece beyond your own side of the board in the opening.

Browse the articles in this section to learn about the different chess strategies in greater detail.