Irrespective of whether they
are trying to gain the upper hand as White and equalize as Black or to create
dynamic imbalances, players generally devote a lot of attention in the opening
stages to:
1. Development: One of the main aims of the opening is to mobilize the
pieces on useful squares where they will have impact on the game. To this end,
knights are usually developed to f3, c3, f6 and c6 (or sometimes e2, d2, e7 or
d7), and both player's King and Queen pawns are moved so the bishops can be
developed (alternatively, the bishops may be fianchettoed with a manoeuvre such as g3
and Bg2). Rapid mobilization is the key. The queen, and to a lesser extent the
rooks, are not usually played to a central position until later in the game,
when many minor pieces and pawns are no longer present.
