Chess Principle 1: Development: Introduction

Note: This is the first in a series of articles about basic chess principles

In chess, what is your greatest asset?

There are many different answers. Some might say king safety, others sound pawn structure. While those are important, they’re not the biggest asset you have.

So what is it?

Your pieces.

Without your pieces, in chess, you’re doomed. If you’re down material, your opponent most likely has a sound edge; even players just starting out know that. Without your pieces, you don’t have a hope of winning; forget all the other balances of the game, nothing even compares to your pieces.

So to win a chess game, in most cases, you need to get your pieces off the back rank and into the game, or else you can’t possibly do well.

In chess, that’s called development; getting your pieces into the game. While most people know what it is and why it’s important, not everyone knows how to actually get their pieces active.

So in the coming days, even weeks, my main aim is going to be to teach you the importance of developing and how to do it.

Expect the first article shortly.