Editing Chess opening (section)

==Aims of the opening==

===Common aims in opening play===
Whether they are trying to gain the upper hand as White, or to {{chessgloss|equalize}} as Black or to create dynamic imbalances, players generally devote a lot of attention in the opening stages to the following strategies:<ref name="FineIdeasBehind" />
* ''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 players' king and queen pawns are moved so the bishops can be developed (alternatively, the bishops may be ''[[fianchetto]]ed'' with a maneuver 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 piece]]s and pawns are no longer present.<ref>{{Cite web|last=McHarg (AMcHarg)|first=Andrew|title=The Importance of Development|url=https://www.chess.com/article/view/the-importance-of-development2|access-date=2021-03-30|website=Chess.com|date=31 January 2009 |language=en-US}}</ref>
* ''[[Control of the center]]:'' At the start of the game, it is not clear on which part of the board the pieces will be needed. Controlling the central squares, however, allows pieces to be moved to any part of the board relatively easily, and can also have a cramping effect on the opponent. The classical view is that central control is best effected by placing [[pawn (chess)|pawns]] there, ideally establishing pawns on d4 and e4 (or d5 and e5 for Black). However, the [[hypermodernism (chess)|hypermodern]] school showed that it was not always necessary or even desirable to occupy the center in this way, and that too broad a pawn front could be attacked and destroyed, leaving its architect vulnerable; an impressive-looking pawn center is worth little unless it can be maintained. The hypermoderns instead advocated controlling the center from a distance with pieces, breaking down one's opponent's center, and only taking over the center oneself later in the game. This leads to openings such as [[Alekhine's Defense]] – in a line like 1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 4.c4 Nb6 5.f4 (the Four Pawns Attack) White has a formidable pawn center for the moment, but Black hopes to undermine it later in the game, leaving White's position exposed.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|last=Neustroev (Gertsog)|first=Viktor|title=How to Control the Center (and Why It's Important)|url=https://www.chess.com/blog/Gertsog/how-to-control-the-center-and-why-its-important|access-date=2021-03-30|website=Chess.com|date=19 May 2020 |language=en-US}}</ref>
* ''King safety:'' The king is somewhat exposed in the middle of the board. Measures must be taken to reduce his vulnerability. It is therefore common for both players either to [[castling|castle]] in the opening (simultaneously developing one of the rooks) or to otherwise bring the king to the side of the board via [[artificial castling]].
* {{em|Prevention of pawn weaknesses:}} Most openings strive to avoid the creation of pawn weaknesses such as [[isolated pawn|isolated]], [[doubled pawns|doubled]] and [[backward pawn]]s, pawn islands, etc. Some openings sacrifice [[Chess endgame|endgame]] considerations for a quick attack on the opponent's position. Some unbalanced openings for Black, in particular, make use of this idea, such as the Dutch and the Sicilian. Other openings, such as the Alekhine and the Benoni, invite the opponent to overextend and form pawn weaknesses. Specific openings accept pawn weaknesses in exchange for compensation in the form of dynamic play. (See [[Pawn structure]].)
* {{em|Piece coordination:}} As the players mobilize their pieces, they both seek to ensure that they are working harmoniously towards the control of key squares.<ref name=":1" />
* {{em|Creating positions in which the player is more comfortable than the opponent:}} [[Transposition (chess)|Transposition]] is one common way of doing this.<ref name="SoltisTranspoTricks"/>

Apart from these ideas, other strategies used in the [[Chess middlegame|middlegame]] may also be carried out in the opening. These include preparing pawn breaks to create counterplay, creating weaknesses in the opponent's [[pawn structure]], seizing control of key squares, making favorable exchanges of minor pieces (e.g. gaining the bishop pair), or gaining a space advantage, whether in the center or on the flanks.

===Top-level objectives===
At higher levels of competition, for many years the main objectives of opening play were to obtain a better position when playing as White and to equalize when playing as Black. The idea behind this is that playing first [[First-move advantage in chess|gives White a slight initial advantage]]; for example, White will be the first to attack if the game opens symmetrically (Black mirrors White's moves).<ref name="FineIdeasBehind">{{cite book|author=Fine, R.|title=Ideas Behind the Chess Openings|publisher=Random House|isbn=0-8129-1756-1|year=1990|orig-year=1st. Pub. 1943}}</ref>

Since about the 1950s another objective has gradually become more dominant. According to [[International Master|IM]] [[Jeremy Silman]], the purpose of the opening is to create dynamic imbalances between the two sides, which will determine the character of the middlegame and the strategic plans chosen by both sides.<ref>{{cite book|author=Jeremy Silman|title=The Complete Book of Chess Strategy|publisher=Silman-James Press|year=1998|isbn=1-890085-01-4|page=3|author-link=Jeremy Silman}}</ref> For example, in the main line of the [[French Defence#Winawer Variation: 3...Bb4|Winawer Variation]] of the [[French Defense]] (1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3), White will try to use their {{chessgloss|bishop pair}} and {{chessgloss|space}} advantage to mount an attack on Black's {{chessgloss|kingside}}, while Black will seek simplifying [[Exchange (chess)|exchanges]] (in particular, trading off one of White's bishops to blunt this advantage) and counterattack against the weakened pawns on White's {{chessgloss|queenside}}; both players accept different combinations of advantages and disadvantages. This idea was a doctrine of the [[Mikhail Botvinnik#Influence on the game|Soviet school of chess]].

A third objective, which is complementary to the previous ones and has been common since the 19th century, is to lure the opponent into positions with which the player is more familiar and comfortable than the opponent. This is usually done by [[Transposition (chess)|transpositions]], in which a game that apparently starts with one opening can reach a position that is normally produced by a different opening.<ref name="SoltisTranspoTricks">{{cite book|title=Transpo Tricks in Chess|author=Soltis, A.|publisher=Batsford|year=2007|isbn=978-0-7134-9051-0|author-link=Andrew Soltis}} See review at {{cite web|url=http://www.chessville.com/reviews/TranspoTricks.htm|title=Transpo Tricks in Chess – review|publisher=chessville.com|url-status=usurped|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080418115252/http://www.chessville.com/reviews/TranspoTricks.htm|archive-date=2008-04-18}}</ref>