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Chess openings for beginners

Lesson 18 of 20 Age 8+ Time 15 minutes Before this checkmate patterns

In short

In the first moves: put a pawn in the center (e4 or d4), bring out your knights and bishops, and castle early. Don't move the same piece twice without a reason, and don't bring your queen out too soon.

  • The Italian Game (1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4) follows all five rules.
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The Italian Game: center pawns, knights and bishops out, and both kings ready to castle.

Teach it

  1. DoSet up the start position.
  2. Say“At the start, we take the middle and wake up our pieces.”
  3. Ask“Which pawn move takes the middle?”
  4. Child“e4!”
  5. Say“Next, knights and bishops come out. Then the king castles to safety.”
Hand the screen to your child

Your turn!

Make a strong first move: take the center with a pawn.

Three quick questions

  1. Which first move takes the center?

  2. Which pieces should you bring out first?

  3. When should you castle?

Practice sheet: Good first moves

One page, free to print, no sign-in. The answers print on the next page.

Good first movesName ____________________
  1. a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1

    Circle two pawns that can take the center.

  2. a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1

    Which piece should White bring out next?

Answers: Good first moves

  1. The e2 and d2 pawns (e4, d4).
  2. A knight (f3) or a bishop (c4).

Questions parents ask

What is the best chess opening for beginners?

One that follows the opening rules. The Italian Game (1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4) is a good first opening: it takes the center, brings out pieces and gets ready to castle.

Should beginners learn opening names?

Not yet. Learn the five rules first. Names and long lines come later.

Rules checked against FIDE Laws of Chess, taking effect from 1 January 2023 on . Found something to fix? Tell us on the contact page.