Opening Mistakes Beginners Make

And how to punish them

In this lesson you will learn

Moving the queen too early
Weakening the king with f- and g-pawn moves
Grabbing pawns instead of developing
Punishing these mistakes

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10.1 The Usual Suspects

Early queen moves. The queen is chased and you lose time.
Too many pawn moves. Each pawn move that does not help the centre is a lost tempo.
Weakening the king. Moves like f3, g4 or ...f6 open the diagonal to your king.
Pawn grabbing. Taking a pawn while your pieces are at home often costs more than a pawn.
Not castling. A king in the centre is a target when the centre opens.

Diagram 10.1Black to move

The quickest mate

White has weakened the diagonal e1–h4 twice.

Two careless pawn moves, and the game is over in two moves. Never weaken the squares next to your king without a reason.

Remember

Do not bring the queen out early.
Do not weaken the squares near your king.
Develop before you grab pawns.
Castle before the centre opens.

Exercises · Lesson 10

Every exercise has been checked with a chess engine. Find the best move or choose the right answer.

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Exercise 10.1Mate in 1

Black to move

Black to move. Give checkmate in one.

Exercise 10.2Find the move

White to move

White to move. Black has defended e5 with ...f6, weakening the king. Punish it.

Exercise 10.3Find the move

White to move

White to move. Find the strongest move.

Exercise 10.4Find the move

White to move

White to move. Find the strongest move.

Exercise 10.5Find the move

Black to move