Classical openings occupy the centre with pawns, usually 1.e4 e5 or 1.d4 d5, then develop the pieces behind them and castle.
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Each move in a classical opening has a reason you can see: a pawn takes the centre, a piece defends it, the king gets safe. These are the ideas the rest of chess is built on.
How to do it
- 1Put a pawn on e4 or d4, and the second one beside it when you can.
- 2Develop knights and bishops so they support those pawns.
- 3Castle and connect the rooks before starting a plan.
For your level
Put pawns in the middle. Bring out knights and bishops. Then castle.
Common mistakes
- Copying the opponent's moves without understanding why each one was played.
- Learning fashionable openings before the classical ones, and never seeing what a strong centre does.
Questions
- Are classical openings still played at the top?
- Yes. The Ruy Lopez and the Queen's Gambit are regular choices in world championship matches.