Initiative in chess is important in all stages of the game. It is usually associated with an attack but can be reached even in endgames. In general, one side has the initiative if they can make threats that cannot be ignored. That turns the other side into a defensive mode and doesn’t give them time for creating their own threats.
The Alekhine Defense is the most famous example of a provocative opening. Black meets 1.e4 with 1…Nf6, attacking the central pawn on move 1 and inviting it to move farther. It is well-known pawns cannot go backward and hence leave weaknesses behind themselves. Still, it is quite a common scenario when White starts pursuing that knight with their pawns, grabbing as much space as possible but ends up losing the game badly because of overextending.
The Dragon is one of the most aggressive variations of the Sicilian. Black develops their dark-squared bishop to the most active position from where it puts a lot of pressure on White’s center and queenside. It usually leads to sharp and complicated positions where both sides try to launch an attack as quickly as possible.
When someone asks something like, “Hey, I just want to have some fun—and still win games. Which opening should I learn?”…
The answer is usually to AVOID the great, old Sicilian or the totally unoriginal King’s Pawn, or any of the popular openings that you constantly hear about for that matter.
Yes, choosing the right candidate move can make or break your position… true that.
But what’s even more important?
What’s the FIRST step that comes even before looking for candidate moves?
That’s right—evaluation of the current position.
The impact that an opening stage makes on the rest of the game is difficult to overestimate. If you get a great position out of the opening, you can defeat even a higher-rated player. On the other hand, if you end up in a worse position after the beginning phase, you might struggle for the whole rest of the game. That is why opening preparation becomes so important.
When you only start playing chess, it is enough to know only basic opening principles such as controlling the center, developing your pieces, castling early, and so on. After some learning and practicing, you will reach the point where you will start studying opening theory. It will familiarize you with typical plans and ideas, different pawn formations, and overall, make playing chess more interesting.
Chess is a game that’s played on and off the board. On the board, players have to show their skills, understanding of different positions, pawn structures, tactical motifs, and much more. However, that’s not the only war. Chess is also played at a psychological level; the mindset you enter a game with is of great importance and can influence the course of the game. Emotions play a big part in the game and they can sometimes make us see threats that don’t really exist on the chessboard.
Chess is a fascinating game, full of possibilities.
The two armies – the white and the black one – put up impressive battles.
Some of them are long and full of strategy, where one of them is conquering territory after territory.
Others are pure fire and the chase after the rival monarch starts early in the game.
All this happens on one battlefield – the chessboard.
Netflix’s “Queen’s Gambit” miniseries boosted the interest of people in chess but had no effect on the popularity of the opening of the same name.
There was no need.
The Queen’s Gambit is itself one of the oldest, most played, and respectable openings ever. It was played already by Gioachino Greko back in 1620.
