The opening is the most important phase of the game in chess. When good players get a slight edge in the opening, they are able to squeeze the most of this advantage and put their opponent under consistent pressure for the rest of the game. If you are playing the opening aggressively, placing a strong emphasis on active development, and striving to control the center – you are frequently going to be getting good positions early in the game. However if you play the opening like an automatic, mechanic part of the game where you are simply playing memorized moves to achieve a middlegame where you feel familiar – you are practically giving your opponent the initiative! In the below chess video excerpt from the 3.5 hour chess DVD ¨Winning Chess Games in the Opening¨ Brazilian champion Grandmaster Rafael Leitão explains basic concepts that will drastically improve your understanding of the opening phase in chess.
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