How many tempi is a pawn worth in the opening?

Roughly three. Sacrificing a pawn for three fast developing moves is the logic behind most gambits.

Which piece should I develop first?

Whichever one your opening's pawn moves have freed. In open positions that usually means the kingside knight, so you can castle quickly.

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Principles · 6 min read

Develop every piece before you attack

Almost every attack that fails below 1500 fails for the same reason: it was launched by two pieces against a position defended by four. Development is simply the process of increasing the number of pieces that can join a fight.

A piece is developed when it has left its starting square and has a job — a diagonal, a file or a central square. A knight that hops to a3 and back is not developed, it is busy.

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.d3 Nf6 5.O-O O-O — Ten moves, ten useful ones: both sides have two developed pieces per wing, a safe king and connected rooks to come.

The order that rarely goes wrong

Push one or two centre pawns to open lines for the bishops.
Knights before bishops — knights have fewer good squares, so they are easier to place correctly.
Castle by roughly move ten to bring the king to safety and a rook toward the centre.
Move the queen one square, not five: d2, e2 or c2 is usually enough.
Connect the rooks and put one on the file most likely to open.

Count development before every attack

Before you start a kingside attack, count the pieces that can reach the attacked area within two moves, then count the defenders. If you are not ahead, spend the move improving your worst piece instead.

This is the same counting habit that makes tactics work: three attackers against two defenders wins material, and three attackers against two defenders around a king wins the game.

The classic development mistakes

Moving the same piece repeatedly in the opening while the opponent brings out new ones.
Early wing pawn moves like h4 or a4 that do nothing for the centre.
Blocking your own bishop with a pawn on the same colour complex, then having to spend two moves to fix it.
Chasing a pawn with the queen and losing three tempi to the pieces that harass her.

Key takeaways

A developed piece has a job, not just a new square.
Never attack while behind in the number of pieces that can join the fight.
If you cannot find a move, improve your least active piece.

Frequently asked questions

How many tempi is a pawn worth in the opening?: Roughly three. Sacrificing a pawn for three fast developing moves is the logic behind most gambits.
Which piece should I develop first?: Whichever one your opening's pawn moves have freed. In open positions that usually means the kingside knight, so you can castle quickly.