Do Opening Principles Really Exist?

Well, they do NOT, actually. There only exist GENERAL chess principles! Let's take a closer look at it.

Masters "construct" solutions from major principles. Yet, there are no universally agreed-upon general chess principles. Whatever principles the player tend to mostly adhere to during game (the mix of which in fact forms her/his style of play), they only give orientation and direction to how players think at the board. These principles don't give solutions, nor they dictate strategy and tactics.

Generally, the only chess principles we are typically seeing and hearing about everywhere in books and online courses are the ones relating to the opening stage. The three central ones, all chess authors and authorities agree upon, are,

1) Develop your pieces

2) Develop toward the center

3) Castle early

Any other major opening principles that come to mind? (for a comprehensive list of opening principles and guidelines some Grandmasters have compiled, go here). 

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DEVELOP

This is a funny one. Saying "Don't develop" would be like, keep the army in the barracks instead of sending them out onto the battlefield to do some fighting!

When they say that you have to develop, they want to say that your troops should be mobilized quickly in order to get them ready and pursue with effect for clash with the opposing army in middlegame. In other words, this is simply the general Principle of Activity as implemented in opening.

All you do in chess is meant to increase and maintain the high level of activity of your pieces, while - as the duality principle suggests - you are to restrict mobility and to fight against active moves and plans of the opponent. 

Some consider Activity as the main principle of chess throughout (for example, Dydyshko in The Logic of Modern Chess, Minsk 1989).

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I've discussed Activity in a recent post. In spite of its instructional importance, it's received only a modest number of views, about ten times fewer than the post exposing deceptive practices of opening "experts" that has had about 4,500 views so far. Attack and Defense: Just Two Faces of the Same Coin? talking about Activity is, I believe, well worth visiting as it illustrates a good number of inspiring examples of the Principle, as well as the nature of Attack and Defense. 

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CENTRALIZE

What about the second "opening" principle above? 

Well, centralization is as important in middlegame as is in opening (less so in endgame when most of the board is unoccupied when few pieces are left). Therefore, it is again a general principle.

Chessmen are grouping in the middle of the board for two principal reasons.

The first is that by massing the majority of army there a strong power structure establishes. Two principles are at work here, Principle of Distribution (=where and how the player position their force), and Principle of Concentration of Power (=where the player focus the most effort). This power network pieces form on the board is laying ground for possible future expansion and assault on the enemy base. Also, while in the center your chessmen can easily use their striking power and make movements in all directions (either frontally, or on the wings) as further developments dictate.

The second reason for consolidating in the center is that a formidable presence of your troops there prevents the opposing disruptive forces/firing power from activating, thus inhibiting/restricting their ability to move and gain more space and agility for their own plans and possible offensive action (Principle of Prevention). 

If you think about it, you may come to conclusion that the two reasons given above coincide with the main chess Principle of Activity already quoted for #1 (Develop). 

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CASTLE EARLY? 

What general principle this can possibly be? The King's safety is an overarching principle and it applies for the duration of game. Therefore, Principle of Security isn't solely an opening issue.

Anyway, castling early doesn't seem to be a principle at all (principles never change!). It is more a recommendation as some openings with a closed pawn structure allow for a delayed castle, or no castle at all. 

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In the end, it turns out that the so called "Opening Principles" are nothing more than the universal Principle of Activity (the way we organize and effectively use the striking power of pieces), plus Principle of Security!  

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