Opening tips

This is good in the opening:

1.Develop your pieces. If you are black, you are doing very well in this position with moves:

This is very bad for white. The game could continue like this:

Calculate first using the board above.

So don't just try to defend and win material, TRY TO ATTACK! The attacker with his pieces (and pawns) will breakthrough. But if you are attacking, remember to have developed pieces and lots of attackers when there are lots of defenders.

2. Make useful moves!

If you don't make useful moves, you will defend again in the middle game. Let's see an example of black not making useful moves.

Black is not making useful moves, and also not following the 3rd tip:

3.Control the centre!

If you don't control the centre, you could have an attack going on at the c-f file, where it 

is danger for the king and queen.

Let's see an example of white not controlling the centre.

White also made mistakes of losing knights, but black should not be worried about that.

4.Protect the f-pawn and don't move it!

It could seriously damage the king.

The last position shows scholar's mate.

5. Castle!

With the king stuck in the middle, problems can occur at f2/f7. If you castle queenside, your king is far away from the f-pawn. If you castle kingside, the f-pawn threats will reduce and it is more protected.

Using this 5 tips, solve these puzzles: