Beginner's Advice: Lesson #1 (Opening Plan #1)

Welcome to the "Beginner's Advice" series (best recommended for rating 100-350)! In this lesson, we will cover up the main ideas in the opening stage of a chess game and we will break those plans down into one main idea, starting with:

   Fighting for the Center

-I know all of you have already heard of this main idea but let me explain it more clearly. This concept is very crucial as you know in this stage of the game but why? Well it all comes down to one important concept, space advantage. But why the center exactly? Why not the sides/flanks? What even is space advantage? Well, let me show you an example:

Saw the difference between the two? White just simply followed the principle of having space advantage in the center while black had space advantage on the sides/flanks yet black had a terrible position in the end so why did black lose? Well, he wasted one of the most valuable things in the opening, timing.

Timing in the opening are the moves like developing, space advantage in the center, and king safety. Those are valuable use of timing but black wasted the correct timing with worser ones like multiple pawn moves, useless moves, and incorrect piece development.

So, what did we learn here? Make use of moves by putting pawns in the center, place minor pieces where they are controlling key central squares, and wait... Development?