Opening plans

I am more than a beginner, I know that in the opening I need to develop my pieces and play for central control.  Can anyone suggest ways I can develop my opening theory to a higher level.  I have studied several openings and have a good "feel" for many, but no idea of any greater purpose.  A lot of the commentary is reactive rather than proactive.  Move this piece here because it will defend a, or attack b.  But I have no idea about overall strategies. When is it best for example to develop your bishop to c4 or b5?  When should you play your knight to f3 or e2?  How does a master make that decision?  Presumably based on some overall strategy which is inherent in the opening.  But what are these mystical strategies beyond development to the middle.  Are there any resources on chess.com to help me?  Are there any good published books which answer these questions?  All advice greatly appreciated.

I looked forever for the same thing, and eventually realized the answer was much simpler than what I, and I assume you, were looking for. It really is just to control the center and set up a middle game to your liking. And the middle game ideas are usually just as simple. What openings are you looking to play?

you learn the most by playing. what helped me was lessons on chess.com. look at simple openings like Ruy Lopez and something that suits your style. honestly learn tactics and try them in your games and play. don't be afraid to loose. chess is a game of strategy not who has the best memory in my opinion.

IMHO: Don't study openings too much -it helps rarely. Strategy depends on your natural style of play. If you're a defender build strong position. If you're an attacker take a control of the open lines and create a threats to the opposite site weak points. Better try to do both until you see possibility for lethal attack. Main strategy is to avoid own positional weaknesses and to exploit rivals'.. Try to suffocate your opponent - his pieces must have no good squares to move. Control as many squares, lines and files as possible, make threats of undefended points and then something tactical possibility appears. Textbooks written by Lasker and Capablanca has the good ideas about this. Excuse my poor English

Those questions will depend on the opening, pawn structure, and your opponent. 

Remember that the only only purose that opening serves, is to get to a playable middlegame.  Thats it, nothing more. 

Try Andy Soltis's book on pawn structures.

Then find a good book on the openings you play.  The Move By Move series are good. 

Fundamental Chess Openings would be a good start

Whether you open with e4 or d4, just try to place your pieces on optimal squares on their first move. If they extend past the middle, there is a chance they can be pushed away or exchanged. But I like to keep things simple and try to connect my rooks by move 10.

These are all good answers, but I am sure there is more to this question than people think.  If for example an engine suggests e5 as the optimal response to e4 why do so many people play the sicilian.  I always thought it was because the move has a different underlying strategy.  When solving problems in the Mentor I sometimes get responses like "this does not fit into your overall plan".  I could interpret such remarks if I knew what the overall plan was.

You need to find openings youre comfortable playing

You need ot learn and understand the pawn structures behind those openings

Once you understand the pawn structure, youll understand the opening

It really is your middle game plan. If you want to hit back and fight for the center against e4 play e5. If you want to allow yourself some counter attacking chances later on play c5. Sicilian is the 'fighting' defense a lot of the time. A computer won't usually fight back much unless you give them the opening to do so

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pawn_structure

Grab one of those move-by-move annotated game collections, e.g. Chernev or Nunn. They tell you a lot about the general opening ideas. 

Alekhine's Best Games.  I have to warn you though he called the Modern an inferior opening but overall the strategy in it is good. 

While i dont play in the same style (I dislike labels) Alekhines games are some of the best to learn from.

I have read soltis, but didn't really help me. I am currently playing ruy Lopez as white and trying to grasp Sicilian as black if white plays kings pawn. I play kings Indian if white starts with queens pawn.

Is second can you tell me more about the move by move series

That was from Jenium.

Everyman chess has some opening books called the Move by Move series.  The link is for the English Move By Move.  Amazon has most of them.

  http://www.amazon.com/English-Move-Steve-Giddins/dp/1857446992/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1424992406&sr=8-1&keywords=english+move+by+move

Thanks second. Just tried to get the dragon. Currently unavailable

Try other sites, you should be able to get it somewhere

Just discovered it is not yet published