Quickest development openings in 8 moves

The idea is to develop 2 bishops, 2 knights and queen with minimal number of moves + castling in any side connecting both rooks! 😎 It requires 2 pawn moves, opening the way to bishops. So, in total, 7 moves are necessary (8 moves with the castling). There are some natural restrictions, for example, only b-,d-,e- and g-pawns can be moved. So, Sicilian is excluded. Either d- or e-pawn should be moved in order to open the way to the queen.

Here's an example with Ruy Lopez/Berlin (1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. d3 d6 5. Nc3 Bg4 6. Bg5 Be7 7. Qd2 Qd7):

The point is obvious: to develop pieces as quick as possible without losing tempos.

Here's a symmetrical example where pieces are maximally advanced.

I wanna follow this strategy in my games. In real games, such symmetrical positions will occur rarely.

 thanx.

So what, you are saying that the Sicilian is somehow not a good opening now because it cannot achieve the minimum number of moves required for complete development? Absurd. Caro-Kann opening not solid because the d or e pawn was not moved first? Ridiculous.

Do remember, that those few extra tempii that you place so much emphasis are dynamic time advantages, i.e., they are not permanent. So if you cannot create an immediate threat because of those tempii, then it is still ok for the opponent to play a prophylatic or 'time losing' move (black's a6 in the Najdorf Sicilian or the fairly common g6 to finechetto the bishop).

TerryOberon: yeah, I didn't want to refute Sicilian LoL. It just doesn't fit into this pattern for black.

I'm back to this idea, bump.

#9
That was also the line of thought of Steinitz, Lasker, Capablanca in their teachings,
though they deviated from it themselves. Lasker formulated 4 common sense rules:

1) Only play d- and e- pawns.
2) Play knights before you play bishops.
3) Do not play the same piece twice.
4) Do not pin the KN with your QB before the opponent has castled O-O.

All 4 rules have exceptions, but if you adhere to these then you stay out of trouble.

Nice, thanks a lot for this reminder!

#11
The present opinion is, that the center is more important than development.
1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bc4 Nf6 4 d3 Bc5 5 c3 to control central square d4 and not the developing move 5 Nc3.
Also 1 d4 d5 2 c4 not a developing move, but undermining central square d5

B08 Pirc Defense: Classical Variation, Quiet System, Parma Defense

Pawn structure 2DE1dg:

Here, 8...Qd7 is not good for black; suggested move: 8...e5.

Right. 😎 However, the quickest development 7/8-move openings represent an interesting category, that can be easily understood and  classified. 😉

Hmm... if someone plays Nd2 or Ne2, it blocks a non-fianchetto bishop. So, this rule is somewhat inconsistent with the quickest development.

#15
They primarily mean Nf3 and Nc3, not blocking the diagonals of the bishops.
However, in the Ruy Lopez and the Giuoco Pianissimo it is often fine to play Nd2 first, later Nf1 and Ne3 or Ng3 and only then play Bc1.
The point of the rule is that Nf3 and Nc3 are the natural developing moves for the knights, while the best development for the bishops depend on how the opponent plays.
#14
Just saying the center is often more important than development.
#13
Here is a game
https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1068052 

I always find it amusing to watch grandmaster games... Grandmaster regularly violate development and opening principles (most notably playing several pawn moves in the opening) and achieve a superior position despite this. Straight-collared "optimal development" and the perfect following of chess principles will always lose to the actual objective best moves. A player like me wouldn't be able to punish play like this but a grandmaster certainly could.

I like it

#18
"Grandmaster regularly violate development and opening principles (most notably playing several pawn moves in the opening)"
++ The center is even more important than development.
1 e4 c5 does not develop anything but the queen, but fights central square d4,
1 d4 d5 2 c4 does not develop any piece, but contests central square d5.

"Straight-collared "optimal development" and the perfect following of chess principles will always lose" ++ No, that is not true. Optimal development is speedy development,
but with even more importance to the center, even if it takes a few pawn moves.