The Round Table Series - Openings Made Easier

What do all chess players have in common? They're all weighed down by a colossal scroll called The Opening Book.

It's so heavy that many members who read it too often have become hunch-backed throughout the years.

Today, Z-Gardens is launching a new forum series to do away with that old tedious book study. Let's make chess learning fun again .

Welcome to The Round Table Series - Openings Made Easier

1.e4 (The King's Pawn)

1.e4 is now up for discussion. Please share your insights in the comment section below. The next move will be posted here.

1. Occupies a center square.

2. Controls a center squares.

3. Activates the queen.

4. Activates the bishop.

1.e4 is what you'd call a perfect move. It has no drawbacks. It attacks the center, allows for bishop development, and leads to early castling.

The queen could even be deployed for an early attack known as scholar's mate.

Evey pawn move has drawbacks.

1.e4 has the potential to make d4-f4 weak.

That's an interesting way of looking at it. If black plays 1...e5, that could make things harder for white's dark square bishop. Personally, I like to dislodge that e5-pawn with the moves d4 or f4. That's only after I've played 2.Nf3.