ChessOps - PAWN Development

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Don't run before you can walk - if you're not a great player then move either your king's pawn or queen's pawn first. The move 1.P-K4 (ie. king's pawn 1.e2-e4 White and 1..e7-e5 Black) unlocks queen and king's bishop, whilst 1.P-Q4 (queen's pawn 1.d2-d4 White and 1..d7-d5 Black) releases the queen's bishop. But having freed a bishop, follow up by developing your knights before your bishops!

Consider further pawn development carefully according to position, possible gambit strategy, potential fianchetto advantages and whether intending to castle on the king's side (usually) or queen's side of the board. The pawn formation dictates the course of play. Also, remember that open and closed play (ie. with attack or for position) are also largely determined by the initial pawn chosen.

Lastly remember the dictum 'pawn moves must be carefully thought out, for they can never be retracted'. In other words, you can't correct a bad pawn move by repositioning it with a second move.