Q&A for How to Open in Chess

There's no written rule that says you can't, it's just a general advisement. Moving the queen early exposes it to attack, and if it is lost, your most powerful piece is no longer in your arsenal. As long as you know what you're doing, move the piece whenever you want.

If given the choice, take white. White, in moving first, always has a very slight advantage over black. A skilled player, playing white, will maintain pressure on black throughout the game.

About 20 to 30. The Sicilian is one of the most popular openings, and new novelties are always popping up.

Use your pawns. It will be like reflecting your opponents move.

Too complicated to treat here. Do a websearch for "how to force a stalemate."

Yes. Doing so would be to your advantage.

Your queen belongs in a place where it cannot be captured, but can still be useful in the opening (i.e. behind a line of center pawns).

None! You can attack or defend with black, just as with white. The Sicilian defence is very popular if white opens with 1.e5.

A pawn is worth single point. A knight and a bishop are worth 3 points. A rook is worth 5 points, a queen is 9 points and the king has no value. Counting points is very useful when deciding exchanges, sacrifices and forks.

Yes, in most situations. If your bishop can eat the opposing rook (and it doesn’t cause you any significant disadvantages), then eat his rook (even if your bishop will die). Since by calculating each pieces’s points, a bishop is worth around 3 and a rook around 5, so you actually earn 2 more points.

It is not compulsory. But if you are playing fast chess, it will be helpful.

The "Scholars Mate" is the only opening that wins the game without piece loss. It is not recommended against strong opponents.