Project approval after AI review on 2 November 2026. Human proofreading is still pending.
Development
At a glance
Development means that your pieces leave their starting squares in the opening and join the game. Aaron Nimzowitsch demands that as many pieces as possible come into play quickly and that each one moves only once at first. Pawn moves mainly help by opening the way for the pieces. If you develop faster, you often have more pieces ready for an attack.
In short
Development means: your pieces leave their starting squares and come into play. Nimzowitsch stresses that all the pieces should take part, not just two or three.
At the start each piece should move only once if possible. Long trips by a single piece cost time that the others then lack.
In the opening, pawn moves are mainly helper moves: they clear the way for the pieces and build a centre so that enemy pawns cannot drive your pieces back.
If you develop and attack an enemy piece that has already moved, you gain time: your opponent has to move the same piece again.
Summarised by the editors in their own words. This is not a quotation.
Where to find it in Nimzowitsch
- My System: I. Teil, 1. Kapitel - Zentrum und Entwicklung (original text)
The overview of the first chapter of “My System”.
- My System: I. Teil, 1.1 Unter Entwicklung ist nur der strategische Aufmarsch der Truppen zur Grenzlinie hin zu verstehen (original text)
Why development concerns all the pieces and each piece should make only one move at first.
- My System: I. Teil, 1.2 Der Bauernzug ist an und für sich keineswegs als Entwicklungszug aufzufassen (original text)
What pawn moves in the opening are for and what the centre is.
- My System: I. Teil, 1.3 Der Entwicklungsvorsprung als Ideal (original text)
How you gain time when your opponent has to move a piece several times.