Don't move the same piece twice in the opening without a good reason. Place each piece immediately on the square where it is most effective.
If you're playing a sensible opening, then after the first few moves, you should have some idea where you are going to develop your pieces. Your plan for the next few moves will be to place those pieces wherever you've decided they should go.
You're probably thinking, but what if my opponent attacks one of my pieces? Yes, there are lots of exceptions to this guideline, but you should recognize that they are indeed exceptions.
If you are forced to move your Queen because it was attacked, ask yourself why you developed it to a square which was so easy to attack. Did you gain some other advantage out of this attack?
If your opponent makes a blunder and leaves a piece en prise, of course you'll want to capture it even if you have to move one of your pieces a second time.
See Positional Play (under 'Suggested Reading') for more about
- Piece activity
