Why Do We Develop Knights Before Bishops?
Understanding the classic guideline that shapes how we begin every chess game.
Published 2026-02-01 | Last verified 2026-02-12
Professor Archer says: When I was learning the openings, my coach said something I have never forgotten: "A knight always knows where it wants to go. A bishop needs to see where the battle lines form first." That single sentence changed how I thought about development forever.
Knights Have Obvious Homes
The reason we typically develop knights before bishops is beautifully simple: knights almost always go to the same squares. The knight on g1 goes to f3. The knight on b1 goes to c3. These are natural, strong squares that support the center and rarely turn out to be wrong.
Bishops, on the other hand, have multiple good options and their best square depends on how the pawn structure evolves. Should the bishop on f1 go to c4, b5, d3, or e2? The answer depends on what your opponent does in the next few moves. By developing the knights first, you keep your options open for the bishops.
The Natural Knight Outposts
Look at this position after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3. White's knight on f3 is perfectly placed. It attacks the e5 pawn, controls the d4 square, and prepares the way for kingside castling. There was no guesswork involved — f3 is simply the right square.
Now White still has choices for the bishop. Should it go to c4 to target f7? To b5 in a Ruy Lopez style? To e2 for a quieter setup? The answer depends on Black's response. By playing Nf3 first, White keeps every bishop option on the table.
After 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 — the knight is perfectly placed while the bishop's best square is still undetermined.
Bishops Need Information
Bishops are long-range pieces that thrive on open diagonals. But in the opening, the pawn structure is still forming. If you place your bishop on a diagonal that later gets blocked by your own pawns, you have a "bad bishop" — a piece that stares sadly at the back of its own army.
By waiting a move or two before committing your bishops, you can see which diagonals will remain open. Perhaps your opponent will play a move that clearly indicates you should fianchetto (develop your bishop to g2 or b2). Or perhaps they will leave the a2-g8 diagonal wide open for Bc4. Patience rewards you with better bishop placement.
Knights, being short-range pieces that jump over everything, do not care about pawn structure in the same way. A knight on f3 is happy regardless of where the pawns end up.
Castling Considerations
There is a practical reason too: developing the kingside knight is a step toward castling. After Nf3, you only need to move the bishop and possibly the pawn in front of it before you can tuck your king away safely. Knight development serves double duty.
If you developed the bishop first without the knight, you would still need two more moves (the knight and castling) before your king is safe. Efficiency matters in the opening, and the knight-first approach is simply more economical.
A Simple Opening Development Plan
- Move a central pawn - Open with 1.e4 or 1.d4 to stake a claim in the center and open lines for your pieces.
- Develop your kingside knight - Bring the knight to f3 (or f6 for Black). It supports the center and prepares castling.
- Develop your queenside knight - Bring the other knight to c3 (or c6). Now both knights are active and centralized.
- Choose the right diagonal for your bishops - With the pawn structure clearer, place your bishops on their best diagonals.
- Castle early - Tuck your king away to safety before launching any operations in the center or on the wings.
Professor Archer says: Rules in chess are really guidelines. Once you understand why knights come out first, you will also recognize the moments when bringing a bishop out early is perfectly correct. Mastery is knowing the rule and knowing when to break it.
Quick Quiz
Why is developing knights before bishops generally recommended in the opening?
- Knights are more valuable than bishops - Knights and bishops are roughly equal in value (about three points each). The guideline is about placement clarity, not piece value.
- Knights have obvious best squares while bishops need to see pawn structure first (Correct) - Exactly right. Knights almost always go to f3/c3 (or f6/c6), but bishops have multiple good options that depend on how the position develops.
- Bishops should stay on the back rank for defense - Bishops should absolutely be developed. The guideline is about the order of development, not about keeping bishops passive.
- It is a strict rule that cannot be broken - It is a guideline, not an absolute rule. There are many openings where developing a bishop first is correct, such as the Italian Game with Bc4.