1. Fight for the centre
Pawns and pieces on e4, d4, e5 and d5 control the most squares and restrict your opponent. Start with a central pawn move.
2. Develop with purpose
Bring knights and bishops out before moving the same piece twice. A useful rule: knights before bishops, and don't bring the queen out early where she can be chased.
3. Castle early
Castling tucks your king away and connects your rooks. Most strong players castle within the first ten moves.
Try it
In your next game, count how many pieces you've developed by move 8. Aim for at least four.