Chess opening guides

1. e4 openings

Open and semi-open games, where White's first move claims the center with the king's pawn.

For White

• Italian Game

  C50 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4

  The Italian Game (1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4) aims the bishop at f7, Black's weakest square, and develops quickly towards castling.

• King's Gambit

  C30 · 1. e4 e5 2. f4

  The King's Gambit (1. e4 e5 2. f4) offers a pawn to open the f-file and take the center.

• Ruy Lopez

  C60 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5

  The Ruy Lopez, or Spanish Opening (1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5), is one of the oldest and most deeply analyzed openings in chess.

• Scotch Game

  C44 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4

  The Scotch Game (1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4) opens the center straight away instead of building up slowly as in the Ruy Lopez.

• Vienna Game

  C25 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nc3

  The Vienna Game (1. e4 e5 2. Nc3) develops the queen's knight first so White can follow up with f4.

For Black

• Alekhine Defense

  B02 · 1. e4 Nf6

  The Alekhine Defense (1. e4 Nf6) attacks White's e-pawn at once and invites it forward, aiming to undermine the center later.

• Caro-Kann Defense

  B10 · 1. e4 c6

  The Caro-Kann Defense (1. e4 c6) prepares ...d5 while keeping Black's light-squared bishop free.

• French Defense

  C00 · 1. e4 e6

  The French Defense (1. e4 e6) is a solid counterattacking defense where Black challenges White's center with ...d5 on the next move.

• Modern Defense

  B06 · 1. e4 g6

  The Modern Defense (1. e4 g6) fianchettoes the bishop at once and lets White build a center that Black attacks later.

• Petrov's Defense

  C42 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6

  Petrov's Defense (1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6) counterattacks White's e-pawn instead of defending Black's own, aiming for a solid, symmetrical game.

• Philidor Defense

  C41 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6

  The Philidor Defense (1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6) defends the e5 pawn with a pawn, building a solid but slightly passive set-up.

• Pirc Defense

  B00 · 1. e4 d6

  The Pirc Defense (1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6) is a hypermodern defense that lets White take the center and then undermines it.

• Scandinavian Defense

  B01 · 1. e4 d5

  The Scandinavian Defense (1. e4 d5) challenges White's center on the very first move.

• Sicilian Defense

  B20 · 1. e4 c5

  The Sicilian Defense (1. e4 c5) is Black's most popular and most combative answer to 1. e4.

1. d4 openings

Closed games and Indian defenses, where White starts with the queen's pawn.

For White

• Catalan Opening

  E00 · 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3

  The Catalan Opening (1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3) combines the Queen's Gambit with a kingside fianchetto.

• London System

  D02 · 1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Bf4

  The London System (1. d4 followed by Bf4, e3 and Nf3) is a set-up opening that White can play against almost any defense.

• Queen's Gambit

  D06 · 1. d4 d5 2. c4

  The Queen's Gambit (1. d4 d5 2. c4) offers a wing pawn to pull Black's d-pawn away from the center.

• Trompowsky Attack

  A45 · 1. d4 Nf6 2. Bg5

  The Trompowsky Attack (1. d4 Nf6 2. Bg5) attacks the knight on f6 at once and sidesteps the main lines of the Indian defenses.

For Black

• Benko Gambit

  A57 · 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 b5

  The Benko Gambit (1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 b5) gives up a queenside pawn for long-term pressure on the a- and b-files.

• Benoni Defense

  A56 · 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5

  The Benoni Defense (1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5) challenges White's center at once and leads to unbalanced pawn structures with chances for both sides.

• Bogo-Indian Defense

  E11 · 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 e6 3. c4 Bb4+

  The Bogo-Indian Defense (1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 Bb4+) gives a check with the bishop when White avoids the Nimzo-Indian with 3. Nf3.

• Dutch Defense

  A80 · 1. d4 f5

  The Dutch Defense (1. d4 f5) fights for the e4 square and prepares a kingside attack from the first move.

• Grünfeld Defense

  D80 · 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5

  The Grünfeld Defense (1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5) invites White to build a big pawn center and then attacks it with pieces.

• King's Indian Defense

  E61 · 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3

  The King's Indian Defense (1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7) lets White build a big pawn center and then attacks it.

• Nimzo-Indian Defense

  E20 · 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4

  The Nimzo-Indian Defense (1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4) pins the knight on c3 so White cannot easily play e4.

• Queen's Indian Defense

  E12 · 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 e6 3. c4 b6

  The Queen's Indian Defense (1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6) fianchettoes the queen's bishop to fight for the e4 square.

• Slav Defense

  D10 · 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6

  The Slav Defense (1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6) supports Black's center pawn without blocking in the light-squared bishop.

Flank openings

White controls the center from the side with moves like 1. c4, 1. Nf3 and 1. f4.

For White

• Bird Opening

  A02 · 1. f4

  The Bird Opening (1. f4) controls e5 from the flank and often leads to a reversed Dutch Defense with an extra tempo for White.

• English Opening

  A10 · 1. c4

  The English Opening (1. c4) controls d5 from the flank and keeps White's options open.

• Réti Opening

  A09 · 1. Nf3 d5 2. c4

  The Réti Opening (1. Nf3 d5 2. c4) attacks Black's center from the flank instead of occupying it with pawns.