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Chessopening
FromWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

Achessopeningisthegroupofinitialmovesofachessgame.
Recognizedsequencesofinitialmovesarereferredtoas
openingsbyWhite,ordefensesbyBlack,butopeningisalso
usedasthegeneralterm.Therearemanydozensofdifferent
openings,andhundredsofnamedvariants.TheOxford
CompaniontoChesslists1,327namedopeningsandvariants.[1]
Thesevarywidelyincharacterfromquietpositionalplaytowild
tacticalplay.Inadditiontoreferringtospecificmovesequences,
theopeningisthefirstphaseofachessgame,theotherphases
beingthemiddlegameandtheendgame.

Asequenceofopeningmovesthatisconsideredstandard(often
1
1
cataloguedinareferenceworksuchastheEncyclopaediaof
a b
c d
e
f
g h
ChessOpenings)isreferredtoas"thebookmoves",orsimply
Thestartingpositionofchess
"book".Thesereferenceworksoftenpresentthesemove
sequencesinsimplealgebraicnotation,openingtrees,ortheory
tables.Whenagamebeginstodeviatefromknownopeningtheory,theplayersaresaidtobe"outofbook".
Insomeopeninglines,themovesconsideredbestforbothsideshavebeenworkedoutfortwentytotwenty
fivemovesormore.Someanalysisgoestothirtyorthirtyfivemoves,asintheclassicalKing'sIndian
DefenseandintheSveshnikovandNajdorfvariationsoftheSicilianDefense.[2]Professionalchessplayers
spendyearsstudyingopenings,andcontinuedoingsothroughouttheircareers,asopeningtheorycontinues
toevolve.Playersattheclublevelalsostudyopeningsbuttheimportanceoftheopeningphaseissmaller
theresincegamesarerarelydecidedintheopening.Thestudyofopeningscanbecomeunbalancedifitis
totheexclusionoftacticaltrainingandmiddlegameandendgamestrategy.[3]
Anewsequenceofmovesintheopeningisreferredtoasatheoreticalnovelty.Whenkeptsecretuntilused
inacompetitivegameitisoftenknownasapreparedvariation,apowerfulweaponintopclass
competition.[4]

Contents
1Aimsoftheopening
1.1Commonaimsinopeningplay
1.2Toplevelobjectives
2Openingrepertoires
3Openingnomenclature
4Classificationofchessopenings
4.1Opengames:1.e4e5
4.2Semiopengames:1.e4,Blackplaysotherthan1...e5
4.3Closedgames:1.d4d5
4.4IndianDefenseSystems:1.d4Nf6
4.5OtherBlackresponsesto1.d4
4.6Flankopenings(includingEnglish,Rti,Bird's,andWhitefianchettos)
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4.6Flankopenings(includingEnglish,Rti,Bird's,andWhitefianchettos)
4.7UnusualfirstmovesforWhite
5Seealso
6References
7Externallinks

Aimsoftheopening
Commonaimsinopeningplay
IrrespectiveofwhethertheyaretryingtogaintheupperhandasWhiteandequalizeasBlackortocreate
dynamicimbalances,playersgenerallydevotealotofattentionintheopeningstagesto:[5]
1. Development:Oneofthemainaimsoftheopeningistomobilizethepiecesonusefulsquareswhere
theywillhaveimpactonthegame.Tothisend,knightsareusuallydevelopedtof3,c3,f6andc6(or
sometimese2,d2,e7ord7),andbothplayers'kingandqueenpawnsaremovedsothebishopscanbe
developed(alternatively,thebishopsmaybefianchettoedwithamaneuversuchasg3andBg2).
Rapidmobilizationisthekey.Thequeen,andtoalesserextenttherooks,arenotusuallyplayedtoa
centralpositionuntillaterinthegame,whenmanyminorpiecesandpawnsarenolongerpresent.
2. Controlofthecenter:Atthestartofthegame,itisnotclearonwhichpartoftheboardthepieces
willbeneeded.However,controlofthecentralsquaresallowspiecestobemovedtoanypartofthe
boardrelativelyeasily,andcanalsohaveacrampingeffectontheopponent.Theclassicalviewis
thatcentralcontrolisbesteffectedbyplacingpawnsthere,ideallyestablishingpawnsond4ande4
(ord5ande5forBlack).However,thehypermodernschoolshowedthatitwasnotalwaysnecessary
orevendesirabletooccupythecenterinthisway,andthattoobroadapawnfrontcouldbeattacked
anddestroyed,leavingitsarchitectvulnerableanimpressivelookingpawncenterisworthlittle
unlessitcanbemaintained.Thehypermodernsinsteadadvocatedcontrollingthecenterfroma
distancewithpieces,breakingdownone'sopponent'scenter,andonlytakingoverthecenteroneself
laterinthegame.ThisleadstoopeningssuchasAlekhine'sDefenseinalinelike1.e4Nf62.e5
Nd53.d4d64.c4Nb65.f4(theFourPawnsAttack),Whitehasaformidablepawncenterforthe
moment,butBlackhopestoundermineitlaterinthegame,leavingWhite'spositionexposed.
3. Kingsafety:Thekingissomewhatexposedinthemiddleoftheboard.Measuresmustbetakento
reducehisvulnerability.Itisthereforecommonforbothplayerseithertocastleintheopening
(simultaneouslydevelopingoneoftherooks)ortootherwisebringthekingtothesideoftheboard
viaartificialcastling.
4. Preventionofpawnweakness:Mostopeningsstrivetoavoidthecreationofpawnweaknessessuch
asisolated,doubledandbackwardpawns,pawnislands,etc.Someopeningssacrificeendgame
considerationsforaquickattackontheopponent'sposition.SomeunbalancedopeningsforBlack,in
particular,makeuseofthisidea,suchastheDutchandtheSicilian.Otheropenings,suchasthe
AlekhineandtheBenoni,invitetheopponenttooverextendandformpawnweaknesses.Specific
openingsacceptpawnweaknessesinexchangeforcompensationintheformofdynamicplay.(See
Pawnstructure.)
5. Piececoordination:Astheplayersmobilizetheirpieces,theybothseektoensurethattheyare
workingharmoniouslytowardsthecontrolofkeysquares.
6. Createpositionsinwhichtheplayerismorecomfortablethantheopponent:Transpositionis
onecommonwayofdoingthis.[6][7]
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Apartfromtheseideas,otherstrategiesusedinthemiddlegamemayalsobecarriedoutintheopening.
Theseincludepreparingpawnbreakstocreatecounterplay,creatingweaknessesintheopponent'spawn
structure,seizingcontrolofkeysquares,makingfavourableexchangesofminorpieces(e.g.gainingthe
bishoppair),orgainingaspaceadvantage,whetherinthecentreorontheflanks.

Toplevelobjectives
Athigherlevelsofcompetition,formanyyearsthemainobjectivesofopeningplayweretoobtainthe
betterpositionwhenplayingasWhiteandtoequalizewhenplayingasBlack.Theideabehindthisisthat
playingfirstgivesWhiteaslightinitialadvantageforexample,Whitewillbethefirsttoattackifthegame
openssymmetrically(BlackmirrorsWhite'smoves).[5]
Sinceaboutthe1950sanotherobjectivehasgraduallybecomemoredominant.AccordingtoIMJeremy
Silman,thepurposeoftheopeningistocreatedynamicimbalancesbetweenthetwosides,whichwill
determinethecharacterofthemiddlegameandthestrategicplanschosenbybothsides.[8]Forexample,in
themainlineoftheWinawerVariationoftheFrenchDefense(1.e4e62.d4d53.Nc3Bb44.e5c55.a3
Bxc3+6.bxc3),WhitewilltrytousehisbishoppairandspaceadvantagetomountanattackonBlack's
kingside,whileBlackwillseeksimplifyingexchanges(inparticular,tradingoffoneofWhite'sbishopsto
bluntthisadvantage)andcounterattackagainsttheweakenedpawnsonWhite'squeensidebothplayers
acceptdifferentcombinationsofadvantagesanddisadvantages.ThisideawasadoctrineoftheSoviet
schoolofchess.
Athirdobjective,whichiscomplementarytothepreviousonesandhasbeencommonsincethe19th
century,istoluretheopponentintopositionswithwhichtheplayerismorefamiliarandcomfortablethan
theopponent.Thisisusuallydonebytranspositions,inwhichagamethatapparentlystartswithone
openingcanreachapositionthatisnormallyproducedbyadifferentopening.[6][7]

Openingrepertoires
Mostplayersrealizeafterawhilethattheyplaycertaintypesofpositionsbetterthanothers,andthatthe
amountoftheorytheycanlearnislimited.Therefore,mostplayersspecializeincertainopeningswhere
theyknowthetheoryandwhichleadtopositionswhichtheyfavor.Thesetofopeningsaplayerhas
specializediniscalledanopeningrepertoire.Themainelementsaplayerneedstoconsiderinarepertoire
are:
AsWhite,whethertoopenwith1.e4,1.d4,1.c4,or1.Nf3
AsBlack,adefenseagainstanyoftheseopenings
Averynarrowrepertoireallowsfordeeperspecializationbutalsomakesaplayerlessflexibletovary
againstdifferentopponents.Inaddition,opponentsmayfinditeasiertoprepareagainstaplayerwitha
narrowrepertoire.[9]
Themainopeningsinarepertoireareusuallyreasonablysound,thatis,theyshouldleadtoplayable
positionsevenagainstoptimalcounterplay.Unsoundgambitsaresometimesusedassurpriseweapons,but
areunreliableforastablerepertoire.Repertoiresoftenchangeasaplayerdevelops,andaplayer's
advancementmaybestiflediftheopeningrepertoiredoesnotevolve.Someopeningswhichareeffective
againstamateurplayersarelesseffectiveatthemasterlevel.ForexampleBlackobtainsactiveplayin
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returnforapawnintheBenkoGambitamateurplayersmay
havetroubledefendingagainstBlack'sactivity,whilemasters
aremoreskilledatdefendingandmakinguseoftheextrapawn.
Someopeningswhichareplayedbetweengrandmastersareso
complexandtheoreticalthatamateurplayerswillhavetrouble
understandingthem.AnexampleisthePerenyiAttackofthe
SicilianDefense(seediagram)whichyieldsanimmensely
complicatedandtacticalpositionthatevenstrongplayershave
difficultyhandling,andthatisbeyondthecomprehensionof
mostamateurs.[3]

Openingnomenclature

1
a

ThePerenyiAttack,whicharisesfromthe
Majorchangesintherulesofchessinthelatefifteenthcentury
openingmoves1.e4c52.Nf3d63.d4
increasedthespeedofthegame,consequentlyemphasizingthe
cxd44.Nxd4Nf65.Nc3a66.Be3e67.g4
importanceofopeningstudy.Thus,earlychessbooks,suchas
e58.Nf5g69.g5gxf510.exf5d511.Qf3
the1497textofLuisRamirezdeLucena,presentopening
d4.Playedseveraltimesbetween
analysis,asdoesPedroDamiano(1512),andRuyLpezde
grandmasters,butLarsBoHansendoes
Segura(1561).RuyLopez'sdisagreementwithDamiano
notrecommendthistoamateurs.
regardingthemeritsof2...Nc6ledto3.Bb5(after1.e4e52.Nf3
Nc6)beingnamedforhimastheRuyLopezorSpanish
Opening.[10]Openingtheorywasstudiedmorescientifically
fromthe1840son,andmanyopeningvariationswerediscoveredandnamedinthisperiodandlater.
Openingnomenclaturedevelopedhaphazardly,andmostnamesarehistoricalaccidentsnotbasedon
systematicprinciples.

Theoldestopeningstendtobenamedforgeographicplacesandpeople.Manyopeningsarenamedafter
nationalities,forexampleIndian,English,Spanish,French,Dutch,Scotch,Russian,Italian,Scandinavian,
andSicilian.Citiesarealsoused,suchasVienna,Berlin,andWilkesBarre.TheCatalanSystemisnamed
aftertheCataloniaregionofSpain.
Chessplayers'namesarethemostcommonsourcesofopeningnames.Thenamegiventoanopeningisnot
alwaysthatofthefirstplayertoadoptitoftenanopeningisnamedfortheplayerwhowasthefirstto
popularizeitortopublishanalysisofit.EponymicopeningsincludetheRuyLopez,Alekhine'sDefense,
MorphyDefense,andtheRtiOpening.Someopeningnameshonortwopeople,suchastheCaroKann.
Afewopeningnamesaredescriptive,suchasGiuocoPiano(Italian:quietgame).Moreprosaicdescriptions
includeTwoKnightsandFourKnights.Descriptivenamesarelesscommonthanopeningsnamedfor
placesandpeople.
Someopeningshavebeengivenfancifulnames,oftennamesofanimals.Thispracticebecamemore
commoninthe20thcentury.Bythen,mostofthemorecommonandtraditionalsequencesofopening
moveshadalreadybeennamed,sothesetendtobeunusualorrecentlydevelopedopeningslikethe
Orangutan,Hippopotamus,Elephant,andHedgehog.
Manytermsareusedfortheopeningaswell.InadditiontoOpening,commontermsincludeGame,
Defense,Gambit,andVariationlesscommontermsareSystem,Attack,Counterattack,Countergambit,
Reversed,andInverted.Tomakemattersmoreconfusing,thesetermsareusedveryinconsistently.
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Considersomeoftheopeningsnamedfornationalities:ScotchGame,EnglishOpening,FrenchDefense,
andRussianGametheScotchGameandtheEnglishOpeningarebothWhiteopenings(Whitechoosesto
play),theFrenchisindeedadefensebutsoistheRussianGame.Althoughthesedonothaveprecise
definitions,herearesomegeneralobservationsabouthowtheyareused.
Game
Usedonlyforsomeoftheoldestopenings,forexampleScotchGame,ViennaGame,andFour
KnightsGame.
Opening
AlongwithVariation,thisisthemostcommonterm.
Variation
Usuallyusedtodescribealinewithinamoregeneralopening,forexampletheExchangeVariationof
theQueen'sGambitDeclined.
Defense
AlwaysreferstoanopeningchosenbyBlack,suchasTwoKnightsDefenseorKing'sIndian
Defense,unless,ofcourse,ithas'reversed'infrontofit,whichmakesitanopeningforWhite.The
term"defense"doesnotimplypassivitymanydefensesarequiteaggressive(suchastheKing's
IndianDefence).
Gambit
Anopeningthatinvolvesthesacrificeofmaterial,usuallyoneormorepawns.Gambitscanbeplayed
byWhite(e.g.,King'sGambit)orBlack(e.g.,LatvianGambit).Thefullnameoftenincludes
AcceptedorDeclineddependingonwhethertheopponenttooktheofferedmaterial,asintheQueen's
GambitAcceptedandQueen'sGambitDeclined.Insomecases,thesacrificeofmaterialisonly
temporary.TheQueen'sGambitisnotatruegambitbecausethereisnogoodwayforBlacktokeep
thepawn(Ward1999:10).
Countergambit
Agambitplayedinresponsetoanothergambit,almostalwaysbyBlack.Examplesofthisincludethe
AlbinCountergambittotheQueen'sGambit,theFalkbeerCountergambittotheKing'sGambit,and
theGrecoCounterGambit(theformernameoftheLatvianGambit).
System
Amethodofdevelopmentthatcanbeusedagainstmanydifferentsetupsbytheopponent.Examples
includeLondonSystem,ColleSystem,StonewallAttack,RtiSystem,BarczaSystem,and
HedgehogSystem.
Attack
SometimesusedtodescribeanaggressiveorprovocativevariationsuchastheAlbinChatardAttack
(orChatardAlekhineAttack),theFriedLiverAttackintheTwoKnightsDefense,andtheGrob
Attack.InothercasesitreferstoadefensivesystembyBlackwhenadoptedbyWhite,asinKing's
IndianAttack.Instillothercasesthenameseemstobeusedironically,aswiththefairlyinoffensive
Durkin'sAttack(alsocalledtheDurkinOpening).
Reversed,Inverted
ABlackopeningplayedbyWhite,ormorerarelyaWhiteopeningplayedbyBlack.Examples
includeSicilianReversed(fromtheEnglishOpening),andtheInvertedHungarian.TheReti,King's
IndianAttackandReversedSicilian(fromtheEnglish),andother"BlackplayedbyWhitewithan
extratempo,"oftenstartwith1.Nf3or1.c4.[11]
Asmallminorityofopeningsareprefixedwith"Anti".Theseareopeningsintendedtoavoidaparticular
lineotherwiseavailabletoone'sopponent,forexampletheAntiMarshall(againsttheMarshall(Counter)
AttackintheRuyLopez)andtheAntiMeranGambit(againsttheMeranVariationoftheSemiSlav
Defense).
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Classificationofchessopenings
ThebeginningchesspositionoffersWhitetwentypossiblefirstmoves.Ofthese,1.e4,1.d4,1.Nf3,and1.c4
arebyfarthemostpopularasthesemovesdothemosttopromoterapiddevelopmentandcontrolofthe
center.Afewotheropeningmovesareconsideredreasonablebutlessconsistentwithopeningprinciples
thanthefourmostpopularmoves.TheDunstOpening,1.Nc3,developsaknighttoagoodsquare,butis
somewhatinflexiblebecauseitblocksWhite'scpawnalso,after1...d5theknightisliabletobedrivento
aninferiorsquareby...d4.(Notethatafter1.Nf3theanalogous1...e5?losesapawn.)Bird'sOpening,1.f4,
addressescentercontrolbutnotdevelopmentandweakensthekingpositionslightly.TheSokolsky
Opening1.b4andtheKing'sandQueen'sfianchettos:Larsen'sOpening1.b3and1.g3aiddevelopmenta
bit,buttheyonlyaddresscentercontrolperipherallyandareslowerthanthemorepopularopenings.The
elevenremainingpossibilitiesarerarelyplayedatthetoplevelsofchess.Ofthese,thebestaremerelyslow
suchas1.c3,1.d3,and1.e3.Worsepossibilitieseitherignorethecenteranddevelopmentsuchas1.a3,
weakenWhite'sposition(forinstance,1.f3and1.g4),orplacetheknightsonpoorsquares(1.Na3and
1.Nh3).
BlackhastwentypossibleresponsestoWhite'sopeningmove.Manyofthesearemirrorimagesofthemost
popularfirstmovesforWhite,butwithonelesstempo.Defensesbeginningwith1...c6and1...e6,often
followedbythecenterthrust2...d5,arealsopopular.Defenseswithanearly...d6coupledwithakingside
fianchettoarealsocommonlyplayed.
ThemostimportantschemeofclassifyingchessopeningsforseriousplayersisbyECOcode,aseriesof
500openingcodesassignedbytheEncyclopaediaofChessOpenings.Althoughthesecodesareinvaluable
fortheseriousstudyofthechessopening,theyarenotverypracticalforabroadsurveyofthechess
openingasthecodesobscurecommonstructuralfeaturesbetweenrelatedopenings.
AsimpledescriptivecategorizationofthechessopeningisKing'sPawnOpenings,Queen'sPawn
Openings,andOthers.Sincethesecategoriesarestillindividuallyverylarge,itiscommontodivideeachof
themfurther.Onereasonablewaytogrouptheopeningsis:
DoubleKingPawn,SymmetricorOpenGames(1.e4e5)[12]
SingleKingPawnorSemiOpenGames(1.e4other)
DoubleQueenPawnorClosedGames(1.d4d5)
SingleQueenPawnorSemiClosedGames(1.d4other)
Flankopenings(including1.c4,1.Nf3,1.f4,andothers)
UnusualfirstmovesforWhite
TheIndiansystems(1.d4Nf6)arethemostimportant[13]oftheSemiClosedGames,andwarrantseparate
treatment.

Opengames:1.e4e5

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OpenGame

RuyLopez:1.e4e52.Nf3Nc6
3.Bb5
c

ItalianGame:1.e4e52.Nf3Nc6
3.Bc4
a

ScotchGame:1.e4e52.Nf3Nc6
3.d4

Petrov'sDefense:1.e4e52.Nf3Nf6

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King'sGambit:1.e4e52.f4

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1
a

Bishop'sOpening:1.e4e52.Bc4

ViennaGame:1.e4e52.Nc3

Whitestartsbyplaying1.e4(movinghiskingpawntwospaces).Thisisthemostpopularopeningmove
andithasmanystrengthsitimmediatelyworksoncontrollingthecenter,anditfreestwopieces(the
queenandabishop).Theoldestopeningsinchessfollow1.e4.BobbyFischerrated1.e4as"Bestbytest."
Onthedownside,1.e4placesapawnonanundefendedsquareandweakensd4andf4theHungarian
masterGyulaBreyermelodramaticallydeclaredthat"After1.e4White'sgameisinitslastthroes."IfBlack
mirrorsWhite'smoveandreplieswith1...e5,theresultisanopengame.
ThemostpopularsecondmoveforWhiteis2.Nf3attackingBlack'skingpawn,preparingforakingside
castle,andanticipatingtheadvanceofthequeenpawntod4.Black'smostcommonreplyis2...Nc6,which
usuallyleadstotheRuyLopez(3.Bb5),ScotchGame(3.d4),orItalianGame(3.Bc4).IfBlackinstead
maintainssymmetryandcounterattacksWhite'scenterwith2...Nf6thenthePetrov'sDefenseresults.The
PhilidorDefense(2...d6)isnotpopularinmodernchessbecauseitallowsWhiteaneasyspaceadvantage
whileBlack'spositionremainscrampedandpassive,althoughsolid.Otherresponsesto2.Nf3arenotseen
inmasterplay.
Themostpopularalternativesto2.Nf3aretheViennaGame(2.Nc3),theBishop'sOpening(2.Bc4),andthe
King'sGambit(2.f4).Theseopeningshavesomesimilaritieswitheachother,inparticulartheBishop's
OpeningfrequentlytransposestovariationsoftheViennaGame.TheKing'sGambitwasextremelypopular
inthe19thcentury.Whitesacrificesapawnforquickdevelopmentandtopullablackpawnoutofthe
center.TheViennaGamealsofrequentlyfeaturesattacksontheBlackcenterbymeansofaf2f4pawn
advance.
IntheCenterGame(2.d4)Whiteimmediatelyopensthecenterbutifthepawnistoberecoveredafter
2...exd4,Whitemustcontendwithaslightlyprematurequeendevelopmentafter3.Qxd4.Analternativeis
tosacrificeoneortwopawns,forexampleintheDanishGambit.
Manyothervariationsafter1.e4e5havebeenstudiedseeOpenGamefordetails.
1.e4e5DoubleKing'sPawnOpeningorOpenGame
1.e4e52.Nf3Nc63.Bb5RuyLopez
1.e4e52.Nf3Nc63.d4ScotchGame
1.e4e52.Nf3Nc63.Bc4ItalianGame
1.e4e52.Nf3Nc63.Nc3Nf6FourKnightsGame
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1.e4e52.Nf3Nf6Petrov'sDefense
1.e4e52.Nf3d6PhilidorDefense
1.e4e52.Nc3ViennaGame
1.e4e52.Bc4Bishop'sOpening
1.e4e52.f4King'sGambit
1.e4e52.d4exd43.Qxd4CenterGame
1.e4e52.d4exd43.c3DanishGambit

Semiopengames:1.e4,Blackplaysotherthan1...e5
a

SicilianDefense

FrenchDefense

CaroKannDefense

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PircDefense
a

ModernDefense
d

ScandinavianDefense

NimzowitschDefense

InthesemiopengamesWhiteplays1.e4andBlackbreakssymmetryimmediatelybyreplyingwithamove
otherthan1...e5.ThemostpopularBlackdefenseto1.e4istheSicilian(1...c5),buttheFrench(1...e6,
normallyfollowedby2.d4d5)andtheCaroKann(1...c6,normallyfollowedby2.d4d5)arealsovery
popular.ThePircandtheModernarecloselyrelatedopeningsthatarealsooftenseen,whiletheAlekhine
andtheScandinavianhavemadeoccasionalappearancesinWorldChessChampionshipgames.
TheSicilianandFrenchDefensesleadtounbalancedpositionsthatcanofferexcitingplaywithbothsides
havingchancestowin.TheCaroKannDefenseissolidasBlackintendstousehiscpawntosupporthis
center(1.e4c62.d4d5).Alekhine's,thePircandtheModernarehypermodernopeningsinwhichBlack
temptsWhitetobuildalargecenterwiththegoalofattackingitwithpieces.
OthersemiopengameshavebeenstudiedbutarelesscommonseeSemiOpenGamefordetails.
1.e4c5SicilianDefense
1.e4e6FrenchDefense
1.e4c6CaroKannDefense
1.e4d5ScandinavianDefense(alsoknownastheCenterCounterdefense)
1.e4d62.d4Nf63.Nc3g6PircDefense
1.e4Nf6Alekhine'sDefense
1.e4g6ModernDefense
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Closedgames:1.d4d5
a

ClosedGame

Queen'sGambit:1.d4d52.c4

Queen'sGambitDeclined:1.d4d5
2.c4e6

SlavDefense:1.d4d52.c4c6

Queen'sGambitAccepted:1.d4d5
2.c4dxc4

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ColleSystem:1.d4d52.Nf3Nf6
3.e3

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LondonSystem:1.d4d52.Nf3Nf6
3.Bf4

TorreAttack:1.d4d52.Nf3Nf6
3.Bg5

Theopeningsclassifiedasclosedgamesbegin1.d4d5.Themove1.d4offersthesamebenefitsto
developmentandcentercontrolasdoes1.e4,butunlikewithKingPawnopeningswherethee4pawnis
undefendedafterthefirstmove,thed4pawnisprotectedbyWhite'squeen.Thisslightdifferencehasa
tremendouseffectontheopening.Forinstance,whereastheKing'sGambitisrarelyplayedtodayatthe
highestlevelsofchess,theQueen'sGambitremainsapopularweaponatalllevelsofplay.Also,compared
withtheKingPawnopenings,transpositionsamongvariationsaremorecommonandcriticalintheclosed
games.
ThemostimportantclosedopeningsareintheQueen'sGambitfamily(Whiteplays2.c4).TheQueen's
Gambitissomewhatmisnamed,sinceWhitecanalwaysregaintheofferedpawnifdesired.IntheQueen's
GambitAccepted,Blackplays...dxc4,givingupthecenterforfreedevelopmentandthechancetotryto
giveWhiteanisolatedqueenpawnwithasubsequent...c5and...cxd5.Whitewillgetactivepiecesand
possibilitiesfortheattack.Blackhastwopopularwaystodeclinethepawn,theSlav(2...c6)andthe
Queen'sGambitDeclined(2...e6).Bothofthesemovesleadtoanimmenseforestofvariationsthatcan
requireagreatdealofopeningstudytoplaywell.AmongthemanypossibilitiesintheQueen'sGambit
DeclinedaretheOrthodoxDefense,Lasker'sDefense,theCambridgeSpringsDefense,theTartakower
Variation,andtheTarraschandSemiTarraschDefenses.BlackrepliestotheQueen'sGambitotherthan
2...dxc4,2...c6,and2...e6areuncommon.
TheColleSystemandStonewallAttackareclassifiedasQueen'sPawnGamesbecauseWhiteplaysd4but
notc4.TheyarealsoexamplesofSystems,ratherthanspecificopeningvariations.Whitedevelopsaiming
foraparticularformationwithoutgreatconcernoverhowBlackchoosestodefend.Bothsystemsare
popularwithclubplayersbecausetheyareeasytolearn,butarerarelyusedbyprofessionalsbecausea
wellpreparedopponentplayingBlackcanequalizefairlyeasily.TheStonewallischaracterizedbythe
Whitepawnformationonc3,d4,e3,andf4,andcanbeachievedbyseveralmoveordersandagainstmany
differentBlacksetups.Thepositioninthediagramandthemovesequencegivenbelowaretypical.
OtherclosedopeningshavebeenstudiedbutarelesscommonseeClosedGamefordetails.
1.d4d5DoubleQueen'sPawnOpeningorClosedGame
1.d4d52.c4Queen'sGambit
1.d4d52.c4dxc4Queen'sGambitAccepted(QGA)
1.d4d52.c4e6Queen'sGambitDeclined(QGD)
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1.d4d52.c4c6SlavDefense
1.d4d52.e3Nf63.Bd3c54.c3Nc65.f4(atypicalmovesequence)StonewallAttack
1.d4d52.Nf3Nf63.e3ColleSystem

IndianDefenseSystems:1.d4Nf6
a

IndianDefence

NimzoIndianDefence:1.d4Nf6
2.c4e63.Nc3Bb4

King'sIndianDefense:1.d4Nf6
2.c4g63.Nc3Bg7

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GrnfeldDefense:1.d4Nf62.c4g6
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Queen'sIndianDefense:1.d4Nf6
2.c4e63.Nf3b6
a

ModernBenoni:1.d4Nf62.c4c5
3.d5e6

BudapestGambit:1.d4Nf62.c4e5

OldIndianDefense:1.d4Nf62.c4
d6

TheIndiansystemsareasymmetricaldefensesto1.d4thatemployhypermodernchessstrategy.Fianchettos
arecommoninmanyoftheseopenings.Aswiththeclosedgames,transpositionsareimportantandmany
oftheIndiandefensescanbereachedbyseveraldifferentmoveorders.AlthoughIndiandefenseswere
championedinthe1920sbyplayersinthehypermodernschool,theywerenotfullyaccepteduntilSoviet
playersshowedinthelate1940sthatthesesystemsaresoundforBlack.Sincethen,Indiandefenseshave
beenthemostpopularBlackrepliesto1.d4becausetheyofferanunbalancedgamewithchancesforboth
sides.TheusualWhitesecondmoveis2.c4,grabbingalargershareofthecenterandallowingthemove
Nc3,toprepareformovingtheepawntoe4withoutblockingthecpawn.Black'smostpopularrepliesare:
2...e6,freeingtheking'sbishopandleadingintotheNimzoIndianDefence,Queen'sIndianDefence,
BogoIndianDefence,ModernBenoni,orregularlinesoftheQueen'sGambitDeclined,
2...g6,preparingafianchettooftheking'sbishopandenteringtheKing'sIndianDefenseorGrnfeld
Defense,and
2...c53.d5e6,theModernBenoni,withanimmediatecounterpunchinthecenter.

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AdvocatedbyNimzowitschasearlyas1913,theNimzoIndianDefencewasthefirstoftheIndiansystems
togainfullacceptance.Itremainsoneofthemostpopularandwellrespecteddefensesto1.d4andWhite
oftenadoptsmoveordersdesignedtoavoidit.Blackattacksthecenterwithpiecesandispreparedtotrade
abishopforaknighttoweakenWhite'squeensidewithdoubledpawns.
TheKing'sIndianDefenseisaggressive,somewhatrisky,andgenerallyindicatesthatBlackwillnotbe
satisfiedwithadraw.Althoughitwasplayedoccasionallyasearlyasthelate19thcentury,theKing's
Indianwasconsideredinferioruntilthe1940s,whenitwastakenupbyBronstein,Boleslavsky,and
Reshevsky.DespitebeingFischer'sfavoreddefenseto1.d4,itspopularityfadedinthemid1970s.
Kasparov'ssuccesseswiththedefenserestoredtheKing'sIndiantoprominenceinthe1980s.
ErnstGrnfelddebutedtheGrnfeldDefensein1922.Distinguishedbythemove3...d5,Grnfeldintended
itasanimprovementtotheKing'sIndianwhichwasnotconsideredentirelysatisfactoryatthattime.The
GrnfeldhasbeenadoptedbyWorldChampionsSmyslov,Fischer,andKasparov.
TheQueen'sIndianDefenseisconsideredsolid,safe,andperhapssomewhatdrawish.Blackoftenchooses
theQueen'sIndianwhenWhiteavoidstheNimzoIndianbyplaying3.Nf3insteadof3.Nc3.Black
constructsasoundpositionthatmakesnopositionalconcessions,althoughsometimesitisdifficultfor
Blacktoobtaingoodwinningchances.Karpovisaleadingexpertinthisopening.
TheModernBenoniisariskyattemptbyBlacktounbalancethepositionandgainactivepieceplayatthe
costofallowingWhiteapawnwedgeatd5andacentralmajority.Talpopularizedthedefenseinthe1960s
bywinningseveralbrilliantgameswithit,andFischeroccasionallyadoptedit,withgoodresults,including
awininhis1972worldchampionshipmatchagainstBorisSpassky.OftenBlackadoptsaslightlydifferent
moveorder,playing2...e6before3...c5inordertoavoidthesharpestlinesforWhite.
TheBenkoGambitisoftenplayedbystrongplayers,andisverypopularatlowerlevels.Blackplaysto
openlinesonthequeensidewhereWhitewillbesubjecttoconsiderablepressure.IfWhiteacceptsthe
gambit,Black'scompensationispositionalratherthantactical,andhisinitiativecanlastevenaftermany
pieceexchangesandwellintotheendgame.Whiteoftenchoosesinsteadeithertodeclinethegambitpawn
orreturnit.
TheCatalanOpeningischaracterizedbyWhiteformingapawncenteratd4andc4andfianchettoinghis
king'sbishop.ItresemblesacombinationoftheQueen'sGambitandRtiOpening.SincetheCatalancan
bereachedfrommanydifferentmoveorders,(oneQueen'sGambitDeclinedlikemovesequenceis1.d4d5
2.c4e63.Nf3Nf64.g3),itissometimescalledtheCatalanSystem.
ThemostimportantIndianDefensesarelistedbelow,butmanyothershavebeenstudiedandplayedsee
IndianDefensefordetails.
1.d4Nf62.c4c52.d5e6ModernBenoni
1.d4Nf62.c4c53.d5b5BenkoGambit(orVolgaGambit)
1.d4Nf62.c4e63.Nc3Bb4NimzoIndianDefence
1.d4Nf62.c4e63.Nf3b6Queen'sIndianDefense
1.d4Nf62.c4e63.g3CatalanOpening
1.d4Nf62.c4g63.Nc3d5GrnfeldDefense
1.d4Nf62.c4g63.Nc3Bg7King'sIndianDefense(KID)

OtherBlackresponsesto1.d4
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DutchDefense

BenoniDefense

Ofthedefensesto1.d4otherthan1...d5and1...Nf6,themostimportantaretheDutchDefenseandthe
BenoniDefense.TheDutch,anaggressivedefenseadoptedforatimebyWorldChampionsAlekhineand
Botvinnik,andplayedbybothBotvinnikandchallengerDavidBronsteinintheir1951worldchampionship
match,isstillplayedoccasionallyatthetoplevelbyShortandothers.Anotherfairlycommonopeningis
theBenoniDefense,whichmaybecomeverywildifitdevelopsintotheModernBenoni,thoughother
variationsaremoresolid.
Severalotheruncommonsemiclosedopeningshavebeennamedandstudied,seeSemiClosedGamefor
details.
1.d4c5BenoniDefense
1.d4f5DutchDefense

Flankopenings(includingEnglish,Rti,Bird's,andWhitefianchettos)
a

RtiOpening

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King'sIndianAttack

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1
a

Bird'sOpening

EnglishOpening

TheflankopeningsarethegroupofWhiteopeningstypifiedbyplayononeorbothflanks.Whiteplaysin
hypermodernstyle,attackingthecenterfromtheflankswithpiecesratherthanoccupyingitwithpawns.
Theseopeningsareplayedoften,and1.Nf3and1.c4trailonly1.e4and1.d4inpopularityasopening
moves.
IfWhiteopenswith1.Nf3,thegameoftenbecomesoneofthed4openings(closedgamesorsemiclosed
games)byadifferentmoveorder(thisiscalledtransposition),butuniqueopeningssuchastheRtiand
King'sIndianAttackarealsocommon.TheRtiitselfischaracterizedbyWhiteplaying1.Nf3,
fianchettoingoneorbothbishops,andnotplayinganearlyd4(whichwouldgenerallytransposeintooneof
the1.d4openings).
TheKing'sIndianAttack(KIA)isasystemofdevelopmentthatWhitemayuseinreplytoalmostany
Blackopeningmoves.ThecharacteristicKIAsetupis1.Nf3,2.g3,3.Bg2,4.00,5.d3,6.Nbd2,and7.e4,
althoughthesemovesmaybeplayedinmanydifferentorders.Infact,theKIAisprobablymostoften
reachedafter1.e4whenWhiteusesittorespondtoaBlackattempttoplayoneofthesemiopengames
suchastheCaroKann,French,orSicilian,oreventheopengameswhichusuallycomeafter1.e4e5.Its
greatestappealmaybethatbyadoptingasetpatternofdevelopment,Whitecanavoidthelargeamountof
openingstudyrequiredtopreparetomeetthemanydifferentpossibleBlackrepliesto1.e4.[14]
TheEnglishOpening(1.c4)alsofrequentlytransposesintoad4opening,butitcantakeonindependent
characteraswellincludingtheSymmetricalVariation(1.c4c5)andtheReversedSicilian(1.c4e5).
Larsen'sOpening(1.b3)andtheSokolskyOpening(1.b4)areoccasionallyseeningrandmasterplay.Benko
used1.g3todefeatbothFischerandTalinthe1962CandidatesTournamentinCuraao.
WithBird'sOpening(1.f4)Whitetriestogetastronggriponthee5square.Theopeningcanresemblea
DutchDefenseinreverseafter1.f4d5,orBlackmaytrytodisruptWhitebyplaying1...e5!?(From's
Gambit).
1.b3Larsen'sOpening
1.b4SokolskyOpening
1.c4EnglishOpening
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1.Nf3ZukertortOpening(characteristicallyfollowedbyfianchettoingoneorbothbishops,and
withoutanearlyd4)
1.Nf3,2.g3,3.Bg2,4.00,5.d3,6.Nbd2,7.e4King'sIndianAttack(KIA)(movesmaybeplayedin
manydifferentorders)
1.f4Bird'sOpening
1.g3BenkoOpening

UnusualfirstmovesforWhite
Firstmovesotherthanthekingpawn(1.e4),queenpawn(1.d4),orflankopenings(1.b3,1.b4,1.c4,1.Nf3,
1.f4,or1.g3)arenotregardedaseffectivewaystoexploitWhite'sfirstmoveadvantageandthusarerarely
played.AlthoughsomeoftheseopeningsarenotactuallybadforWhite,eachofthetwelveremaining
possiblefirstmovessuffersoneormoreofthefollowingdefectscomparedtothemorepopularchoices:
toopassiveforWhite(1.d3,1.e3,1.c3,or1.Nc3)
gratuitouslyweakensWhite'sposition(1.f3or1.g4)
doeslittletoaidWhite'sdevelopmentorcontrolthecenter(1.a3,1.a4,1.h3,or1.h4)
developsaknighttoaninferiorsquare(1.Na3or1.Nh3)

Seealso
Outlineofchess:Chessopenings
Chessopeningbook
Listofchessopenings
Listofchessopeningsnamedafterpeople
Listofchessopeningsnamedafterplaces
Listofchessgambits
EncyclopaediaofChessOpenings
Chessopeningtheorytable
Middlegame
Endgame
Checkmatesintheopening

References
1. Hooper,DavidWhyld,Kenneth(1992).TheOxfordCompaniontoChess(2ed.).OxfordUniversityPress.
pp.461480.ISBN0192800493.
2. GarryKasparov,ModernChesspart1,p.353
3. Hansen,LarsBo(October7,2008).HowChessGamesareWonandLost.Gambit.ISBN1906454019.
4. Fine,R.(1952).TheWorld'sGreatChessGames.AndreDeutsch(nowaspaperbackfromDover).ISBN0679
130462.
5. Fine,R.(1990)[1st.Pub.1943].IdeasBehindtheChessOpenings.RandomHouse.ISBN0812917561.
6. MarkWeeks."ChessOpeningTutorial:Introductionto1.d4"
(http://chess.about.com/od/improveyouropenings/ss/aa03c15_9.htm).about.com.
7. Soltis,A.(2007).TranspoTricksinChess.Batsford.ISBN0713490519.Seereviewat"TranspoTricksin
Chessreview"(http://www.chessville.com/reviews/TranspoTricks.htm).chessville.com.
8. JeremySilman(1998).TheCompleteBookofChessStrategy.SilmanJamesPress.p.3.ISBN1890085014.
9. Webb,Simon(1979).ChessforTigers.OxfordUniversityPress.ISBN071348988X.
10. H.J.R.Murray,AHistoryofChess(Oxford:ClarendonPress,1913),pp.78283,81415.
11. ChessOpeningEssentials4,p.11,ISBN9789056913083
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chess_opening

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12. ChessOpeningsforWhiteExplained,p.27,ISBN188932311X
13. ChessOpeningEssentials3,p.38,ISBN9789056913083
14. LarryEvanswroteoftheKing'sIndianAttack,"White'sresilientsetupistrulymagical.Itthrowsbothplayerson
theirownresourcesandeliminatestheneedofmemorizinglongwindedcolumnsofanalysis."LarryEvans,The
ChessOpeningforYou,R.H.M.Press,1975,p.38.ISBN0890580200.

Bibliography
Collins,Sam(2005)."UnderstandingtheChessOpenings".GambitPublications.ISBN190460028X.
DeFirmian,Nick(1999).ModernChessOpenings:MCO14.RandomHousePuzzles&Games.ISBN08129
30843.
NickdeFirmianisathreetimeU.S.ChessChampion.Oftencalled"MCO14"orsimply"MCO",thisisthe
14theditionoftheworkthathasbeenthestandardEnglishlanguagereferenceonchessopeningsforacentury.
Thisbookisnotsuitableforbeginners,butitisavaluablereferenceforclubandtournamentplayers.
StefanDjuric,DimitriKomarov,&ClaudioPantaleoni,ChessOpeningEssentials(4volumes)
Kasparov,Garry,andRaymondKeene(1994)[1989].BatsfordChessOpenings2.HenryHolt.ISBN08050
34099.
GarryKasparovistheformerWorldChessChampionfrom1985to2000andRaymondKeeneisaformer
Britishchesschampion.Thisbookisoftencalled"BCO2"andisintendedasareferenceforcluband
tournamentplayers.
Nunn,John(ed.)etal.(1999).Nunn'sChessOpenings.EverymanChess.ISBN1857442210.
JohnNunnisaformerBritishChessChampionandanotedchessauthor.Thisbookisoftencalled"NCO"andis
areferenceforclubandtournamentplayers.
Summerscale,Aaron(1999).AKillerChessOpeningRepertoire.GlobePequot.ISBN9781857445190.
Lane,Gary(1999).VictoryintheOpening.SterlingPubCoInc.ISBN9780713484274.
SahovskiInformator.EncyclopaediaofChessOpenings
Thisisanadvanced,technicalworkinfivevolumespublishedbyChessInformantofBelgrade.
http://www.sahovski.com/ItanalyzesopeningsusedintournamentplayandarchivedinChessInformantsince
1966.Insteadofusingthetraditionalnamesfortheopeningsanddescriptivetexttoevaluatepositions,
Informatorhasdevelopedauniquecodingsystemthatislanguageindependentsothatitcanbereadbychess
playersaroundtheworldwithoutrequiringtranslation.Calledthe"ECO",thesevolumesarethemost
comprehensivereferenceforprofessionalandserioustournamentplayers.
Scheerer,Christoph(2008).TheGreatestEverChessOpeningIdeas.EverymanChess.ISBN978185744561
9.
Seirawan,Yasser(2003)."WinningChessOpenings".EverymanChess.ISBN1857443497.An
elementary/introductorybook.
vanderSterren,Paul,FundamentalChessOpenings,Gambit,2009,ISBN9781906454135
Ward,Chris(1999)."TheQueen'sGambitAccepted".Batsford.ISBN0713484675.
Watson,John(2006)."MasteringtheChessOpenings,vol1".Gambit.ISBN9781904600602.
Threechaptersofgeneralopeningprinciplesopenandsemiopengames.
Watson,John(2007)."MasteringtheChessOpenings,vol2".Gambit.ISBN9781904600695.:Closedgames
andIndiandefenses.
Watson,John(2008)."MasteringtheChessOpenings,vol3".Gambit.ISBN9781904600985.
EnglishOpening
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Watson,John(2010)."MasteringtheChessOpenings,vol4".Gambit.ISBN9781906454197.

Externallinks
ChessOpeningVideosandAnalysis
Wikibookshasabookon
(http://www.thechesswebsite.com/chessopenings/index.php)
thetopicof:Chess
Wikichess,openchessrepertoireproject
OpeningTheory
(http://www.ficgs.com/wikichess.html)
Chessopeningsguide(http://www.eudesign.com/chessops/ch
TheWikibookChesshasa
clear.htm)
pageonthetopicof:Basic
Anonlinechessopeningstreeapplication
Openings
(http://www.chesstree.net/)
ChessOpeningExplorer(http://www.chessgames.com/perl/explorer)onChessgames.com
SearchableDatabaseofChessOpenings(http://www.chessvideos.tv/chessopeningdatabase/)
UnorthodoxChessOpening'sYahoo!group
(http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/UnorthodoxChessOpenings/)
ACollectionofChessWisdomTheOpening
(http://www.chessville.com/instruction/instr_gen_collection_wisdom_opening.htm)Chessville.com
ChessSiberia(http://www.chessib.com/)
ChessOpenings(http://www.chessopenings.com/)
AMethodforComparingChessOpenings(http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?
abstract_id=2415203)
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