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Common Chess Openings

Some Common Openings

The idea of this page is to provide a short description of each of the major openings and to list their main variations (thus not all openings are covered, and not all variations within the opening that are covered are covered). This page is intended to give inexperienced players a sense of the 'lay of the land' when it comes to chess openings. The openings are divided into King's pawn openings, which begin 1. e4, Queen's pawn openings, which begin 1. d4, and other openings beginning with other white first moves.

King's pawn openings

  • The Ruy Lopez:
    1. e4 e5, 2. Nf3 Nc6, 3. Bb5
    One of the oldest openings. The idea of pressuring e5 is very logical. Deeply strategical, mastery of this opening implies mastery of the game. 3. Bb5 is arguably the strongest third move available to white after 1. e4 e5, 2. Nf3 Nc6.

  • The Scotch Opening:
    1. e4 e5, 2. Nf3 Nc6, 3. d4
    Probably sufficient to grant white a lasting edge albeit a very slight one.

  • The Guico Piano:
    1. e4 e5, 2. Nf3 Nc6, 3. Bc4 Bc5,
    As the name suggests, a quiet opening. Dangerous only in the hands of an expert. Against precise play white cannot really claim any advantage.

  • The Two Knights Defence:
    1. e4 e5, 2. Nf3 Nc6, 3. Bc4 Nf6,
    Much sharper than the Guico Piano. Plenty of tactics and surprises to catch out the unprepared. Of course this can transpose back into rather dull Guico Piano positions but only if both players shy away from critical lines.

  • The Petroff Defence:
    1. e4 e5, 2. Nf3 Nf6,
    A non-shall-pass kind of opening, which dramatically reduces both side's chances of an advantage. One reason for this is that the main lines have a tendency to look very much like the exchange variation of the French Defence which is known to be fairly level and not particularly dangerous.

  • The King's Gambit:
    1. e4 e5, 2. f4
    A romantic opening. This true gambit offers white excellent attacking chances.

  • The Latvian Gambit
    1. e4 e5, 2. Nf3 f5?!
    Probably dubious. Rarely ventured by strong players.

  • The French Defence:
    1. e4 e6,
    Solid. Plenty of GMs play it, but it's less popular at the very highest levels.

  • The Caro Kann Defence:
    1. e4 c6,
    Not terribly exciting, though there are some highly tactical lines which have be heavily analysed.

  • The Sicilian Defence:
    1. e4 c5,
    Sharp. The realm of the master tactician. Possibly the most heavily analysed of all openings. Positionally sound, tactically fascinating.

  • Alekhine's Defence:
    1. e4 Nf6,
    Sharp but probably not quite enough for complete equality.

  • The Pirc Defence:
    1. e4 d6, 2. d4 Nf6,
    Sharp but has been struggling against white's newest ideas.

  • The Modern Defence:
    1. e4 g6,
    Can transpose to the Pirc. Tends to be sharp. Like the Pirc has been struggling a little recently.

  • The Centre Counter:
    1. e4 d5,
    Ideal for the junior as it is one of the least theory-laden openings. Probably not sufficient for equality against best play, though there is room for argument here: it has been played effectively at world championship level.

    Queen's pawn openings

  • The Queens Gambit declined:
    1. d4 d5, 2. c4 e6,
    Solid with few chances for black to gain the initiative.

  • The Albin Counter Gambit:
    1. d4 d5, 2. c4 e5,
    Unsound but tricky. Rarely ventured by strong players.

  • The Slav defence:
    1. d4 d5, 2. c4 c6
    Possibly the best defence against the Queens gambit. Can be solid or tactical. The Botvinnik system is one of the most heavily analysed opening variations of all.

  • The Nimzo Indian Defence:
    1. d4 Nf6, 2. c4 e6, 3. Nc3 Bb4,
    Probably the most popular reply to 1. d4. Strategically interesting and offering excellent chances of equality or dynamic imbalance.

  • The Queens Indian Defence:
    1. d4 Nf6, 2. c4 e6, 3. Nf3 b6,
    The usual system for black if white avoids the Nimzo with 3. Nf3.

  • The Bogo Indian Defence:
    1. d4 Nf6, 2. c4 e6, 3. Nf3 Bb4+
    Can be a bit wet. Grants white only the very slightest of advantages.

  • The Benoni:
    1. d4 Nf6, 2. c4 c5, 3. d5 e6,
    Sharp. Highly tactical.

  • The Benko Gambit:
    1. d4 Nf6, 2. c4 c5, 3. d5 b5,
    Fascinating. Black gains positional compensation for the pawn in the form of pressure down the a and b files (after for example 4. cb a6, 5. ba Bxa6).

  • The Kings Indian Defence:
    1. d4 Nf6, 2. c4 g6, 3. Nc3 Bg7,
    Sharp and counterattacking but also deeply strategical. The bishop on g7 can often be a very powerful piece in this opening.

  • The Grunfeld:
    1. d4 Nf6, 2. c4 g6, 3. Nc3 d5,
    Just about sound. Often effective against players who who tend to overstretch themselves with the white pieces.

  • The Dutch Defence:
    1. d4 f5,
    Probably not quite sufficient for equality. Often gives black a kingside attack.

  • The Black Knights' Tango:
    1. d4 Nf6, 2. c4 Nc6,
    Original but probably not quite sufficient for full equality. Can easily transpose into quirky variations of more mainstream openings.

  • The Budapest:
    1. d4 Nf6, 2. c4 e5,
    The main lines are fairly quiet and leave white with an edge.

  • The Trompovsky:
    1. d4 Nf6, 2. Bg5,
    Objectively not enough to promise white more than a very slight edge (if that) but scores well because it produces positions few players are comfortable with as black.

  • The Blackmar Diemer Gambit
    1. d4 d5, 2. e4
    Probably unsound but can be dangerous in the hands of an specialist. Tends not to be ventured by strong players.

    Other openings

  • The English Opening:
    1. c4
    Very transpositional. Usually positional. 1. c4 c5, is a tough nut to crack and black probably equalises. 1. c4 e5, is a reversed Sicilian in which white's extra tempo has the effect of making the positions less sharp than their Sicilian equivalents.

  • The Reti
    1. Nf3
    Again, extremely transpositional. For example after 1. Nf3 c5, 2. e4 we have a Sicilian defence and after 1. Nf3 f5, 2. d4 we have a Dutch!

    These are the most common chess openings.

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