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Chess Openings

162 opening and variation pages, including 111 variations — the plans for both sides and the one idea behind each.

Combine a name, first move or type — for example, 1.d4 gambit or 1.e4 defense.

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1.e4 — King's Pawn

25 openings · 69 variations

King's Pawn Opening1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 · C20–C99Both sides stake a claim in the centre with the king's pawn and develop a knight toward it. Almost every classical attacking opening grows out of this position.
Ruy Lopez1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 · C60–C99White develops the bishop to b5, attacking the knight that defends e5 — pressure that lasts for the next twenty moves and defines the whole opening.
Italian Game1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 · C50–C59The oldest opening in chess: the bishop takes the diagonal that points at f7, the weakest square in Black's camp, and both sides develop fast.
Evans Gambit1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 Bxb4 · C51–C52White throws the b-pawn at the bishop to buy the moves c3 and d4, building an ideal centre at full speed — the oldest gambit still played at the top level.
Two Knights Defense1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 · C55–C59Black ignores the attack on f7 and develops instead — a challenge that says the pawn is not really en prise and White has to prove otherwise.
Scotch Game1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 · C45–C47White opens the centre on move three instead of building slowly, trading the e5 pawn for free development and a lead in the centre.
Four Knights Game1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bb5 Bb4 · C46–C49Both sides develop all four knights before committing a pawn, producing one of the most solid and symmetrical openings in chess.
Vienna Game1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Bc4 Nxe4 4.Qh5 Nd6 · C25–C29White develops the queen's knight first, keeping f2–f4 in reserve and often steering into a delayed King's Gambit with a tempo already spent.
King's Gambit1.e4 e5 2.f4 · C30–C39White offers the f-pawn to deflect Black's e5 pawn and build an unopposed centre of e4 and d4 — romantic, risky and still dangerous today.
Ponziani Opening1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.c3 d5 4.Qa4 f6 · C44White prepares d4 with c3 immediately, aiming for a big centre — but the queen sortie to a4 shows just how sharp the resulting play is.
Petrov Defense1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 · C42–C43Black answers the attack on e5 by attacking e4 with the other knight — a symmetrical, resilient defence that trades the symmetry for real counterplay.
Philidor Defense1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Nbd7 · C41Black defends e5 with the d-pawn, keeping the position compact and conceding the bishop on f8 a passive but extremely solid role.
Danish Gambit1.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.c3 dxc3 4.Bc4 cxb2 · C21White offers two pawns for two raking bishops and a lead in development — the purest expression of 19th-century gambit play.
Bishop's Opening1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nf6 3.d3 c6 4.Nf3 d5 · C23–C24White develops the bishop before the knight, keeping Nf3 and f4 in reserve and often transposing into a favourable Italian or Vienna.
Center Game1.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.Qxd4 Nc6 4.Qe3 Nf6 · C21–C22White opens the centre immediately and recaptures with the queen, gaining space but exposing the queen to development-time harassment.
Latvian Gambit1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 f5 3.Nxe5 Qf6 4.d4 d6 · C40Black meets the knight's attack on e5 with a pawn sacrifice on f5, playing for a direct attack on the white king at the cost of real material.
Sicilian Defense1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 · B20–B99Black answers 1.e4 with the c-pawn, refusing to mirror and instead trading a wing pawn for a centre pawn — the most ambitious and most popular reply in chess.
French Defense1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 · C00–C19Black challenges e4 with ...d5 on move two, accepting a slightly cramped position behind a solid pawn chain in exchange for a genuine fight for the centre.
Caro-Kann Defense1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Bf5 · B10–B19Black answers 1.e4 with 1...c6 and only then ...d5, challenging the centre with a defended pawn — and keeping the c8 bishop's diagonal open.
Scandinavian Defense1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qa5 4.d4 Nf6 · B01Black challenges e4 immediately with ...d5, accepting that the queen must move two or three times in the opening in return for a clean, simple structure.
Alekhine Defense1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 4.Nf3 g6 · B02–B05Black invites White to chase the knight all over the board, accepting a cramped position in return for an overextended white centre to attack.
Pirc Defense1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.Nf3 Bg7 · B07–B09Black lets White build a big centre and attacks it from a distance with a fianchettoed bishop and the ...e5 or ...c5 breaks.
Modern Defense1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.Nc3 d6 4.f4 Nf6 · B06Black fianchettoes on move one and delays the knights entirely, keeping every structure available and inviting White to overreach.
Nimzowitsch Defense1.e4 Nc6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 Bf5 4.Nf3 e6 · B00Black develops the knight to c6 before committing any pawn, keeping the position flexible and often transposing into a French or Scandinavian structure.
Owen Defense1.e4 b6 2.d4 Bb7 3.Bd3 e6 4.Nf3 c5 · B00Black fianchettoes the queen's bishop on move one, aiming at e4 from a distance while conceding the centre.

1.d4 — Queen's Pawn

19 openings · 33 variations

Queen's Pawn Opening1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Be7 · D00–D69White stakes a claim in the centre with the queen's pawn and immediately challenges Black's d5 — the solid, positional counterpart to 1.e4.
Queen's Gambit1.d4 d5 2.c4 · D06–D69White offers the c-pawn to deflect Black's d5 pawn, aiming to own the centre — not a real gambit, because the pawn is almost always recovered.
Slav Defense1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 dxc4 · D10–D19Black defends d5 with the c-pawn instead of the e-pawn, keeping the bishop on c8 free to develop actively to f5.
Semi-Slav Defense1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 e6 · D43–D49Black combines the Slav and the QGD — ...c6 and ...e6 together — creating a fortress that then expands on the queenside with ...b5.
Catalan Opening1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.g3 Be7 · E01–E09White combines the Queen's Gambit with a kingside fianchetto, aiming the bishop down the long diagonal at Black's queenside.
London System1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.Bf4 d5 4.e3 Bd6 · D02White develops the dark-squared bishop outside the pawn chain before e3, then builds a familiar setup with Nf3, Bd3 and c3. The structure is practical, but plans still depend on Black's replies.
Colle System1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e3 e6 4.Bd3 c5 · D04–D05White builds the same quiet setup every game — d4, e3, Bd3, c3, Nbd2 — and then breaks with e4 or plays for the classic bishop sacrifice on h7.
Stonewall Attack1.d4 d5 2.e3 Nf6 3.Bd3 c5 4.c3 Nc6 · D00White builds a rigid pawn wall with c3, d4, e3 and f4, aiming for a kingside attack. The wall supports a knight on e5 but leaves important light-square weaknesses.
Blackmar-Diemer Gambit1.d4 d5 2.e4 dxe4 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.f3 exf3 · D00White offers the e-pawn, then plays f3 to open the f-file after ...exf3 and Nxf3. The gambit exchanges material for rapid development and attacking chances against Black's king.
Chigorin Defense1.d4 d5 2.c4 Nc6 3.Nf3 Bg4 4.cxd5 Bxf3 · D07Black develops ...Nc6 against the Queen's Gambit, accepting restricted c-pawn mobility for active piece play. In this line, ...Bxf3 damages White's pawns while conceding the bishop pair.
Baltic Defense1.d4 d5 2.c4 Bf5 3.Nf3 e6 4.Nc3 Nf6 · D06Black develops the queen's bishop outside the pawn chain on move two, inviting White to grab the b7 pawn and then opening the centre in response.
Albin Counter-Gambit1.d4 d5 2.c4 e5 3.dxe5 d4 4.Nf3 Nc6 · D08–D09Black throws the e-pawn forward and then pushes the d-pawn to d4, planting a wedge in White's position that is difficult to remove.
Marshall Defense1.d4 d5 2.c4 Nf6 3.cxd5 Nxd5 4.Nf3 Bf5 · D06Black develops the knight to f6 against the Queen's Gambit, allowing White to take on d5 and giving up the centre for quick piece activity.
Tarrasch Defense1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c5 4.cxd5 exd5 · D32–D34Black frees the position with ...c5 and accepts an isolated d5 pawn in return for fast, active piece play on the open files.
Ragozin Defense1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nf3 Bb4 · D38–D39Black pins the knight on c3 and fights for e4 with pieces, giving the game a Nimzo-Indian character inside a Queen's Gambit structure.
Indian Defense1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e3 O-O · A45–A79, D70–D99, E00–E99The family name for every defence where Black develops the knight to f6 first and decides later whether the centre will be blocked, undermined or handed over.
Budapest Gambit1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e5 3.dxe5 Ng4 4.Bf4 Nc6 · A51–A52Black throws the e-pawn forward and then drops the knight to g4, playing for activity and a quick strike against White's centre.
Dutch Defense1.d4 f5 2.g3 Nf6 3.Bg2 e6 4.Nf3 Be7 · A80–A99Black plays ...f5 against 1.d4, fighting for the e4 square and accepting a permanently weakened king's position in return.
Trompowsky Attack1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5 Ne4 3.Bf4 d5 4.e3 c5 · A45White develops the bishop to g5 on move two, sidestepping every main-line Indian defence and playing a lower-theory game.

1.c4 — English

1 opening · 7 variations

English Opening1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.g3 d5 · A10–A39White opens with the c-pawn and fights for d5 from the flank — a flexible, positional opening that can become almost anything.

1.Nf3 — Réti

1 opening · 2 variations

Réti Opening1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 e6 3.g3 Nf6 4.Bg2 Be7 · A04–A09White develops the knight first and attacks d5 from the flank with c4 and a fianchetto — flexible, positional and very hard to prepare against.

Other first moves

5 openings

Nimzo-Larsen Attack1.b3 e5 2.Bb2 Nc6 3.e3 Nf6 4.Bb5 Bd6 · A01White prepares a queen's-bishop fianchetto with b3, then Bb2 pressures e5 from the flank. The move order avoids immediate central commitments while letting Black occupy more space.
Bird's Opening1.f4 d5 2.Nf3 g6 3.e3 Bg7 4.Be2 Nf6 · A02–A03White plays f4 — the Dutch Defence with the colours reversed and an extra tempo — fighting for e5 from move one.
Polish Opening1.b4 e5 2.Bb2 Bxb4 3.Bxe5 Nf6 4.Nf3 O-O · A00White pushes the b-pawn to gain queenside space and fianchetto the bishop with tempo — a genuine surprise weapon at club level.
Van 't Kruijs Opening1.e3 d5 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nf3 e6 4.Bd3 c5 · A00White plays e3 first and keeps every structure available, usually transposing into a Queen's Gambit or a Colle-type setup.
Clemenz Opening1.h3 e5 2.e4 Nf6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Nf3 O-O · A00White plays h3 on move one — a pure waiting move that prevents ...Bg4 later and usually transposes into a normal 1.e4 game.

Opening traps

Every opening has moves that look natural and lose on the spot. Each trap page sets the position up, stops on the tempting move, and asks you to find the refutation before it shows you — the same way you would meet it in a real game.

Légal's Trap1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 d6…BeginnerBlackburne Shilling Gambit Trap1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4…BeginnerCaro-Kann Smothered Mate1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4…BeginnerCaro-Kann: The ...Bxh5 Bishop Trap1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4…Beginner
All 26 opening traps

162 opening and variation pages, including 111 variations, each with the moves, the plans for both sides and the one idea that makes the opening make sense — 23 of them with a trap to watch for.

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