Chess openings encyclopedia
You don't need to memorize theory. Here's the idea, the plan, and the one tip that matters for each of the 36 most important chess openings.
1.e4 openings
Italian Game
The friendliest first opening: develop fast and aim at f7.
Engine: White ~54%Ruy Lopez
The classical main line the world champions trust.
Engine: White ~56%Scotch Game
Open the centre immediately and fight for it on move three.
Engine: White ~54%Four Knights Game
The most symmetrical opening: all four knights out by move three.
Engine: White ~54%Petroff Defense
Counter-attack on move two - solid, symmetrical, nearly unbeatable.
Engine: Black ~44%Philidor Defense
Solid and practical - named after the greatest player of the 1700s.
Engine: Black ~44%Vienna Game
A flexible second move that keeps White's options wide open.
Engine: White ~54%King's Gambit
The most romantic opening in chess - a pawn for rapid development.
Engine: White ~41%Sicilian Defense
The most popular, most aggressive answer to 1.e4.
Engine: Black ~44%Sicilian Najdorf
Fischer's and Kasparov's favourite - the sharpest Sicilian.
Engine: Black ~43%Sicilian Dragon
Fianchetto the bishop and unleash the dragon on the long diagonal.
Engine: Black ~41%Sicilian Sveshnikov
Grab central space with ...e5 and accept a positional weakness.
Engine: Black ~44%Sicilian Accelerated Dragon
Dragon ideas - without the ...d6 weakness.
Engine: Black ~44%French Defense
Rock-solid, with a long-term plan baked in.
Engine: Black ~45%Caro-Kann Defense
Solid like the French, but the bishop gets out first.
Engine: Black ~44%Scandinavian Defense
Challenge the centre on move one - simple and direct.
Engine: Black ~43%Pirc Defense
Let White build a centre, then undermine it from the flanks.
Engine: Black ~43%Modern Defense
Hypermodern: delay ...d5 and attack the centre from a distance.
Engine: Black ~42%Alekhine Defense
Provoke White's pawns to advance, then attack them.
Engine: Black ~38%
1.d4 openings
Queen's Gambit
The classic d4 opening (yes, the Netflix one).
Engine: White ~52%Queen's Gambit Declined
Refuse the gambit, reinforce the centre, and build a fortress.
Engine: Black ~47%Queen's Gambit Accepted
Take the pawn, give it back for free play.
Engine: Black ~44%Slav Defense
Support d5 with c6 - solid, active, and hard to beat.
Engine: Black ~46%Semi-Slav Defense
A hybrid of the Slav and QGD - solid but with sharp counterplay.
Engine: Black ~44%London System
One easy setup you can play against almost anything.
Engine: White ~53%King's Indian Defense
Let White build a big centre, then blow it up.
Engine: Black ~45%Nimzo-Indian Defense
Pin the knight and fight for the centre with piece activity.
Engine: Black ~47%Queen's Indian Defense
Fianchetto the queen's bishop and control the centre with pieces.
Engine: Black ~45%Grunfeld Defense
Give White the centre, then destroy it with pieces.
Engine: Black ~45%Catalan Opening
Fianchetto the bishop and squeeze from the long diagonal.
Engine: White ~54%Trompowsky Attack
Pin the knight immediately and take Black out of theory.
Engine: White ~53%Benoni Defense
A pawn sacrifice for dynamic counterplay and an open g-file.
Engine: Black ~40%Dutch Defense
Control e4 immediately and attack from the first move.
Engine: Black ~40%
Other first moves
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