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- Experienced chess players tend to play a specific set of prepared openings. Though this list expands as a chess player improves, it isn't necessary to know every opening line at the start. For now, understanding a select few openings (or at least knowing enough to recognize them in your own games) is good enough!
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Learning Opening Principles. Memorizing Specific Opening Moves (“Opening theory”) If you’re new to chess, never fear! Learning the principles of chess openings alone will give you a massive advantage over your opponents and set you on your way to rising through the ranks, without memorizing a single sequence of moves.
- Blackmar-Diemer Gambit
Any variation of the French Defense is now on the table –...
- Mieses Opening
Therefore, if white wants to occupy the center at all, it...
- Queen's Gambit
This has sometimes been called the Marshall Defense, but I...
- Caro-Kann Defense
At first glance it doesn’t seem like the Caro-Kann Defense...
- Dutch Defense
Black immediately creates an imbalance in the position and...
- Sicilian Defense
The Sicilian Defense is a strategically rich, highly complex...
- Hungarian Opening
If you wish to play this opening, you’ll need to understand...
- Queen's Pawn Opening
1. d4 e6 2. e4 and we have transposed to the French Defense,...
- Blackmar-Diemer Gambit
- List of 42 Popular Chess Openings
- Benoni Defense
- Bogo-Indian Defense
- Budapest Gambit
- Catalan Opening
- Caro-Kann Defense
- Colle System
- Dutch Defense
- English Opening
- Evans Gambit
For easy reference, the chess openings below are listed in alphabetical order. Many of them are named after places, famous chess players or a chess piece that features prominently in the opening. 1. Alekhine’s Defense 2. Benko Gambit 3. Benoni Defense 4. Bird’s Opening 5. Bogo-Indian Defense 6. Budapest Gambit 7. Catalan Opening 8. Caro-Kann Defens...
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 The name of this opening is linked to a book published in 1825, by Aaron Reinganum, who apparently studied chess to alleviate depression. He referred to his writings as Ben-Oni (an ancient Hebrew name, meaning “son of my sorrow”). The Benoni Defense is an aggressive opening, from black’s perspective, characterized by the initial mo...
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Bb4+ The Bogo-Indian Defense is named after the Russian grandmaster Efim Bogoljubow. He famously said: “When I am White I win because I am White. When I am Black I win because I am Bogoljubov.”
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e5 The Budapest Gambit is an opening for black, named after the location of the first know game featuring the moves 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e5. It was the game Adler–Maróczy (played in Budapest in 1896).
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 The Catalan Opening is an opening for white, named after Catalonia, the location of a tournament in Barcelona, 1929, where the organizers asked Polish-French Grandmaster Savielly Tartakower to create a new variation in honor of the area’s chess history.
1.e4 c6 The Caro-Kann Defense is an opening for black, named after English player Horatio Caro and Austrian player Marcus Kann. These two analyzed the opening and published their analysis in the German chess magazine in 1886.
1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e3 The Colle System is an opening system for white, named after a Belgian chess master, Edgard Colle, who popularized this opening in the 1920’s. The setup is similar to the London System and the Torre Attack, but in the case of the Colle System the white dark-square bishop remains inside the pawn-chain.
1.d4 f5 The Dutch Defense is an opening for black, named after Elias Stein, born in 1748. He became a Dutch chess master who recommended 1… f5 as the best reply to 1.d4.
1.c4 The opening is named after Howard Staunton, the famous English chess master who was widely recognized as an unofficial world champion from 1843-1851. In those years (1840’s-1850’s) his contemporaries believed the opening to be inferior, partly due to the pawn on c4 restricting the white light-square bishop.
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 The Evans Gambit is an opening for white, named after Captain William Davies Evans. He was a seafarer and inventor of the tri-colored lighting system–to prevent naval collisions at night. He played this opening against Alexander McDonnell, whilst on shore leave in London in 1825/1826.
With the (seemingly) unlimited amount of moves in chess, it is impossible to remember every possible opening. However, during thousands of years of chess history, players have discovered a few key principles, that should be followed at all times during the opening. Let’s have a look at seven of them.
6 days ago · 1. Control the Center. Controlling the center (d4, d5, e4, e5) gives you an advantage by providing mobility for your pieces and limiting your opponent’s options. Moves like 1.e4 or 1.d4 are popular for this reason. Controlling the center early allows you to dictate the pace of the game, providing a strong foundation. 2. Develop Pieces ...
Dec 30, 2023 · Certain openings are designed for counterattacks, and some boast unique characteristics. Ultimately, you'll uncover the openings that harmonize with your individuality and playing style. Allow me to present my compilation of essential openings that every chess player should be acquainted with. # 15 || Alekhine Defense
Jan 19, 2017 · Winning Chess Openings explains how to: Build a safe house for a king; Estimate losses of ten moves or fewer; Utilize the elements: time, force, space, and pawn structure; Plan strategy based on time-tested opening principles of play; Employ a defence for Black against any White opening; Apply an opening for White used by World Champions
The boards below will let you know if the opening is offensive or defensive. Once you find the opening you want, click to watch an in depth video and see some of the famous chess games that have been played using that opening. Many beginners ask what they should study first.
