Openings
Openings, and where they go wrong
58 openings, the traps people fall into in each, and a board to practise it on.
Essential for beginners means that in games between players under 1200, this opening ends in checkmate by move 15 far more often than usual: either the side playing it mates quickly (quick wins), or gets mated (trap danger). Measured from Lichess games; how we counted.
As White
1.e4
- Italian Game1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4
- Ruy López1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5
- Scotch Game1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4Quick wins
- Vienna Game1.e4 e5 2.Nc3
- King's Gambit1.e4 e5 2.f4
- Bishop's Opening1.e4 e5 2.Bc4Quick winsTrap danger
- Four Knights Game1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6
- Centre Game1.e4 e5 2.d4
- Wayward Queen Attack1.e4 e5 2.Qh5Quick wins
- Sicilian, Alapin1.e4 c5 2.c3
- Sicilian, Smith–Morra Gambit1.e4 c5 2.d4
- Italian Game, Giuoco Piano1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5Trap danger
- Ponziani Opening1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.c3
- Sicilian, Closed1.e4 c5 2.Nc3
- French, Advance1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5
- French, Exchange1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5
- French, Tarrasch1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2
- Caro-Kann, Advance1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.e5
- Caro-Kann, Exchange1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5
1.d4
As Black
Against 1.e4
- Sicilian Defence1.e4 c5
- French Defence1.e4 e6
- Caro-Kann Defence1.e4 c6
- Petrov's Defence1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6Quick wins
- Philidor Defence1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6
- Two Knights Defence1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6Quick winsTrap danger
- Scandinavian Defence1.e4 d5
- Pirc Defence1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6
- Modern Defence1.e4 g6
- Alekhine's Defence1.e4 Nf6
- Ruy López, Morphy Defence1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6
- Ruy López, Berlin Defence1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6Quick wins
- Sicilian, Najdorf1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6
- Sicilian, Dragon1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6
- Sicilian, Classical1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Nc6
- Sicilian, Sveshnikov1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e5
- Sicilian, Accelerated Dragon1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 g6
- French, Winawer1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4
- Nimzowitsch Defence1.e4 Nc6Trap danger
Against 1.d4
- King's Indian Defence1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7
- Queen's Gambit Declined1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6
- Slav Defence1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6
- Nimzo-Indian Defence1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4
- Grünfeld Defence1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5
- Queen's Gambit Accepted1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4
- Queen's Indian Defence1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6
- Benoni Defence1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5
- Benko Gambit1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5
- Dutch Defence1.d4 f5
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