Openings
Openings, and where they go wrong
57 openings — 28 for White, 29 for Black — and the mistakes people actually make in them: the named traps and the errors every coach corrects, each with the line it happens in. Every page has a board: play the line through move by move, with the other side answering. If you have analysed your own games here, each page also shows what you did in that opening.
As White
1.e4
- Italian GameC50–C541.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4The oldest opening in the book: the bishop comes to c4 and looks straight at f7.
- Ruy LópezC60–C991.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5Pressure on the knight that defends e5 — a squeeze rather than a threat.
- Scotch GameC44–C451.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4Open the centre on move three, before Black is ready for it.
- Vienna GameC25–C291.e4 e5 2.Nc3The quiet knight move that keeps a gambit in reserve: develop, and decide later whether to play f4.
- King's GambitC30–C391.e4 e5 2.f4A pawn for the centre and the f-file, offered on move two — the oldest attacking opening there is.
- Bishop's OpeningC23–C241.e4 e5 2.Bc4The bishop goes to c4 before the knight goes anywhere: an Italian without committing the knight, and a way to sidestep the Petrov.
- Four Knights GameC47–C491.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6Both sides develop both knights and nothing is resolved — the most symmetrical position in serious chess, and quietly full of traps.
- Centre GameC21–C221.e4 e5 2.d4Open the centre on move two and accept an early queen sortie — or give the pawns away and call it the Danish.
- Sicilian, AlapinB221.e4 c5 2.c3Answer the Sicilian with a big centre instead of a theory duel: 2.c3 prepares d4 and refuses the Open Sicilian entirely.
- Sicilian, Smith–Morra GambitB211.e4 c5 2.d4A pawn for the c- and d-files, offered on move two — the most direct way to make a Sicilian player think for themselves.
- Italian Game, Giuoco PianoC50–C541.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5The quiet game: both bishops point at f7 and f2, and White chooses between the old d4 and the modern slow squeeze.
- Ponziani OpeningC441.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.c33.c3, preparing d4 a move earlier than anyone else does — at the cost of the square the queen's knight wanted.
- Sicilian, ClosedB23–B261.e4 c5 2.Nc32.Nc3 — no d4, no Open Sicilian, and no twenty moves of theory to remember.
- French, AdvanceC021.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e53.e5 — take the space, close the centre, and spend the rest of the game defending d4.
- French, ExchangeC011.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.exd53.exd5 — symmetrical pawns, one open file, and the line French players worry about least.
- French, TarraschC03–C091.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd23.Nd2 — defend e4, keep the c-pawn free, and sidestep the Winawer pin entirely.
- Caro-Kann, AdvanceB121.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.e5The Advance French's structure against a defence that gets its bishop out first — which changes what it is worth.
- Caro-Kann, ExchangeB131.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.exd53.exd5 cxd5 — a symmetrical d-pawn structure, and a choice between a quiet game and the Panov.
1.d4
- Queen's GambitD06–D691.d4 d5 2.c4Not really a gambit: the pawn can be taken and cannot be kept.
- London SystemA45 / D021.d4 d5 2.Bf4The same setup against nearly anything: d4, Bf4, e3, c3, Bd3, Nbd2, O-O.
- Trompowsky AttackA451.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5The bishop comes out on move two and asks the knight a question before Black has chosen a defence at all.
- Colle SystemD04–D051.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e3A set-up rather than a variation: d4, Nf3, e3, Bd3, c3, Nbd2, and then the e4 break all of it was built for.
Other first moves
- English OpeningA10–A391.c4A flank pawn first: fight for d5 from the side, and keep the centre pawns for later.
- Réti OpeningA04–A091.Nf31.Nf3 — a developing move that controls e5, commits to nothing, and can become almost any other opening.
- King's Indian AttackA07–A081.Nf3 d5 2.g3A setup rather than an opening: Nf3, g3, Bg2, O-O, d3, Nbd2 and e4 — the King's Indian reversed, with a move in hand.
- Bird's OpeningA02–A031.f41.f4 — a Dutch Defence with an extra move, and the loosest first move that is still respectable.
- Larsen's OpeningA011.b31.b3 — the bishop goes to b2 on move two and looks down the long diagonal for the rest of the game.
- Grob's AttackA001.g41.g4 — the most committal first move that gets played by people who win with it, and the one that most needs a reason.
As Black
Against 1.e4
- Sicilian DefenceB20–B991.e4 c5The most played answer to 1.e4: an unbalanced game from move one, and a wing pawn traded for a centre pawn.
- French DefenceC00–C191.e4 e6Supporting …d5 with a pawn: solid, sharp underneath, and famous for one bad bishop.
- Caro-Kann DefenceB10–B191.e4 c6The French's solidity without the bad bishop: …c6 first, so the bishop gets out before …e6 shuts the door.
- Petrov's DefenceC42–C431.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6Answer the attack on e5 by attacking e4: symmetry as a defence, and the most solid reply to 1.e4 there is.
- Philidor DefenceC411.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6Defend e5 with a pawn instead of a knight: solid, cramped, and named after the man who thought pawns were the soul of chess.
- Two Knights DefenceC55–C591.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6Counterattack rather than defend: 3…Nf6 hits e4 and dares White into 4.Ng5, the sharpest position in club chess.
- Scandinavian DefenceB011.e4 d5Challenge e4 on move one and take a fully open game — with the queen out early, which is either the point or the problem.
- Pirc DefenceB07–B091.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6Let White build the centre, then take it apart from the flank: a fianchetto, a hypermodern plan, and a lot of patience.
- Modern DefenceB061.e4 g6Fianchetto first and decide the rest later: the most flexible answer to 1.e4, and the least forgiving of drift.
- Alekhine's DefenceB02–B051.e4 Nf6Invite the pawns forward and then show that they are weak: the most provocative first move Black has.
- Ruy López, Morphy DefenceC70–C991.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a63…a6 — asking the bishop a question, and the move nearly every Spanish game is built on.
- Ruy López, Berlin DefenceC65–C671.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf63…Nf6 — hit e4 immediately, and be ready for the endgame that made the defence famous.
- Sicilian, NajdorfB90–B991.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a65…a6 — a move that develops nothing, and the most heavily analysed move in chess.
- Sicilian, DragonB70–B791.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6The bishop goes to g7 and looks down the long diagonal at b2 — and both sides start running.
- Sicilian, ClassicalB56–B691.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Nc65…Nc6 — develop a piece, keep every Sicilian structure available, and choose one later.
- Sicilian, SveshnikovB331.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e55…e5 — kick the knight, accept a permanent hole on d5, and get paid in time and bishops.
- Sicilian, Accelerated DragonB34–B391.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 g6The Dragon without …d6, so the freeing …d5 comes in one move — and White gets to answer with the Maroczy Bind.
- French, WinawerC15–C191.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb43…Bb4 — pin the knight, trade the bishop for it when White pays, and play against the wreckage.
- Nimzowitsch DefenceB001.e4 Nc61…Nc6 — a knight standing in front of the pawn White would like to push, and a game nobody has prepared for.
Against 1.d4
- King's Indian DefenceE60–E991.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7Let White build the biggest centre he can, then attack it — and then attack the king.
- Queen's Gambit DeclinedD30–D691.d4 d5 2.c4 e6Hold the centre with a pawn and accept a cramped game: the most reliable answer to 1.d4 there is.
- Slav DefenceD10–D191.d4 d5 2.c4 c6Defend the gambit pawn with the c-pawn instead of the e-pawn, and keep the light-squared bishop free.
- Nimzo-Indian DefenceE20–E591.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4Pin the knight and fight for e4 with pieces: the most respected answer to 1.d4 there has ever been.
- Grünfeld DefenceD70–D991.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5Offer the centre, take it back from the side: Black lets White build a pawn duo and spends the whole game attacking it.
- Queen's Gambit AcceptedD20–D291.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc42…dxc4 — take the pawn, give up the centre, and get every piece out before White gets it back.
- Queen's Indian DefenceE12–E191.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b63…b6 — a bishop on b7, a fight for the e4 square, and the standard answer to the move order that dodges the Nimzo.
- Benoni DefenceA60–A791.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c52…c5 — invite White to close the centre with d5, and take the queenside and the long diagonal in exchange.
- Benko GambitA57–A591.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5A pawn for two open files that never close — the one gambit where trading queens does not help the defender.
- Dutch DefenceA80–A991.d4 f51…f5 — take e4, unbalance the game on move one, and accept a loosened king for the rest of it.
Your own games
Every page here is an ordinary page about an opening, and reads the same for everybody. If you have analysed games in that opening in this browser, the page adds one panel of your own record above it — your games, from this machine, never anybody else's and never a community average. Analyse a game and it will start appearing, or read how the moves are graded first.