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Chess openings
41 openings and defences with 1,436 lines, for White and Black. Each one explains the ideas behind the moves, then you learn the lines on the board until they stick.
Openings for White
Italian Game1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4. White develops quickly and aims the bishop at f7, the weakest square near Black's…Ruy Lopez1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5. The bishop pressures the knight that defends e5, giving White long-lasting pressure…Scotch Game1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4. White opens the centre straight away and exchanges on d4. The aim is free, active…Ponziani Opening1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.c3. White prepares d4 to build a big pawn centre. It is less common than the Italian or…Four Knights Game1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6. Both sides bring out their knights first, giving a solid, balanced game. White…Vienna Game1.e4 e5 2.Nc3. The knight protects e4 and keeps the f-pawn free, so White can later play f4 like a King's…Bishop's Opening1.e4 e5 2.Bc4. White aims the bishop at f7 at once and keeps the knight and f-pawn uncommitted. It can turn…Queen's Gambit1.d4 d5 2.c4. White offers the c-pawn to draw Black's d-pawn away from the centre. It isn't a true gambit: if…London System1.d4 with Bf4, e3, Nf3, c3 and Bd3. White uses the same solid set-up against almost anything Black plays. The…London System vs 1...d51.d4 d5 2.Bf4. White develops the bishop before e3 and meets each Black set-up with the same structure: e3…Colle System1.d4 with Nf3, e3, c3, Bd3, castling and Nbd2 (or b3 in the Zukertort version). White builds quietly behind…Colle–Zukertort System1.d4 with Nf3, e3, Bd3, b3 and Bb2. White puts the dark-squared bishop on the long diagonal and often a…Réti Opening1.Nf3 and c4. White controls the centre from the side instead of occupying it with pawns, often fianchettoing…English Opening1.c4. White controls d5 from the side and keeps a flexible position, often with g3 and Bg2. Play usually goes…Catalan Opening1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3. The bishop on g2 presses along the long diagonal towards Black's queenside. White is…Nimzo-Larsen Attack1.b3 and Bb2. The bishop aims down the long diagonal at e5 and at Black's kingside. It is an off-beat…Trompowsky Attack1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5. White pins or pressures the knight straight away and may take it with Bxf6 to damage Black's…King's Indian AttackNf3, g3, Bg2, castling, d3 and e4. White uses the same set-up against most defences and often pushes e5 to…Caro-Kann: Two Knights Attack1.e4 c6 2.Nf3 d5 3.Nc3. White develops both knights before choosing a pawn structure. Many lines aim quick…Open Sicilian1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 and 3.d4. White opens the centre and recaptures on d4 with the knight. Against ...g6 set-ups…
Defences for Black
Sicilian Defence1.e4 c5. Black fights for d4 from the side and swaps the c-pawn for White's d-pawn. The result is an…French Defence1.e4 e6 and 2...d5. Black challenges the centre with a solid pawn chain. The trade-off is a light-squared…Caro-Kann: Advance Variation1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.e5. White grabs space. These lines answer with the immediate 3...c5 (the Botvinnik–Carls…Caro-Kann: Main Lines1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 or 3.Nd2, and 3.f3. After 3...dxe4 4.Nxe4 Black chooses between ...Nf6 lines (including…Caro-Kann: Exchange, Panov and SidelinesThe Exchange (3.exd5 cxd5), the Panov (4.c4) and White's second-move alternatives such as 2.Nc3, 2.Nf3, 2.d3…Pirc Defence1.e4 d6, then ...Nf6, ...g6 and ...Bg7. Black lets White build a big pawn centre, then attacks it. The…Modern Defence1.e4 g6. Black fianchettoes the bishop first and delays the knight, staying even more flexible than the Pirc…Scandinavian Defence1.e4 d5. Black challenges e4 at once. After 2.exd5, Black usually takes back with the queen or plays ...Nf6…Petrov Defence1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6. Black hits back at e4 straight away instead of defending it, the most solid reply to 1.e4…Alekhine Defence: 3.d41.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6. Black lets White gain space, then attacks the centre. These lines cover the Four…Alekhine Defence: 3.c4, 3.Nc3, 3.Nf3White's other third moves after 2.e5 Nd5. The knight is chased again with c4 and c5, or White plays quietly…Alekhine Defence: White avoids 2.e5White declines to chase the knight: 2.Nc3 (often meeting ...d5 with e5 or exd5) and 2.d3. Black gets a…Queen's Indian Defence1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6. The bishop goes to b7 to control e4 and the long diagonal. It is a solid, patient…King's Indian Defence1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6, with ...Bg7, ...d6 and castling. Black gives White the centre, then strikes back with ...e5…Grünfeld Defence1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5. Black lets White build a big centre, then attacks it with pieces and ...c5. The…Nimzo-Indian Defence1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4. The bishop pins the knight to stop White playing e4. Black is often happy to give…Bogo-Indian Defence1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Bb4+. Black gives an early check to develop quickly and trade the dark-squared bishop…Benoni Defence1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5, usually followed by ...e6 and ...exd5. The game becomes unbalanced. Black gets a…Dutch Defence1.d4 f5. Black grabs control of e4 from the start and prepares play on the kingside. The price is a slightly…Beating Early Queen AttacksAnswers for Black to 2.Qh5, 2.Bc4 with Qf3 and other early queen sorties, including the Centre Game's 3.Qxd4…Countering the London1.d4 Nf6 2.Bf4 c5. Black hits the centre at once, often with ...Qb6 attacking b2. White must defend carefully…
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