NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Chess opening

A chess opening is the group of initial moves of a chess game (the opening moves). Recognized sequences of opening moves are referred to as openings or defenses, and have been given names such as the Sicilian Defense or Queen's Gambit Declined. There are many dozens of different openings, and hundreds of named variants. The Oxford Companion to Chess lists 1327 openings and variants.^[1] These vary widely in character from quiet positional play (e.g. the Réti Opening and some lines of the Queen's Gambit Declined) to wild tactical play (e.g. the Latvian Gambit and Two Knights Defense, particularly the Wilkes-Barre Variation). Chess is a recreational and competitive game for two players. ... Tug of war is an easily organized, impromptu game that requires little equipment. ... The Sicilian defence is a chess opening which begins with: 1. ... The Queens Gambit Declined (QGD) is, in its broadest sense any variation of the Queens Gambit chess opening where Black does not play the Queens Gambit Accepted, 2. ... The RÃ©ti Opening (also called the Zukertort Opening and the Kings Knight Opening) is a chess opening characterized by the opening move 1. ... The Latvian Gambit. ... The Two Knights Defence is a chess opening that begins 1. ... The Two Knights Defence is a chess opening that begins 1. ...

A sequence of opening moves that is considered standard (often cataloged in a reference work such as the Encyclopedia of Chess Openings) is referred to as "the book moves", or simply "book". These reference works often present these move sequences in simple algebraic notation, opening trees, or theory tables. A new move in the opening is referred to as a "theoretical novelty". When a game begins to deviate from known opening theory, the players are said to be "out of book". In some opening lines, the moves considered best for both sides have been worked out for twenty to twenty-five moves or more. Professional chessplayers spend years studying openings, and continue doing so throughout their careers, as opening theory continues to evolve. The Encyclopedia of Chess Openings (ECO) is a book collection (now also a computer database) describing chess openings. ... Algebraic chess notation is the method used today by all competition chess organizations and most books, magazines, and newspapers to record and describe the play of chess games. ... This article is being considered for deletion in accordance with Wikipedias deletion policy. ... This page explains commonly used terms in chess in alphabetical order. ...

For a list of openings as classified by the Encyclopedia of Chess Openings, see List of chess openings. This is a list of chess openings by the ECO classification: See also Chess and chess openings. ...

Starting position

1 Aims of the opening
2 Opening nomenclature
3 Classification of chess openings
4 See also
5 Notes
6 References
7 External links

id="Aims_of_the_opening"> Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... 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Aims of the opening

Although a wide variety of moves can be played in the opening, the aims behind them are, broadly speaking, the same. First and foremost, the aim is to avoid being checkmated and avoid losing material, as in other phases of the game. However, assuming neither player makes a blunder in the opening, the main aims include:

Development: One of the main aims of the opening is to mobilize the pieces on useful squares where they will have impact on the game. To this end, knights are usually developed to f3, c3, f6 and c6 (or sometimes e2, d2, e7 or d7), and both player's e- and d-pawns are moved so the bishops can be developed (alternatively, the bishops may be fianchettoed with a manoeuvre such as g3 and Bg2). Rapid mobilization is the key. The queen, however, is not usually played to a central position until later in the game, as it is liable to be attacked otherwise, when its value means it has to be moved, which can waste time.
Control of the center: At the start of the game, it is not clear on which part of the board the pieces will be needed. However, control of the central squares allows pieces to be moved to any part of the board relatively easily, and can also have a cramping effect on the opponent. The classical view is that central control is best effected by placing pawns there, ideally establishing pawns on d4 and e4 (or d5 and e5 for Black). However, the hypermodern school showed that it was not always necessary or even desirable to occupy the center in this way, and that too broad a pawn front could be attacked and destroyed, leaving its architect vulnerable; an impressive looking pawn center is worth little unless it can be maintained. The hypermoderns instead advocated controlling the center from a distance with pieces, breaking down one's opponent center, and only taking over the center oneself later in the game. This leads to openings such as the Alekhine Defense - in a line like 1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. c4 Nb6 5. f4 (the Four Pawns Attack), White has a formidable pawn center for the moment, but Black hopes to undermine it later in the game, leaving White's position exposed.
King safety: The king is somewhat exposed in the middle of the board. Measures must be taken to reduce his vulnerability. It is therefore common for both players to either castle in the opening (simultaneously developing one of the rooks) or to otherwise bring the king to the side of the board via artificial castling.
Pawn weaknesses: Most openings strive to avoid the creation of pawn weaknesses such as isolated, doubled and backward pawns, pawn islands, etc. Some openings sacrifice endgame considerations for a quick attack on the opponent's position. Some unbalanced openings for black, in particular, make use of this idea; such as the Dutch, and the Sicilian. While other openings, such as the Alekhine and the Benoni invite the opponent to overextend and form pawn weaknesses. Certain openings accept pawn weaknesses in exchange for compensation in the form of dynamic play. (See pawn structure.)
Piece coordination: As each player mobilizes his or her pieces, each attempts to assure that they are working harmoniously towards the control of key squares.

Apart from these ideas, other strategic plans used in the middlegame may also be carried out in the opening. These include preparing pawn breaks to create counterplay, creating weaknesses in the opponent's pawn structure, seizing control of key squares, making favourable exchanges of minor pieces (e.g. gaining the bishop pair), or gaining a space advantage, whether in the centre or on the flanks. In chess the fianchetto (Italian little flanking) is a pattern of development wherein a bishop is developed to the second rank of the adjacent knight file, the knight pawn having been moved one or two squares forward. ... Initial placement of the pawns. ... The Queens Indian Defence is a hypermodern opening Hypermodernism is a school of chess thought which advocates controlling the centre of the board with distant pieces rather than with pawns, thus inviting the opponent to occupy the centre with pawns which can then become objects of attack. ... Categories: Stub | Chess openings ... Initial position of kings and rooks Black has castled kingside (O-O), and White has castled queenside (O-O-O) Castling is a special move in the game of chess involving the king and either of his original rooks. ... In chess, artificial castling refers to a maneuver in which a king who has lost the right to castle does so in several normal moves, instead of one special one. ... In chess, the pawn structure (sometimes known as the pawn skeleton) is the configuration of pawns on the chessboard. ...

In more general terms, many writers (for example, Reuben Fine in The Ideas Behind the Chess Openings) have commented that it is White's task in the opening to preserve and increase the advantage conferred by moving first, while Black's task is to equalise the game. Many openings, however, give Black a chance to play aggressively for advantage from the very start. Reuben Fine (October 11, 1914 - March 26, 1993) was one of the best chess players in the world during the 1930s. ...

According to IM Jeremy Silman, the purpose of the opening is to create dynamic imbalances between the two sides, which will determine the character of the middlegame and the strategic plans chosen by both sides.^[2] For example, in the Winawer Variation of the French, White will try to use his bishop pair and space advantage to mount an attack on Black's kingside, while Black will seek simplifying exchanges (in particular, trading off one of White's bishops to blunt this advantage) and counterattack against the weakened pawns on White's queenside. Jeremy Silman (born August 25, 1954) is an American International Master of chess. ...

Opening nomenclature

Major changes in the rules of chess in the late fifteenth century increased the speed of the game, consequently emphasizing the importance of opening study. Thus, early chess books, such as the 1497 text of Luis Ramirez de Lucena presents opening analysis, as does Pedro Damiano (1512), and Ruy López de Segura (1561). Ruy Lopez's disagreement with Damiano regarding the merits of 2...Nc6 led to 3.Bb5 (after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6) being named for him as the Ruy Lopez or Spanish Opening.^[3] Opening theory was studied more scientifically from the 1840s on, and many opening variations were discovered and named in this period and later. Unfortunately opening nomenclature developed haphazardly, and most names are more historical accidents than based on any systematic principles. One of the chess problems from his book Luis Ramirez de Lucena (c. ... Pedro Damiano was a Portuguese chess player who lived from 1480-1544. ... Ruy LÃ³pez de Segura (born 1530 in Zafra near Badajoz, died 1580) was a Spanish priest and later bishop in Segura whose book Libro de la invenciÃ³n liberal y arte del juego del Axedrez was one of the first fundamental chess books in Europe, only after Pedro Damiano... The Ruy Lopez, generally called the Spanish Game outside of English speaking countries, is a chess opening characterised by the moves (in algebraic notation): 1. ... // Events and Trends Technology First use of general anesthesia in an operation, by Crawford Long The first electrical telegraph sent by Samuel Morse on May 24, 1844 from Baltimore to Washington, D.C.. War, peace and politics First signing of the Treaty of Waitangi (Te Tiriti o Waitangi) on February...

The oldest openings tend to be named for geographic places and people. Many openings are named after nationalities, for example English, Spanish, French, Dutch, Scotch, Russian, Italian, Scandinavian, and Sicilian. Cities are also used, such as Vienna, Berlin, and Wilkes-Barre. The Catalan System is named after the Catalonia region of Spain. The Catalan is a chess opening which can be considered to be White adopting a mixture of the Queens Gambit and RÃ©ti Opening: White plays d4 and c4 and fianchettos his bishop on g2. ... Anthem: Els Segadors Capital Barcelona Official language(s) Spanish, Catalan and Aranese Area â€“ Total â€“ % of Spain Ranked 6th 32,114 kmÂ² 6. ...

Chess players' names are the most common sources of opening names. The name given to an opening is not always that of the first player to adopt it; often an opening is named for the player who was the first to popularize it or to publish analysis of it. Eponymic openings include the Ruy Lopez, Alekhine Defense, Morphy Defense, and the Réti System. Some opening names honor two people, such as with the Caro-Kann. The Ruy Lopez, generally called the Spanish Game outside of English speaking countries, is a chess opening characterised by the moves (in algebraic notation): 1. ... Alexander Alekhine Alexander Alexandrovich Alekhine (sometimes spelled Aljechin or Alechin) (IPA: ; Russian: ; other members of his family pronounce it , French: Alexandre Alekhine) (October 31 or November 1, 1892 â€“ March 24, 1946) was a Russian-born naturalized French chess grandmaster (officially naturalized in 1927 only three days before the World Champion... Paul Morphy Paul Charles Morphy (June 22, 1837 - July 10, 1884), The Pride and Sorrow of Chess, was an American chess player. ... Richard RÃ©ti (1889 â€“ 1929) was a Czechoslovakian chess player, although he was born in what was then Hungary. ... The first moves of a chess game are the opening moves, collectively referred to as the opening. There are a number of openings, some defensive, and some offensive; some are tactical, and some are strategic; some openings focus on the center, and others focus on the flanks; some approaches are...

A few opening names are descriptive, such as Giuoco Piano (Italian: "quiet game"). More prosaic descriptions include Two Knights and Four Knights. Descriptive names are less common than openings named for places and people. The Giuoco Piano is a chess opening characterized by the moves 1. ...

Some openings have been given fanciful names, often names of animals. This practice became more common in the 20th century. By then, most of the more common and traditional sequences of opening moves had already been named, so these tend to be unusual or recently developed openings like the Orangutan, Hippopotamus, Elephant, and Hedgehog. (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999...

Many terms are used for the opening as well. In addition to Opening, common terms include Game, Defense, Gambit, and Variation; less common terms are System, Attack, Counterattack, Countergambit, Reversed, and Inverted. To make matters more confusing, these terms are used very inconsistently. Consider some of the openings named for nationalities: Scotch Game, English Opening, French Defense, and Russian Game — the Scotch Game and the English Opening are both White openings (White chooses to play), the French is indeed a defense but so is the Russian Game. Although these don't have precise definitions, here are some general observations about how they are used. A gambit is a chess opening in which something, usually a pawn, but sometimes even a piece, is sacrificed in order to achieve an advantage. ... The Scotch Game is a chess opening that begins with the moves 1. ... The English Opening is the chess opening 1. ... Chess position after 1. ... This article uses algebraic notation to describe chess moves. ...

Game: Used only for some of the oldest openings, for example Scotch Game, Vienna Game, and Four Knights Game.
Opening: Along with Variation, this is the most common term.
Variation: Usually used to describe a line within a more general opening, for example the Exchange Variation of the Queen's Gambit Declined.
Defense: Always refers to an opening chosen by Black, such as Two Knights Defense or King's Indian Defense, unless, of course, it has 'reversed' in front of it, which makes it an opening for white.
Gambit: An opening that involves the sacrifice of material, usually one or more pawns. Gambits can be played by White (e.g., King's Gambit) or Black (e.g., Latvian Gambit). The full name often includes Accepted or Declined depending on whether the opponent took the offered material, as in the Queen's Gambit Accepted and Queen's Gambit Declined. In some cases, the sacrifice of material is only temporary. For example, after 1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 (the Queen's Gambit Accepted), White can regain the pawn immediately by 3.Qa4+ if he wishes.
Countergambit: A gambit offered in response to an opponent's gambit; or, any gambit played by Black. Examples of this include the Albin Countergambit to the Queen's Gambit, the Falkbeer Countergambit to the King's Gambit, and the Greco Counter Gambit (the former name of the Latvian Gambit).
System: A method of development that can be used against many different setups by the opponent. Examples include Colle System, Stonewall Attack, Réti System, Barcza System, and Hedgehog System.
Attack: Sometimes used to describe an aggressive or provocative variation such as the Albin-Chatard Attack (or Chatard-Alekhine Attack), the Fried Liver Attack in the Two Knights Defense, and the Grob Attack. In other cases it refers to a defensive system by Black when adopted by White, as in King's Indian Attack. In still other cases the name seems to be used ironically, as with the fairly inoffensive Durkin's Attack (also called the Durkin Opening).
Reversed, Inverted: A Black opening played by White, or more rarely a White opening played by Black. Examples include Sicilian Reversed (from the English Opening), and the Inverted Hungarian.

A small minority of openings are prefixed with "Anti-". These are openings intended to avoid a particular line otherwise available to one's opponent, for example the Anti-Marshall (against the Marshall (Counter) Attack in the Ruy Lopez) and the Anti-Meran Gambit (against the Meran Variation of the Semi-Slav Defense). The Scotch Game is a chess opening that begins with the moves 1. ... Vienna Game The Vienna Game is a chess opening characterised by the moves (in algebraic notation) 1. ... The Four Knights Game is a chess opening starting with the moves 1. ... The Queens Gambit Declined (QGD) is, in its broadest sense any variation of the Queens Gambit chess opening where Black does not play the Queens Gambit Accepted, 2. ... The Two Knights Defence is a chess opening that begins 1. ... The Kings Indian Defence is a chess opening that begins 1. ... The Kings Gambit The Kings Gambit is a chess opening that begins (in algebraic notation): 1. ... The Latvian Gambit. ... The Queens Gambit Accepted, commonly abbreviated to QGA, is a chess opening characterized by the opening moves 1. ... The Queens Gambit Declined (QGD) is, in its broadest sense any variation of the Queens Gambit chess opening where Black does not play the Queens Gambit Accepted, 2. ... Main line after 3. ... The Queens Gambit is a chess opening that starts with the moves 1. ... The Kings Gambit The Kings Gambit is a chess opening that begins (in algebraic notation): 1. ... This article uses algebraic notation to describe chess moves. ... The Latvian Gambit. ... White has achieved the basic Colle setup and is prepared for the thematic e4 push. ... The Stonewall setup The Stonewall Attack is a chess opening, more specifically it is a variation of the Queens Pawn Game. ... The RÃ©ti Opening (also called the Zukertort Opening and the Kings Knight Opening) is a chess opening characterized by the opening move 1. ... In chess, the Kings Indian Attack (KIA) is an opening setup of moves typically characterized by the setup in the diagram. ... In chess, the Hedgehog Defence is a variant of the Queens Indian Defense. ... Position after 6. ... ... In chess, the Kings Indian Attack (KIA) is an opening setup of moves typically characterized by the setup in the diagram. ... The Durkin Opening is a very rarely played chess opening beginning with the move (in algebraic notation): 1. ...

Classification of chess openings

Various classification schemes for chess openings are in use. The ECO scheme is given at list of chess openings. This is a list of chess openings by the ECO classification: See also Chess and chess openings. ...

The beginning chess position offers White twenty possible first moves. Of these, 1.e4, 1.d4, 1.Nf3, and 1.c4 are by far the most popular as these moves do the most to promote rapid development and control of the center. A few other opening moves are considered reasonable but less consistent with opening principles than the four most popular moves. The Dunst Opening, 1.Nc3, develops a knight to a good square, but is somewhat inflexible because it blocks White's c-pawn; also, after 1...d5 the knight is liable to be kicked to an inferior square by ...d4. (Note that after 1.Nf3 the analogous 1...e5? just loses a pawn.) Bird's Opening, 1.f4, addresses center control but not development and weakens the king position slightly. The Sokolsky Opening 1.b4 and the King's and Queen's fianchettos 1.b3 and 1.g3 aid development a bit, but they only address center control peripherally and are slower than the more popular openings. The eleven remaining possibilities are rarely played at the top levels of chess. Of these, the best are merely slow such as 1.c3, 1.d3, and 1.e3. Worse possibilities either ignore the center and development like 1.a3, weaken White's position (for instance, 1.f3 and 1.g4), or place the knights on poor squares (1.Na3 and 1.Nh3). The Dunst Opening is a chess opening where White opens with the move (see algebraic notation): 1. ... Birds Opening is a chess opening characterised by the move (in algebraic notation) 1. ... The Sokolsky Opening (also called the Orangutan or Polish opening) is an uncommon chess opening in which white opens with 1. ... In chess the fianchetto (Italian little flanking) is a pattern of development wherein a bishop is developed to the second rank of the adjacent knight file, the knight pawn having been moved one or two squares forward. ...

Black has twenty possible responses to White's opening move. Many of these are mirror images of the most popular first moves for White, but with a tempo less. Defenses beginning with 1...c6 and 1...e6, often followed by the center thrust 2...d5, are also popular. Defenses with an early ...d6 coupled with a king-side fianchetto are also commonly played. In chess, tempo refers to the time taken by a move. ... In chess the fianchetto (Italian little flanking) is a pattern of development wherein a bishop is developed to the second rank of the adjacent knight file, the knight pawn having been moved one or two squares forward. ...

One reasonable way to group the openings is

Double King Pawn or Open Games (1.e4 e5)
Single King Pawn or Semi-Open Games (1.e4 other)
Double Queen Pawn or Closed Games (1.d4 d5)
Single Queen Pawn or Semi-Closed Games(1.d4 other)
Flank Openings (including 1.c4, 1.Nf3, 1.f4, and others)
Unusual first moves for White

Open games (1.e4 e5)

Open game

Main article: Open Games

White starts by playing 1.e4 (moving his King's pawn two spaces). This is the most popular opening move and it has many strengths — it immediately works on controlling the center, and it frees two pieces (the queen and a bishop). The oldest openings in chess follow 1.e4. Bobby Fischer rated 1.e4 as "best by test". On the downside, 1.e4 places a pawn on an undefended square and weakens d4 and f4; the Hungarian master Gyula Breyer melodramatically declared that "After 1.e4 White's game is in its last throes". If Black mirrors White's move and replies with 1...e5, the result is an open game. Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... 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Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... In chess, open games are those which begin with the white player moving the kings pawn two squares forward and the black player replying with the same move. ... Robert James Bobby Fischer (born March 9, 1943) is a United States-born chess Grandmaster and in 1972 became the only US-born chessplayer to become the official World Chess Champion. ... Gyula Breyer (1893 â€“ 1921) was a Hungarian chess player. ...

The most popular second move for White is 2.Nf3 attacking Black's king pawn, preparing for a kingside castle, and anticipating the advance of the queen pawn to d4. Black's most common reply is 2...Nc6, which usually leads to the Ruy Lopez, Giuoco Piano, Two Knights Defense, or Scotch Game. If Black instead maintains symmetry and counterattacks White's center with 2...Nf6 then the Petrov's Defense results. 2...d6, the Philidor Defense, is not popular in modern chess because it allows White an easy space advantage while Black's position remains cramped and passive, although solid. The Ruy Lopez, generally called the Spanish Game outside of English speaking countries, is a chess opening characterised by the moves (in algebraic notation): 1. ... The Giuoco Piano is a chess opening characterized by the moves 1. ... The Two Knights Defence is a chess opening that begins 1. ... The Scotch Game is a chess opening that begins with the moves 1. ... Petrovs Defence (sometimes spelled Petroffs) is the chess opening 1. ... The Philidor Defence is a chess opening characterised by the moves (in algebraic notation) 1. ...

Other responses to 2.Nf3 are not seen in master play. 2...f6?, the Damiano Defense is considered very weak. 2...Qe7, the Brazilian Defense, guards the e-pawn, but does not assist in the development of Black's minor pieces, and blocks in the king bishop. 2...d5?!, the Elephant Gambit, and 2...f5?!, the Latvian Gambit, are very risky for Black. The Damiano Defense is a chess opening characterized by the opening moves 1. ... The Gunderam Defense, also called the Brazilian Defense, is a rarely-played chess opening consisting of the moves: 1. ... The Elephant Gambit (also called the Queens Pawn Counter Gambit or Englund Counterattack) is a rarely played chess opening beginning with the moves (in algebraic chess notation): 1. ... The Latvian Gambit. ...

The most popular alternatives to 2.Nf3 are 2.Nc3 (the Vienna Game), 2.Bc4 (the Bishop's Opening) and 2.f4 (the King's Gambit). All of these three openings have some similarities with each other, in particular the Bishop's Opening frequently transposes to variations of the Vienna Game. The King's Gambit was extremely popular in the 19th Century. White sacrifices a pawn for quick development and to pull a black pawn out of the center. The Vienna Game also frequently features attacks on the Black center by means of a f2-f4 pawn advance. Vienna Game The Vienna Game is a chess opening characterised by the moves (in algebraic notation) 1. ... The Bishops Opening is a chess opening that begins with the moves 1. ... The Kings Gambit The Kings Gambit is a chess opening that begins (in algebraic notation): 1. ...

In the Center Game, 2.d4, White immediately opens the center but if the pawn is to be recovered after 2...exd4, White must contend with a slightly premature queen development after 3.Qxd4. An alternative is to sacrifice one or two pawns, for example in the Danish Gambit. The early queen developments of the Parham Attack and the Napoleon Opening look amateurish. Indeed they are generally only played by novices, but the Parham Attack has been played in a few grandmaster tournament games. The Portuguese Opening, Alapin's Opening, Konstantinopolsky Opening, and Inverted Hungarian Opening are rare, offbeat tries for White. The Center Game is a chess opening that begins with the moves 1. ... The Danish Gambit is a chess opening that begins with the moves 1. ... The Parham Attack, commonly known as the Patzer Opening or Queens Opening is considered the best chess opening according to Fischer and many other highly rated chess masters. ... The Napoleon Opening is an irregular chess opening starting with 1. ... The Portuguese Opening is a chess opening that begins with the moves 1. ... Alapins Opening is an unusual chess opening that starts with the moves 1. ... The Konstantinopolsky Opening is a rarely played chess opening that begins with the moves 1. ... The Inverted Hungarian Opening is an unusual chess opening that starts with the moves 1. ...

1.e4 e5 Double King's Pawn Opening or Open Game
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Ruy Lopez
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.c3 Ponziani Opening
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 Scotch Game
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Italian Game
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 Giuoco Piano
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 Evans Gambit
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 Two Knights Defense
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Be7 Hungarian Defense
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4?! Blackburne Shilling Gambit
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 f5?! Rousseau Gambit
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 Four Knights Game
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 something besides 3...Nf6 Three Knights Game
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.g3 Konstantinopolsky Opening
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 Petrov's Defense
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 f5 Latvian Gambit
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 f6 Damiano Defense
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d5 Elephant Gambit
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 Philidor Defense
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Qe7 Brazilian Defense
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Qf6 Greco Defense
1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bishop's Opening
1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Vienna Game
1.e4 e5 2.f4 King's Gambit
1.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.Qxd4 Center Game
1.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.c3 Danish Gambit
1.e4 e5 2.Qh5 Parham Attack
1.e4 e5 2.Bb5 Portuguese Opening
1.e4 e5 2.c3 Lopez Opening
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Be2 Inverted Hungarian Opening
1.e4 e5 2.Ne2 Alapin's Opening
1.e4 e5 2.Qf3?! Napoleon Opening

Open game In chess, an Open Game is one which begins with the White moving 1. ... Open game In chess, an Open Game is one which begins with the White moving 1. ... The Ruy Lopez, generally called the Spanish Game outside of English speaking countries, is a chess opening characterised by the moves (in algebraic notation): 1. ... The Ponziani Opening is a chess opening that begins with the moves 1. ... The Scotch Game is a chess opening that begins with the moves 1. ... The Italian Game is a chess opening, or more accurately a family of chess openings, characterized by the moves 1. ... The Giuoco Piano is a chess opening characterized by the moves 1. ... The Evans Gambit is a chess opening with the moves (in algebraic notation) 1. ... The Two Knights Defence is a chess opening that begins 1. ... The Hungarian Defense is a chess opening that begins with the moves 1. ... The Blackburne Shilling Gambit is the name facetiously given to a dubious chess opening, an offshoot of the Italian Game, that begins (in algebraic notation) 1. ... Rousseau Gambit The Rousseau Gambit is a dubious chess opening characterised by the moves (in algebraic chess notation): 1. ... The Four Knights Game is a chess opening starting with the moves 1. ... The Three Knights Game is a chess opening that begins with the moves 1. ... The Konstantinopolsky Opening is a rarely played chess opening that begins with the moves 1. ... Petrovs Defence (sometimes spelled Petroffs) is the chess opening 1. ... The Latvian Gambit. ... The Damiano Defense is a chess opening characterized by the opening moves 1. ... The Elephant Gambit (also called the Queens Pawn Counter Gambit or Englund Counterattack) is a rarely played chess opening beginning with the moves (in algebraic chess notation): 1. ... The Philidor Defence is a chess opening characterised by the moves (in algebraic notation): 1. ... The Gunderam Defense, also called the Brazilian Defense, is a rarely-played chess opening consisting of the moves: 1. ... The Greco Defence is a chess opening that begins with 1. ... The Bishops Opening is a chess opening that begins with the moves 1. ... Vienna Game The Vienna Game is a chess opening characterised by the moves (in algebraic notation) 1. ... The Kings Gambit The Kings Gambit is a chess opening that begins (in algebraic notation): 1. ... The Center Game is a chess opening that begins with the moves 1. ... The Danish Gambit is a chess opening that begins with the moves 1. ... The Parham Attack, commonly known as the Patzer Opening or Queens Opening is considered the best chess opening according to Fischer and many other highly rated chess masters. ... The Portuguese Opening is a chess opening that begins with the moves 1. ... The Lopez Opening is a chess opening characterized by the moves 1. ... The Inverted Hungarian Opening is an unusual chess opening that starts with the moves 1. ... Alapins Opening is an unusual chess opening that starts with the moves 1. ... The Napoleon Opening is an irregular chess opening starting with 1. ...

Semi-open games (1.e4, Black plays something other than 1...e5)

In the semi-open games White plays 1.e4 and Black breaks symmetry immediately by replying with a move other than 1...e5. The most popular Black defense to 1.e4 is the Sicilian, but the French and the Caro-Kann are also very popular. The Pirc and the Modern are also commonly seen, while the Alekhine and the Scandinavian have made occasional appearances in World Chess Championship games. The Nimzowitsch is playable but rare, as is Owen's Defense. The Grob Defense and the St. George Defense are oddities, although Tony Miles once used St. George's Defense to defeat then World Champion Anatoly Karpov. The Sicilian defence is a chess opening which begins with: 1. ... The Caro-Kann Defense is a common chess opening characterized by the moves (see algebraic notation): 1. ... The Pirc Defence, sometimes also known as the Robatsch or Ufimtsev Defence, is a chess opening characterised by Black playing . ... The Modern Defense also known as the Robatsch Defense is a chess opening in which Black allows White to occupy the center with pawns on d4 and e4. ... Alekhines Defence is a chess opening for Black beginning with the moves 1. ... The Center Counter Defense or Scandinavian Defense is a chess opening characterized by the moves (in algebraic notation) 1. ... Current World Champion, Vladimir Kramnik. ... This article is about the opening moves 1. ... Owens Defense or the Queens Fianchetto Defense is a chess opening defined by the moves (in algebraic notation) 1. ... The St. ... Anthony John Miles (April 23, 1955 â€“ November 12, 2001) was an English chess player. ... Anatoly Yevgenyevich Karpov (Russian: ) (born May 23, 1951) is a Russian chess grandmaster and former World Champion. ...

The Sicilian and French Defenses lead to unbalanced positions that can offer exciting play with both sides having chances to win. The Caro-Kann Defense is solid as Black intends to use his c-pawn to support his center (1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5). Alekhine's, the Pirc and the Modern are hypermodern openings in which Black tempts White to build a large center with the goal of attacking it with pieces. The Queens Indian Defence is a hypermodern opening Hypermodernism is a school of chess thought which advocates controlling the centre of the board with distant pieces rather than with pawns, thus inviting the opponent to occupy the centre with pawns which can then become objects of attack. ...

1.e4 a6 St. George Defense
1.e4 b6 Owen's Defense
1.e4 c5 Sicilian Defense
1.e4 c6 Caro-Kann Defense
1.e4 Nc6 Nimzowitsch Defense
1.e4 d5 Scandinavian Defense
1.e4 d6 2.d4 f5 Balogh Defense
1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 c6 Czech Defense
1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 Pirc Defense
1.e4 e6 French Defense
1.e4 e6 2.d4 c5 Franco-Benoni Defense
1.e4 Nf6 Alekhine's Defense
1.e4 g5 Grob Defense
1.e4 g6 Modern Defense
1.e4 f5 Fred Defense

The St. ... Owens Defense or the Queens Fianchetto Defense is a chess opening defined by the moves (in algebraic notation) 1. ... The Sicilian defence is a chess opening which begins with: 1. ... The Caro-Kann Defense is a common chess opening characterized by the moves (see algebraic notation): 1. ... This article is about the opening moves 1. ... The Center Counter Defense or Scandinavian Defense is a chess opening characterized by the moves (in algebraic notation) 1. ... The Balogh Defense The Balogh Defense (also known as the Balogh Counter Gambit) is an unusual chess opening beginning 1. ... The Czech Defense The Czech Defense is an offbeat chess opening that begins 1. ... The Pirc Defence, sometimes also known as the Robatsch or Ufimtsev Defence, is a chess opening characterised by Black playing . ... Chess position after 1. ... The Franco-Benoni also known as the Franco-Sicilian is an opening in chess. ... Alekhines Defence is a chess opening for Black beginning with the moves 1. ... The Modern Defense also known as the Robatsch Defense is a chess opening in which Black allows White to occupy the center with pawns on d4 and e4. ... The Fred defense The Fred Defence is a dubious chess opening characterised by the moves: 1. ...

Closed games (1.d4 d5)

Closed game

The openings classified as closed games begin 1.d4 d5. The move 1.d4 offers the same benefits to development and center control as does 1.e4, but unlike with the King Pawn openings where the e4 pawn is undefended after the first move, the d4 pawn is protected by White's queen. This slight difference has a tremendous effect on the opening. For instance, whereas the King's Gambit is rarely played today at the highest levels of chess, the Queen's Gambit remains a popular weapon at all levels of play. Also, compared with the King Pawn openings, transpositions between variations are more common and critical in the closed games. Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... The Kings Gambit The Kings Gambit is a chess opening that begins (in algebraic notation): 1. ... The Queens Gambit is a chess opening that starts with the moves 1. ...

The Richter-Veresov Attack, Colle System, Stonewall Attack, and Blackmar-Diemer Gambit are classified as Queen's Pawn Games because White plays d4 but not c4. The Richter-Veresov is rarely played at the top levels of chess. The Colle and the Stonewall are both Systems, rather than specific opening variations. White develops aiming for a particular formation without great concern over how Black chooses to defend. Both these systems are popular with club players because they are easy to learn, but are rarely used by professionals because a well prepared opponent playing Black can equalize fairly easily. The Blackmar-Diemer Gambit is an attempt by White to open lines and obtain attacking chances. Most professionals consider it too risky for serious games, but it is popular with amateurs and in blitz chess. The Richter-Veresov Attack is a chess opening. ... White has achieved the basic Colle setup and is prepared for the thematic e4 push. ... The Stonewall setup The Stonewall Attack is a chess opening, more specifically it is a variation of the Queens Pawn Game. ... This chess opening begins with 1. ... In the most general sense the term Queens Pawn Game can refer to any chess opening which starts with 1. ... Blitz chess (also known as speed chess or blitzkrieg chess) is a game of chess where each side is given very little time to make all of their moves. ...

The most important closed openings are in the Queen's Gambit family (White plays 2.c4). The Queen's Gambit is somewhat misnamed, since White can always regain the offered pawn if desired. In the Queen's Gambit Accepted, Black plays ...dxc4, giving up the center for free development and the chance to try to give White an isolated queen pawn with a subsequent ...c5 and ...cxd5. White will get active pieces and possibilities for the attack. Black has two popular ways to decline the pawn, the Slav (2...c6) and the Queen's Gambit Declined (2...e6). Both of these moves lead to an immense forest of variations that can require a great deal of opening study to play well. Among the many possibilities in the Queen's Gambit Declined are the Orthodox Defense, Lasker's Defense, the Cambridge Springs Defense, the Tartakower Variation, and the Tarrasch and Semi-Tarrasch Defenses. The Queens Gambit Accepted, commonly abbreviated to QGA, is a chess opening characterized by the opening moves 1. ... The Slav Defense is a chess opening that begins with the moves (in algebraic chess notation) 1. ... The Queens Gambit Declined (QGD) is, in its broadest sense any variation of the Queens Gambit chess opening where Black does not play the Queens Gambit Accepted, 2. ...

Black replies to the Queen's Gambit other than 2...dxc4, 2...c6, and 2...e6 are uncommon. The Chigorin Defense (2...Nc6) is playable but rare. The Symmetrical Defense (2...c5) is the most direct challenge to Queen's Gambit theory — Can Black equalize by simply copying White's moves? Most opening theoreticians believe not, and consequently the Symmetrical Defense is not popular. The Baltic Defense (2...Bf5) takes the most direct solution to solving the problem of Black's queen bishop by developing it on the second move. Although it is not trusted by most elite players, it has not been refuted and some very strong grandmasters have played it. The Albin Countergambit (2...e5) is generally considered too risky for top-level tournament play. Similarly, the Marshall Defense (2...Nf6) is very rarely seen in grandmaster play, as most theoreticians consider it definitely inferior for Black. The Chigorin Defense is a chess opening named for 19th century Russian grandmaster Mikhail Chigorin. ... The Symmetrical Defense is a chess opening that starts with the moves 1. ... The Queens Gambit is a chess opening that starts with the moves 1. ... The Baltic Defense is a chess opening that begins with the moves 1. ... Main line after 3. ... The Marshall Defense is a chess opening that begins with the moves 1. ...

1.d4 d5 Double Queen's Pawn Opening or Closed Game
1.d4 d5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Bg5 Richter-Veresov Attack
1.d4 d5 2.c4 Queen's Gambit
1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 Queen's Gambit Accepted (QGA)
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c5 Symmetrical Defense
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 Slav Defense
1.d4 d5 2.c4 Nc6 Chigorin Defense
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e5 Albin Countergambit
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 Queen's Gambit Declined (QGD)
1.d4 d5 2.c4 Bf5 Baltic Defense
1.d4 d5 2.c4 Nf6 Marshall Defense
1.d4 d5 2.e3 Stonewall Attack
1.d4 d5 2.e4 Blackmar-Diemer Gambit
1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e3 Colle System
1.d4 d5 2.Bf4 London System

The Richter-Veresov Attack is a chess opening. ... The Queens Gambit is a chess opening that starts with the moves 1. ... The Queens Gambit Accepted, commonly abbreviated to QGA, is a chess opening characterized by the opening moves 1. ... The Symmetrical Defense is a chess opening that starts with the moves 1. ... The Slav Defense is a chess opening that begins with the moves (in algebraic chess notation) 1. ... The Chigorin Defense is a chess opening named for 19th century Russian grandmaster Mikhail Chigorin. ... Main line after 3. ... The Queens Gambit Declined (QGD) is, in its broadest sense any variation of the Queens Gambit chess opening where Black does not play the Queens Gambit Accepted, 2. ... The Baltic Defense is a chess opening that begins with the moves 1. ... The Marshall Defense is a chess opening that begins with the moves 1. ... The Stonewall setup The Stonewall Attack is a chess opening, more specifically it is a variation of the Queens Pawn Game. ... This chess opening begins with 1. ... White has achieved the basic Colle setup and is prepared for the thematic e4 push. ... The London System is a complex of related chess openings that begin with 1. ...

Indian systems (1.d4 Nf6)

Indian systems

The Indian systems are asymmetrical defenses to 1.d4 that employ hypermodern chess strategy. Fianchettos are common in many of these openings. As with the closed games, transpositions are important and many of the Indian defenses can be reached by several different move orders. Although Indian defenses were championed in the 1920s by players in the hypermodern school, they were not fully accepted until Soviet players showed in the late 1940s that these systems are sound for Black. Since then, Indian defenses have been the most popular Black replies to 1.d4 because they offer an unbalanced game with chances for both sides. Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... Image File history File links This image is used in the standard chess diagram template. ... A transposition in chess is a position on the board that can be reached by the same piece in more than one way. ... The 1920s is a decade that is sometimes referred to as the Jazz Age or the Roaring Twenties, usually applied to America. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

The Modern Benoni Defense is a risky attempt by Black to unbalance the position and gain active piece play at the cost of allowing White a pawn wedge at d5 and a central majority. Tal popularized the defense in the 1960s by winning several brilliant games with it, and Bobby Fischer occasionally adopted it, with good results, including a win in his 1972 world championship match against Boris Spassky. Often Black adopts a slightly different move order, playing 2...e6 before 3...c5 in order to avoid the sharpest lines for White. The Benoni Defense is a group of chess openings generally characterized by the opening moves 1. ... Mikhail Tal Mikhail Nekhemievich Tal (IPA: ; Latvian: ; Russian: ) (November 9, 1936 - June 28, 1992) was a Jewish Latvian chess player and the eighth World Chess Champion. ... The 1960s decade refers to the years from January 1, 1960 to December 31, 1969, inclusive. ... Robert James Bobby Fischer (born March 9, 1943) is a United States-born chess Grandmaster and in 1972 became the only US-born chessplayer to become the official World Chess Champion. ... The World Chess Championship match between challenger Bobby Fischer and defending champion Boris Spassky in ReykjavÃk, Iceland 1972, has been dubbed the Match of the Century. ... Boris Spassky Boris Vasilievich Spassky (also Spasskij) (Russian: ) (born January 30, 1937) is a Russian chess player and former world champion. ...

The Benko Gambit is often played by strong players, and is very popular at lower levels. Black plays to open lines on the queenside where White will be subject to considerable pressure. If White accepts the gambit, Black's compensation is positional rather than tactical, and his initiative can last even after many piece exchanges and well into the endgame. White often chooses instead either to decline the gambit pawn or return it. The chess opening characterised by the moves 1. ... In chess, the endgame (or end game or ending) refers to the stage of the game when there are few pieces left on the board. ...

Advocated by Nimzowitsch as early as 1913, the Nimzo-Indian Defense was the first of the Indian systems to gain full acceptance. It remains one of the most popular and well-respected defenses to 1.d4. Black attacks the center with pieces and is prepared to trade a bishop for a knight to weaken White's queenside with doubled pawns. Aron Nimzowitsch (also Nimzovich or Niemzowitsch) (November 7, 1886, Riga â€“ March 16, 1935, Denmark) was a chess player of grandmaster strength and a very influential chess writer. ... Year 1913 (MCMXIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar). ... Nimzo-Indian Defence 1. ... In chess, doubled pawns are two pawns of the same player residing on the same file. ...

The Queen's Indian Defense is considered solid, safe, and perhaps somewhat drawish. Black often chooses the Queen's Indian when White avoids the Nimzo-Indian by playing 3.Nf3 instead of 3.Nc3. Black constructs a sound position that makes no positional concessions, although sometimes it is difficult for Black to obtain good winning chances. Karpov is a leading expert in this opening. The Queens Indian Defense is a chess opening defined by the moves 1. ... In chess, a draw is one of the possible outcomes of a game, the others being a win for white and a win for black. ... Anatoly Yevgenyevich Karpov (Russian: ) (born May 23, 1951) is a Russian chess grandmaster and former World Champion. ...

The Bogo-Indian Defense is a solid alternative to the Queen's Indian, into which it sometimes transposes. It is less popular than that opening, however, perhaps because many players are loath to surrender the bishop pair (particularly without doubling White's pawns), as Black often ends up doing after 4.Nbd2. The classical 4.Bd2 Qe7 is also often seen, although more recently 4...a5!? and even 4...c5!? have emerged as alternatives. 4.Nc3, transposing to the Nimzo-Indian is perfectly playable but rarely seen, since most players who play 3.Nf3 do so in order to avoid that opening. The Bogo-Indian is a chess opening characterised by the moves 1. ... This page explains commonly used terms in chess in alphabetical order. ... The Nimzo-Indian Defence is a chess opening characterised by the moves (in algebraic notation) 1. ...

The King's Indian Defense is aggressive and somewhat risky, and generally indicates that Black will not be satisfied with a draw. Although it was played occasionally as early as the late 19th century, the King's Indian was considered inferior until the 1940s when it was featured in the games of Bronstein, Boleslavsky, and Reshevsky. Fischer's favored defense to 1.d4, its popularity faded in the mid-1970s. Kasparov's successes with the defense restored the King's Indian to prominence in the 1980s. The Kings Indian Defence is a chess opening that begins 1. ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... David Bronstein David Ionovich Bronstein (Ð”Ð°Ð²Ð¸ÌÐ´ Ð˜Ð¾ÌÐ½Ð¾Ð²Ð¸Ñ‡ Ð‘Ñ€Ð¾Ð½ÑˆÑ‚ÐµÌÐ¹Ð½) (February 19, 1924, Bila Tserkva, Ukraine â€“ December 5, 2006, Minsk, Belarus) was renowned as a leading chess grandmaster and writer. ... Isaac Yefremovich Boleslavsky (1919 â€“ February 15, 1977) was a Ukrainian-Jewish chess grandmaster. ... Samuel Herman (Sammy) Reshevsky (born November 26, 1911, Ozorkow, Poland - died April 4, 1992, New York, USA) was a leading American chess Grandmaster. ... Robert James Bobby Fischer (born March 9, 1943) is a former world chess champion, and the only American to win the FIDE world chess championship. ... The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979, In the Western world, the focus shifted from the social activism of the sixties to social activities for ones own pleasure, save for environmentalism, which continued in a very visible way. ... Garry Kimovich Kasparov (Гарри Кимович Каспаров) (born April 13, 1963) is a chess grandmaster and the strongest chess player in the world. ... The 1980s refers to the period where corey sucks peters and has a not little to look at his little penis of and between 1980 and 1989. ...

Ernst Grünfeld debuted the Grünfeld Defense in 1922. Distinguished by the move 3...d5, Grünfeld intended it as an improvement to the King's Indian which was not considered entirely satisfactory at that time. The Grünfeld has been adopted by World Champions Smyslov, Fischer, and Kasparov. Ernst Franz GrÃ¼nfeld (November 21, 1893 â€“ April 3, 1962), chess player specializing in opening theory and author, was for a brief period after the First World War one of the strongest chess players in the world. ... The GrÃ¼nfeld Defence is a chess opening characterised by the moves (in algebraic notation) 1. ... Year 1922 (MCMXXII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar). ... Vasily Vasiliyevich Smyslov (Ð’Ð°ÑÐ¸ÌÐ»Ð¸Ð¹ Ð¡Ð¼Ñ‹ÑÐ»Ð¾ÌÐ²) (born March 24, 1921) is a Russian chess grandmaster. ... Robert James Bobby Fischer (born March 9, 1943) is a former world chess champion, and the only American to win the FIDE world chess championship. ... Garry Kimovich Kasparov (Гарри Кимович Каспаров) (born April 13, 1963) is a chess grandmaster and the strongest chess player in the world. ...

The Old Indian Defense was introduced by Tarrasch in 1902, but it is more commonly associated with Chigorin who adopted it five years later. It is similar to the King's Indian in that both feature a ...d6 and ...e5 pawn center, but in the Old Indian Black's king bishop is developed to e7 rather than being fianchettoed on g7. The Old Indian is solid, but Black's position is usually cramped and it lacks the dynamic possibilities found in the King's Indian. The Old Indian Defense is a chess opening. ... Siegbert Tarrasch Siegbert Tarrasch (March 5, 1862 â€“ February 17, 1934) was one of the strongest chess players of the late 19th century and early 20th century. ... 1902 (MCMII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Mikhail Chigorin (12 November 1850â€“25 January 1908) was a leading Russian chess player and the first grandmaster from Russia. ...

The Catalan Opening is characterized by White forming a pawn center at d4 and c4 and fianchettoing his king's bishop. It resembles a combination of the Queen's Gambit and Réti Opening. Since the Catalan can be reached from many different move orders, (one QGD-like move sequence is 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.g3), it is sometimes called the Catalan System. The Catalan is a chess opening which can be considered to be White adopting a mixture of the Queens Gambit and RÃ©ti Opening: White plays d4 and c4 and fianchettos his bishop on g2. ... This page explains commonly used terms in chess in alphabetical order. ... The Queens Gambit is a chess opening that starts with the moves 1. ... The RÃ©ti Opening (also called the Zukertort Opening and the Kings Knight Opening) is a chess opening characterized by the opening move 1. ...

The Neo-Indian Attack, Torre Attack, and Trompowski Attack are White anti-Indian variations. Related to the Richter-Veresov Attack, they feature an early Bg5 by White and avoid much of the detailed theory of other queen's pawn openings. Neo-Indian Attack 1. ... The Torre attack is a chess opening characterized by the moves (in algebraic notation) 1. ... The Trompowski Attack is a chess opening starting with the moves 1. ... The Richter-Veresov Attack is a chess opening. ...

The Black Knights' Tango or Mexican Defense introduced by Carlos Torre in 1925 in Baden Baden shares similarities with Alekhine's Defense as Black attempts to induce a premature advance of the white pawns. It may transpose into many other defenses. The Black Knights Tango, also known as the Mexican Defense or Kevitz-Trajkovic Defense, is a chess opening that begins 1. ... Carlos Torre Repetto (1904-1978) was a chess grandmaster from Mexico. ... Alekhines Defence is a chess opening beginning with the moves (in algebraic notation) 1. ...

The Blumenfeld Gambit (or Countergambit) bears a superficial but misleading resemblance to the Benko Gambit, as Black's goals are very different. Black gambits a wing pawn in an attempt to build a strong center. White can either accept the gambit or decline it to maintain a small positional advantage. Although the Blumenfeld is playable for Black it is not very popular.

The Döry Defense is uncommon, but it was sometimes adopted by Keres. It will sometimes transpose into a variation of the Queen's Indian Defense but there are also independent lines. Paul Keres Paul Keres (born January 7, 1916, in Narva, Estonia; died June 5, 1975, in Helsinki, Finland) was an Estonian chess grandmaster and one of the strongest chess players of all time, apart from the World chess champions. ...

The Budapest Defense is rarely played in grandmaster games, but often played by amateurs. Although it is a gambit, White usually allows Black to regain the sacrificed pawn. The Budapest Defense is a chess opening beginning with the moves 1. ... A gambit is a chess opening in which something, usually a pawn, but sometimes even a piece, is sacrificed in order to achieve an advantage. ...

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 Modern Benoni
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5 Benko Gambit
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 Nc6 Black Knights' Tango
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 d6 Old Indian Defense
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e5 Budapest Defense
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 Nimzo-Indian Defense
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Bb4+ Bogo-Indian Defense
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b5 Polish Defense
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 Queen's Indian Defense
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 c5 4.d5 b5 Blumenfeld Gambit
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Ne4 Döry Defense
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Bg5 Neo-Indian Attack
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 Catalan Opening
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 Grünfeld Defense
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 King's Indian Defense (KID)
1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.Bg5 Torre Attack
1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5 Trompowski Attack

Further information: Indian defences.

The Benoni Defense is a group of chess openings generally characterized by the opening moves 1. ... The chess opening characterised by the moves 1. ... The Black Knights Tango, also known as the Mexican Defense or Kevitz-Trajkovic Defense, is a chess opening that begins 1. ... The Old Indian Defense is a chess opening. ... The Budapest Defense is a chess opening beginning with the moves 1. ... Nimzo-Indian Defence 1. ... The Bogo-Indian Defence is a chess opening characterised by the moves 1. ... Polish Defense Deferred The Polish Defense is the name commonly given to one of several sequences of chess opening moves characterized by an early . ... The Queens Indian Defense is a chess opening defined by the moves 1. ... Neo-Indian Attack 1. ... The Catalan is a chess opening which can be considered to be White adopting a mixture of the Queens Gambit and RÃ©ti Opening: White plays d4 and c4 and fianchettos his bishop on g2. ... The GrÃ¼nfeld Defence is a chess opening characterised by the moves (in algebraic notation) 1. ... The Kings Indian Defence is a chess opening that begins 1. ... The Torre attack is a chess opening characterized by the moves (in algebraic notation) 1. ... The Trompowski Attack is a chess opening starting with the moves 1. ... In chess openings, the Indian defences are characterized by the opening moves 1. ...

Other Black responses to 1.d4

There are several other defenses that can be played to 1.d4. The most common is the aggressive Dutch Defense. The Dutch, adopted for a time by World Champions Alekhine and Botvinnik, and played by both Botvinnik and challenger David Bronstein in their 1951 world championship match, is still played occasionally at the top level by Short and others. Another fairly common opening is the Benoni Defense, which may become very wild if it develops into the Modern Benoni, though other variations are more solid. The remaining openings in this section are uncommon. The Englund Gambit is a rare and dubious sacrifice. The Polish Defense has never been very popular but has been tried by Spassky, Ljubojevic, and Csom, among others. The Keres Defence (also known as the Kangaroo Defence), is fully playable, but has little independent significance, since it often transposes into the Dutch, Nimzo-Indian, or Bogo-Indian. The Queen's Knight Defense is an uncommon opening that often transposes to the Nimzowitsch Defense after 1.d4 Nc6 2.e4 or the Chigorin Defense after 2.c4 d5, although it can lead to unique lines, for example after 1.d4 Nc6 2.d5 or 2.c4 e5. The Dutch Defence is a chess opening characterised by the moves 1. ... Alexander Alekhine Alexander Alexandrovich Alekhine (sometimes spelled Aljechin or Alechin) (IPA: ; Russian: ; other members of his family pronounce it , French: Alexandre Alekhine) (October 31 or November 1, 1892 â€“ March 24, 1946) was a Russian-born naturalized French chess grandmaster (officially naturalized in 1927 only three days before the World Champion... Mikhail Moiseyevich Botvinnik (IPA: ; Russian: ) (August 17 [O.S. August 4] 1911 - May 5, 1995) was a Russian International Grandmaster and long-time World Champion of chess. ... David Bronstein David Ionovich Bronstein (Ð”Ð°Ð²Ð¸ÌÐ´ Ð˜Ð¾ÌÐ½Ð¾Ð²Ð¸Ñ‡ Ð‘Ñ€Ð¾Ð½ÑˆÑ‚ÐµÌÐ¹Ð½) (February 19, 1924, Bila Tserkva, Ukraine â€“ December 5, 2006, Minsk, Belarus) was renowned as a leading chess grandmaster and writer. ... Current World Champion, Vladimir Kramnik. ... Nigel Short MBE (born June 1, 1965 in Leigh, Lancashire) is widely regarded as the strongest British chess player of the 20th century. ... The Benoni Defense is a group of chess openings generally characterized by the opening moves 1. ... The Benoni Defense is a group of chess openings generally characterized by the opening moves 1. ... The Englund Gambit is a rarely played chess opening that starts with the moves 1. ... Polish Defense Deferred The Polish Defense is the name commonly given to one of several sequences of chess opening moves characterized by an early . ... Boris Spassky Boris Vasilievich Spassky (also Spasskij) (Russian: ) (born January 30, 1937) is a Russian chess player and former world champion. ... Ljubomir Ljubojevic is a Grandmaster of chess. ... Istvan Csom (born June 2, 1940, Satoraljaujhely, Hungary) is a Hungarian chess grandmaster. ... The Keres Defence (also known as the Kangaroo Defence) is a chess opening characterized by the opening moves 1. ... The Queens Knight Defense is a chess opening defined by the opening moves 1. ...

1.d4 b5 Polish Defense
1.d4 c5 Benoni Defense
1.d4 Nc6 Queen's Knight Defense
1.d4 d6 Wade Defense
1.d4 e5 Englund Gambit
1.d4 e6 2.c4 b6 English Defense
1.d4 e6 2.c4 Bb4+ Keres Defence
1.d4 f5 Dutch Defense

Polish Defense Deferred The Polish Defense is the name commonly given to one of several sequences of chess opening moves characterized by an early . ... The Benoni Defense is a group of chess openings generally characterized by the opening moves 1. ... The Queens Knight Defense is a chess opening defined by the opening moves 1. ... The Wade Defense or Rat Defense is a highly transpositional opening in chess. ... The Englund Gambit is a rarely played chess opening that starts with the moves 1. ... The English Defense The English Defense is a chess opening characterized by the moves 1. ... The Keres Defence (also known as the Kangaroo Defence) is a chess opening characterized by the opening moves 1. ... The Dutch Defence is a chess opening characterised by the moves 1. ...

Flank openings (including English, Réti, Bird's, and White fianchettoes)

The flank openings are the group of White openings typified by play on one or both flanks. White plays in hypermodern style, attacking the center from the flanks with pieces rather than occupying it with pawns. These openings are played often, and 1.Nf3 and 1.c4 trail only 1.e4 and 1.d4 in popularity as opening moves. The Queens Indian Defence is a hypermodern opening Hypermodernism is a school of chess thought which advocates controlling the centre of the board with distant pieces rather than with pawns, thus inviting the opponent to occupy the centre with pawns which can then become objects of attack. ...

If White opens with 1.Nf3, the game often becomes one of the d4 openings (closed games or semi-closed games) by a different move order (this is called transposition), but unique openings such as the Réti and King's Indian Attack are also common. The Réti itself is characterized by White playing 1.Nf3, fianchettoing one or both bishops, and not playing an early d4 (which would generally transpose into one of the 1.d4 openings). A transposition in chess is a position on the board that can be reached by the same piece in more than one way. ... The RÃ©ti Opening (also called the Zukertort Opening and the Kings Knight Opening) is a chess opening characterized by the opening move 1. ... In chess, the Kings Indian Attack (KIA) is an opening setup of moves typically characterized by the setup in the diagram. ... In chess the fianchetto (Italian little flanking) is a pattern of development wherein a bishop is developed to the second rank of the adjacent knight file, the knight pawn having been moved one or two squares forward. ...

The King's Indian Attack (KIA) is a system of development that White may use in reply to almost any Black opening moves. The characteristic KIA setup is 1.Nf3, 2.g3, 3.Bg2, 4.0-0, 5.d3, 6.Nbd2, and 7.e4, although these moves may be played in many different orders. In fact, the KIA is probably most often reached after 1.e4 when White uses it to respond to a Black attempt to play one of the Semi-open games such as the Caro-Kann, French, or Sicilian, or even the open games which usually come after 1.e4 e5. Its greatest appeal may be that by adopting a set pattern of development, White can avoid the large amount of opening study required to prepare to meet the many different possible Black replies to 1.e4. In chess, the Kings Indian Attack (KIA) is an opening setup of moves typically characterized by the setup in the diagram. ...

The English also frequently transposes into a d4 opening, but it can take on independent character as well including symmetrical variations (1.c4 c5) and the Sicilian Defense in reverse (1.c4 e5). The English Opening is the chess opening 1. ...

Larsen's Opening and the Sokolsky Opening are occasionally seen in grandmaster play. Benko used 1.g3 to defeat both Fischer and Tal in the 1962 Candidates Tournament in Curaçao. Larsens Opening, also called the Queens Fianchetto Opening, is a chess opening starting with 1. ... The Sokolsky Opening (also called the Orangutan or Polish opening) is an uncommon chess opening in which white opens with 1. ... The title Grandmaster is awarded to world-class chess masters by the world chess organization FIDE. Apart from World Champion, Grandmaster is the highest title a chess player can attain. ... PÃ¡l BenkÅ‘ (born July 15, 1928 in Amiens) is a chess grandmaster, author, and composer of endgame studies and chess problems. ... Robert James Bobby Fischer (born March 9, 1943) is a United States-born chess Grandmaster and in 1972 became the only US-born chessplayer to become the official World Chess Champion. ... Mikhail Tal Mikhail Nekhemievich Tal (IPA: ; Latvian: ; Russian: ) (November 9, 1936 - June 28, 1992) was a Jewish Latvian chess player and the eighth World Chess Champion. ... 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar). ... The Candidates Tournament was an annual chess tournament in which various chess players play against each other. ... Anthem: Himno di KÃ²rsou Capital (and largest city) Willemstad Official languages Dutch Government See Politics of the Netherlands Antilles - Prime Minister of N.A. Emily de Jongh-Elhage - Governor of N.A. Frits Goedgedrag Constitutional monarchy part of the Netherlands Antilles Area - Total 444 kmÂ² 171. ...

With Bird's Opening White tries to get a strong grip on the e5-square. The opening can resemble a Dutch Defense in reverse after 1.f4 d5, or Black may try to disrupt White by playing 1...e5!? (From's Gambit). Birds Opening is a chess opening characterised by the move (in algebraic notation) 1. ... Birds Opening is a chess opening characterised by the move 1. ...

1.b3 Larsen's Opening
1.b4 Sokolsky Opening
1.Nc3 Dunst Opening
1.c4 English Opening
1.Nf3 Réti Opening (characteristically followed by fianchettoing one or both bishops, and without an early d4)
1.Nf3, 2.g3, 3.Bg2, 4.0-0, 5.d3, 6.Nbd2, 7.e4 King's Indian Attack (KIA) (moves may be played in many different orders)
1.f4 Bird's Opening
1.g3 Benko Opening

Larsens Opening, also called the Queens Fianchetto Opening, is a chess opening starting with 1. ... The Sokolsky Opening (also called the Orangutan or Polish opening) is an uncommon chess opening in which white opens with 1. ... The Dunst Opening is a chess opening where White opens with the move (see algebraic notation): 1. ... The English Opening is the chess opening 1. ... The RÃ©ti Opening (also called the Zukertort Opening and the Kings Knight Opening) is a chess opening characterized by the opening move 1. ... In chess, the Kings Indian Attack (KIA) is an opening setup of moves typically characterized by the setup in the diagram. ... Birds Opening is a chess opening characterised by the move (in algebraic notation) 1. ... Benkos Opening is a chess opening is characterized by the move 1. ...

Unusual first moves for White

Each of these openings is rarely adopted for one or more of the following reasons: it is considered too passive for White (e.g. 1.e3, 1.d3, 1.c3); it gratuitously weakens White's position (e.g., 1.f3, 1.g4); it does nothing to aid White's development or control the center (e.g., 1.f3, 1.a4, 1.h4); or it develops a knight to an inferior square (1.Nh3 or 1.Na3). (See irregular chess openings.) Irregular openings are chess openings with an unusual first move from White. ...

See also Fool's mate. Anderssens Opening is a chess opening defined by the opening move 1. ... The Durkin Opening is a very rarely played chess opening beginning with the move (in algebraic notation): 1. ... The Ware Opening is an uncommon chess opening in which White opens with 1. ... The Saragossa Opening is a chess opening defined by the opening move 1. ... The Mieses Opening is a chess opening move 1. ... The Van t Kruijs Opening (also Vant Kruys) is a chess opening defined by the move 1. ... Barnes Opening (also called Gedults Opening) is a chess opening where White opens with 1. ... Grobs Attack, also known as the Spike, is an unconventional (ECO code A00) chess opening where White immediately moves the king knights pawn two squares ahead: 1. ... The Clemenz Opening is a chess opening characterized (in algebraic notation by the move 1. ... A00 is the Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings designator for unconventional chess openings with an unusual first move from White. ... The Desprez Opening is a chess opening characterized by the opening move (in algebraic notation) 1. ... Fools mate is the quickest possible checkmate in the game of chess. ...

Notes

^ David Hooper and Kenneth Whyld, Oxford Companion to Chess (Oxford UP, 1996), pp. 461-80.
^ Jeremy Silman, The Complete Book of Chess Strategy (Los Angeles: Siles Press, 1998), p. 3.
^ H.J.R. Murray, A History of Chess (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1913), pp. 782-83, 814-15.

References

De Firmian, Nick (1999). Modern Chess Openings: MCO-14. Random House Puzzles & Games. ISBN 0-8129-3084-3.

Nick de Firmian is a 3-time U.S. Chess Champion. Often called MCO-14 or simply MCO, this is the 14th edition of the work that has been the standard English language reference on chess openings for a century. This book is not suitable for beginners, but it is a valuable reference for club and tournament players.

Kasparov, Garry, and Raymond Keene (1989, 1994). Batsford Chess Openings 2. Henry Holt. ISBN 0-8050-3409-9.

Garry Kasparov is the former World Chess Champion from 1985 to 2000 and Raymond Keene is a former British Chess Champion. This book is often called BCO 2 and is intended as a reference for club and tournament players.

Nunn, John (ed.), et al. (1999). Nunn's Chess Openings. Everyman Chess. ISBN 1-85744-221-0.

John Nunn is a former British Chess Champion and a noted chess author. This book is often called NCO and is a reference for club and tournament players.

Sahovski Informator. Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings

This is an advanced, technical work in five volumes published by Chess Informant of Belgrade. http://www.sahovski.com/ It analyzes openings used in tournament play and archived in Chess Informant since 1966. Instead of using the traditional names for the openings and descriptive text to evaluate positions, Informator has developed a unique coding system that is language independent so that it can be read by chess players around the world without requiring translation. Called the ECO, these volumes are the most comprehensive reference for professional and serious tournament players.

Watson, John (2006), Mastering the Chess Openings, vol 1, Gambit, ISBN 978-1-904600-60-2
Watson, John (2007), Mastering the Chess Openings, vol 2, Gambit, ISBN 978-1-904600-69-5

Modern Chess Openings (usually called MCO) is an important book of chess openings. ... Nick de Firmian (born July 26, 1957), is a chess grandmaster and three time U.S. chess champion, winning in 1987, 1995, and 1999. ... See also: U.S. Womens Chess Championship Winner list: 2005 Hikaru Nakamura 2004 Alexander Shabalov 2003 Alexander Shabalov 2002 Larry Christiansen 2000 Joel Benjamin / Alexander Shabalov / Yasser Seirawan 1999 Boris Gulko 1998 Nick de Firmian 1997 Joel Benjamin 1996 Alex Yermolinsky 1995 Nick de Firmian / Patrick Wolff / Alexander Ivanov... Garry Kimovich Kasparov (Russian: ; IPA: ) (born April 13, 1963, in Baku, Azerbaijan SSR) (now Azerbaijan) is a Russian chess grandmaster and former World Chess Champion. ... The 1984 World Chess Championship was between Anatoly Karpov (left) and Garry Kasparov (right). ... Raymond Dennis Keene OBE (born 29 January 1948) is a chess grandmaster, but is better known as a chess organiser, columnist and author. ... The British Chess Championship is organised by the English Chess Federation. ... John Denis Martin Nunn (born April 25, 1955) is an English chess player and mathematician. ... The British Chess Championship is organised by the British Chess Federation. ... The Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings (ECO) is a book collection (now also a computer database) describing chess openings. ... 1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1966 calendar). ... John Watson at the 2003 U.S. Chess Championships in Seattle, Washington John L. Watson is an International Master (IM) of chess and a renowned chess theorist, teacher, and author. ... John Watson at the 2003 U.S. Chess Championships in Seattle, Washington John L. Watson is an International Master (IM) of chess and a renowned chess theorist, teacher, and author. ...

External links

Wikibooks has more about this subject:

Opening theory in chess

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Rules • Openings • Strategy • Tactics • Endgames • History • Championship Image File history File links Wikibooks-logo-en. ... Screenshot of ChessGames. ... Chess is a recreational and competitive game for two players. ... Typical chess set and clock While the exact origins of chess are unclear, the modern rules of chess first took form in Italy during the 16th century. ... This is a list of chess openings by the ECO classification: See also Chess and chess openings. ... This article seems not to be written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia entry. ... In chess, a tactic refers to a short sequence of moves which limits the opponents options and which results in tangible gain. ... Current World Champion, Vladimir Kramnik. ...

Categories: Chess | Chess openings

Results from FactBites:

Chess Opening - Opening Moves in Chess (503 words)
	There are two things that overpower most chess players when learning their chess openings and defensive systems.
	They play a chess opening or defense until they fear their opponent is well prepared for that particular chess opening.
	Learn the best which that chess opening variation has to offer, and don't worry about a slight disadvantage as Black or equality when you are White.

Chess opening - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (5121 words)
	A sequence of opening moves that is considered standard or follows that given in a reference work (such as the Encyclopedia of Chess Openings) is referred to as "the book moves" or simply "book." These reference works often present these move sequences in theory tables.
	It is therefore normal for both players to either castle in the opening (simultaneously developing one of the rooks) or to otherwise bring the king to the side of the board via artificial castling.
	Opening theory began being studied more scientifically from the 1840s on, and many opening variations were discovered and named in this period and later.

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