Chess openings
Each page sets the board to the position the moves reach, so you can play on from there and ask the engine what it thinks. The written part covers what the opening is trying to achieve, which is the part that transfers when your opponent leaves theory.
- ♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♜︎
Italian Game
C50 · e4 e5 Nf3 Nc6 Bc4
The oldest way to attack f7, and still one of the best first openings to learn.
- ♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♜︎
Ruy Lopez
C60 · e4 e5 Nf3 Nc6 Bb5
Pressure on the knight that defends e5, and a century of theory built on it.
- ♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
Sicilian Defence
B20 · e4 c5
The most popular answer to e4, and the sharpest.
- ♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
French Defence
C00 · e4 e6 d4 d5
A solid centre, at the cost of one difficult bishop.
- ♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
Caro-Kann Defence
B10 · e4 c6 d4 d5
The French centre without the bad bishop.
- ♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
Queen's Gambit
D06 · d4 d5 c4
Not really a gambit, and the most classical way to fight for the centre.
- ♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
Queen's Gambit Declined
D30 · d4 d5 c4 e6
The most reliable answer to d4, and the one that has never been refuted.
- ♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
King's Indian Defence
E60 · d4 Nf6 c4 g6 Nc3 Bg7
Give up the centre, then attack the king.
- ♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
English Opening
A10 · c4
A flexible first move that can transpose into almost anything.
- ♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎
London System
D02 · d4 d5 Nf3 Nf6 Bf4
The same setup against almost anything, which is the appeal and the limit.
- ♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
Scandinavian Defence
B01 · e4 d5
An immediate central challenge, at the cost of an early queen move.
- ♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎
Scotch Game
C44 · e4 e5 Nf3 Nc6 d4
Open the centre immediately and play a game of pieces.
- ♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
Vienna Game
C25 · e4 e5 Nc3
A quiet-looking move that hides a kingside attack.
- ♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
Nimzo-Indian Defence
E20 · d4 Nf6 c4 e6 Nc3 Bb4
Pin the knight, take the bishop pair off the board, and argue about structure.
- ♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
Slav Defence
D10 · d4 d5 c4 c6
Support the centre with the c-pawn and keep the bishop free.
- ♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
Pirc Defence
B07 · e4 d6 d4 Nf6 Nc3 g6
Concede the centre, then undermine it.
- ♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
King's Gambit
C30 · e4 e5 f4
A pawn for the centre and the initiative, in the oldest style there is.
- ♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
Alekhine's Defence
B02 · e4 Nf6
Invite the pawns forward and hope they overextend.
- ♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
Grünfeld Defence
D80 · d4 Nf6 c4 g6 Nc3 d5
Let White build a centre, then shoot at it from the side.
- ♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎
Four Knights Game
C46 · e4 e5 Nf3 Nc6 Nc3 Nf6
The most symmetrical opening there is, and quieter than its reputation.