A flank opening is a

chess opening A chess opening or simply an opening is the initial stage of a chess game. It usually consists of established theory; the other phases are the middlegame and the endgame. Many opening sequences have standard names such as the "Sicilian Defens ...

played by White and typified by play on one or both flanks (the portion of the chess board outside the central d and e files). White often plays in hypermodern style, attacking the center from the flanks with pieces rather than occupying it with

pawn Pawn most often refers to: * Pawn (chess), the weakest and most numerous piece in the game * Pawnbroker or pawnshop, a business that provides loans by taking personal property as collateral Pawn may also refer to: Places * Pawn, Oregon, an his ...

s. Some of these openings are played often, although more often by advanced players than beginners, and 1.Nf3 and 1.c4 trail only 1.e4 and 1.d4 in popularity as opening moves.

Classification

* 1. c4 –

English Opening The English Opening is a chess opening that begins with the move: :1. c4 A flank opening, it is the fourth most popular and, according to various databases, one of the four most successful of White's twenty possible first moves. White begins th ...

* 1. Nf3 –

Zukertort Opening The Zukertort Opening is a chess opening named after Johannes Zukertort that begins with the move: :1. Nf3 Sometimes the name "Réti Opening" is used for the opening move 1.Nf3, although most sources define the Réti more narrowly as the se ...

– characteristically followed by fianchettoing one or both bishops, and without an early d4, can lead to the

Réti Opening The Réti Opening is a hypermodern chess opening whose "traditional" or "classic method" begins with the moves: :1. Nf3 d5 :2. c4 White attacks Black's pawn from the , which may occasion 2...dxc4. White may couple this plan with a kingside ...

* 1. f4 –

Bird's Opening Bird's Opening (or the Dutch Attack) is a chess opening characterised by the move: :1. f4 Bird's is a standard flank opening. White's strategic ideas involve control of the e5-square, offering good attacking chances at the expense of slightly ...

* 1. b3 –

Larsen's Opening Larsen's Opening (also called the Nimzo–Larsen Attack or Queen's Fianchetto Opening) is a chess opening starting with the move: :1. b3 It is named after the Danish grandmaster Bent Larsen. Larsen was inspired by the example of the great Latv ...

*1. g3 - King's Fianchetto Opening, also known as Benko's Opening In addition, some flank openings that are considered irregular: *1. a3 –

Anderssen's Opening Anderssen's Opening is a chess opening defined by the opening move: :1. a3 Anderssen's Opening is named after unofficial World Chess Champion Adolf Anderssen, who played it three times in his 1858 match against Paul Morphy. Although Anderssen was ...

*1. a4 –

Ware Opening The Ware Opening, also known as Meadow Hay Opening, is an uncommon chess opening for White beginning with the move: : 1. a4 It is named after Preston Ware, a U.S. chess player who often played uncommon openings. The Ware is considered an irregu ...

*1. b4 –

Sokolsky Opening The Sokolsky Opening (also known as the Orangutan or Polish Opening) is an uncommon chess opening that begins with the move: :1. b4 According to various databases, out of the twenty possible first moves from White, the move 1.b4 ranks ninth ...

, also known as the Polish Opening or the Orangutan Opening *1. c3 –

Saragossa Opening The Saragossa Opening is a chess opening defined by the opening move: :1. c3 Since White usually plays more aggressively in the opening, the Saragossa is considered an irregular opening, classified as A00 by the ''Encyclopaedia of Chess Open ...

*1. f3 –

Barnes Opening The Barnes Opening (sometimes called Gedult's Opening) is a chess opening where White opens with: :1. f3 The opening is named after Thomas Wilson Barnes (1825–1874), an English player who had eight wins over Paul Morphy, including one game wher ...

, also known as Gedult's Opening *1. g4 –

Grob's Attack Grob's Attack is an unconventional chess opening in which White begins with the move: :1. g4 It is widely considered to be one of the worst possible first moves for White. International Master John Watson writes, "As far as I can tell, 1 g4 i ...

*1. h3 –

Clemenz Opening The Clemenz Opening is a chess opening beginning with the move: :1. h3 This opening is named after Hermann Clemenz (1846–1908), an Estonian player. It is considered an irregular opening, and is classified under the code A00 (miscellaneous fi ...

, or Basman's Attack *1. h4 – Desprez Opening, or Kadas Opening *1. Na3 –

Durkin Opening The Durkin Opening (also known as the Durkin Attack or the Sodium Attack) is a rarely played chess opening. :1. Na3 The Durkin Opening is named for Robert T. Durkin (1923–2014) of New Jersey. The name "Sodium Attack" comes from the algebrai ...

, also known as Durkin's Attack or the Sodium Attack *1. Nc3 –

Dunst Opening The Dunst Opening is a chess opening in which White opens with the move: :1. Nc3 This fairly uncommon opening may have more names than any other: it is also called the Heinrichsen Opening, Baltic Opening, Van Geet Opening, Sleipnir Opening, ...

*1. Nh3 –

Amar Opening The Amar Opening (also known as the Paris Opening, or the Drunken Knight Opening) is a chess opening defined by the move: : 1. Nh3 Analogous to calling the Durkin Opening the "Sodium Attack," this opening could be called the Ammonia Opening, sin ...

, also known as Paris Opening

Zukertort Opening (1.Nf3)

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 The King's Indian Attack (or KIA), also known as the Barcza System (after Gedeon Barcza) is a chess opening for White, characterized by several moves. The center pawns are developed to e4 and d3, the knights are developed to d2 and f3, the king ...

are also common. The Réti itself is characterized by White playing 1.Nf3,

fianchetto In chess, the fianchetto ( or ; "little flank") is a pattern of wherein a bishop is developed to the second rank of the adjacent b- or g-, the having been moved one or two squares forward. The fianchetto is a staple of many " hypermodern" ...

ing one or both bishops, and not playing an early d4 (which would generally transpose into one of the 1.d4 openings). The

(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.

English Opening (1.c4)

The

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

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).

Bird's Opening (1.f4)

With

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 Bird's Opening (or the Dutch Attack) is a chess opening characterised by the move: :1. f4 Bird's is a standard flank opening. White's strategic ideas involve control of the e5-square, offering good attacking chances at the expense of slightly w ...

Others

(1.b3) and the

(1.b4) are occasionally seen in grandmaster play. Benko used 1.g3 (

Benko Opening The King's Fianchetto Opening or Benko's Opening (also known as the Hungarian Opening, Barcza Opening, or Bilek Opening) is a chess opening characterized by the move: :1. b:Chess Opening Theory/1. g3, g3 White's 1.g3 ranks as the fifth most popula ...

) to defeat both

Fischer Fischer is a German occupational surname, meaning fisherman. The name Fischer is the fourth most common German surname. The English version is Fisher. People with the surname A * Abraham Fischer (1850–1913) South African public official * Ad ...

and Tal in the 1962

Candidates Tournament The Candidates Tournament (or in some periods Candidates Matches) is a chess tournament organized by FIDE, chess's international governing body, since 1950, as the final contest to determine the challenger for the World Chess Championship. The wi ...

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References

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