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Below is a list of chess openings named after places. ''
The Oxford Companion to Chess ''The Oxford Companion to Chess'' is a reference book on the game of chess written by David Vincent Hooper and Kenneth Whyld. The book is written in an encyclopedia format. The book belongs to the Oxford Companions series. Details The first e ...
'' lists 1,327 named
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 Defen ...
s and variants. Many of them are named for geographic places.


A

*Aachen Gambit of the Nimzowitsch Defense 1.e4 Nc6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 Nb4 *Abbazia Defense of the
King's Gambit The King's Gambit is a chess opening that begins with the moves: :1. e4 e5 :2. f4 White offers a pawn to divert the black e-pawn. If Black accepts the gambit, White has two main plans. The first is to play d4 and Bxf4, regaining the gambit ...
1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 d5 *American Gambit of the
Dutch Defense The Dutch Defence is a chess opening characterised by the moves: :1. d4 f5 Black's 1...f5 stakes a claim to the e4-square and envisions an attack in the middlegame on White's ; however, it also weakens Black's kingside to an extent (especial ...
1.d4 f5 2.e4 fxe4 3.Nd2 *Adelaide Counter-Gambit of the
King's Gambit The King's Gambit is a chess opening that begins with the moves: :1. e4 e5 :2. f4 White offers a pawn to divert the black e-pawn. If Black accepts the gambit, White has two main plans. The first is to play d4 and Bxf4, regaining the gambit ...
1.e4 e5 2.f4 Nc6 3.Nf3 f5 *Amsterdam Variation of the Sicilian Defence, Dragon Variation 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Be3 Bg7 7.Be2 Nc6 8.Qd2 *Arkhangelsk Defense (or Archangel Defense) of the
Ruy Lopez The Ruy Lopez (; ), also called the Spanish Opening or Spanish Game, is a chess opening characterised by the moves: :1. e4 e5 :2. Nf3 Nc6 :3. Bb5 The Ruy Lopez is named after 16th-century Spanish priest Ruy López de Segura. It is one ...
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 b5 6.Bb3 Bb7 *Argentine Gambit of the Baltic Defense 1.d4 d5 2.c4 Bf5 3.cxd5 Bxb1 4.Qa4+ c6 5.dxc6 Nxc6 *Argentine Variation of the Cambridge Springs Defense 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Nbd7 5.e3 c6 6.Nf3 Qa5 7.Nd2 Bb4 8.Qc2 0-0 9.Bh4 *Armenian Variation of the
French Defence The French Defence is a chess opening characterised by the moves: :1. e4 e6 This is most commonly followed by 2.d4 d5, with Black intending ...c5 soon after, attacking White's and gaining on the . The French has a reputation for solidity ...
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Ba5 *Australian Gambit of the
King's Gambit The King's Gambit is a chess opening that begins with the moves: :1. e4 e5 :2. f4 White offers a pawn to divert the black e-pawn. If Black accepts the gambit, White has two main plans. The first is to play d4 and Bxf4, regaining the gambit ...
1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 g5 4.Bc4 g4 5.h4 * Austrian Attack in the
Pirc Defense The Pirc Defence (pronounced ) is a chess opening characterised by the response of Black to 1.e4 with 1...d6 and 2...Nf6, followed by ...g6 and ...Bg7, while allowing White to establish a with pawns on d4 and e4. It is named after the Slovenian ...
1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.f4 *Austrian Defense of the
Queen's Gambit Declined The Queen's Gambit Declined (or QGD) is a chess opening in which Black declines a pawn offered by White in the Queen's Gambit: :1. d4 d5 :2. c4 e6 This is known as the ''Orthodox Line'' of the Queen's Gambit Declined. When the "Queen's Gambi ...
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c5


B

* Baltic Defense 1.d4 d5 2.c4 Bf5 (named for the
Baltic countries The Baltic states, et, Balti riigid or the Baltic countries is a geopolitical term, which currently is used to group three countries: Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. All three countries are members of NATO, the European Union, the Euro ...
) *Baltic Opening (or Dunst Opening) 1.Nc3 *Basque Gambit of the
Ruy Lopez The Ruy Lopez (; ), also called the Spanish Opening or Spanish Game, is a chess opening characterised by the moves: :1. e4 e5 :2. Nf3 Nc6 :3. Bb5 The Ruy Lopez is named after 16th-century Spanish priest Ruy López de Segura. It is one ...
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O Be7 6.d4 exd4 7.e5 Ne4 8.c3 *Basque Opening 1.d4 Nf6 2.b3 *Battambang Opening 1. Nc3 e5 2. a3 *Bavarian Gambit 1.e4 e5 2.c4 d5 *Belgrade Gambit 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.d4 exd4 5.Nd5!? *Benelux Variation of the
Ruy Lopez The Ruy Lopez (; ), also called the Spanish Opening or Spanish Game, is a chess opening characterised by the moves: :1. e4 e5 :2. Nf3 Nc6 :3. Bb5 The Ruy Lopez is named after 16th-century Spanish priest Ruy López de Segura. It is one ...
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.0-0 0-0 6.d4 Bb6 (named for the
Benelux countries The Benelux Union ( nl, Benelux Unie; french: Union Benelux; lb, Benelux-Unioun), also known as simply Benelux, is a politico- economic union and formal international intergovernmental cooperation of three neighboring states in western Europe ...
) * Berlin Variation of the
Ruy Lopez The Ruy Lopez (; ), also called the Spanish Opening or Spanish Game, is a chess opening characterised by the moves: :1. e4 e5 :2. Nf3 Nc6 :3. Bb5 The Ruy Lopez is named after 16th-century Spanish priest Ruy López de Segura. It is one ...
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 *Beverwijk Variation of the
Ruy Lopez The Ruy Lopez (; ), also called the Spanish Opening or Spanish Game, is a chess opening characterised by the moves: :1. e4 e5 :2. Nf3 Nc6 :3. Bb5 The Ruy Lopez is named after 16th-century Spanish priest Ruy López de Segura. It is one ...
( Berlin Variation) 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.0-0 Bc5 *Birmingham Defence (more commonly as the St. George Defence): 1. e4 a6 *Birmingham Gambit 1.b4 c5 * Brazilian Defense 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Qe7!? *Bremen Variation of the English Opening 1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.g3 *Breslau Variation of the
Ruy Lopez The Ruy Lopez (; ), also called the Spanish Opening or Spanish Game, is a chess opening characterised by the moves: :1. e4 e5 :2. Nf3 Nc6 :3. Bb5 The Ruy Lopez is named after 16th-century Spanish priest Ruy López de Segura. It is one ...
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O Nxe4 6.d4 b5 7.Bb3 d5 8.dxe5 Be6 9.c3 Be7 10.Re1 O-O 11.Nd4 Nxe5 *Brooklyn Defense of the
Alekhine's Defence The Alekhine's Defence is a chess opening that begins with the moves: :1. e4 Nf6 Black tempts White's pawns forward to form a broad , with plans to undermine and attack the white structure later in the spirit of hypermodern defence. White's im ...
1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Ng8 *Brussels Gambit of the
Sicilian Defence The Sicilian Defence is a chess opening that begins with the following moves: :1. e4 c5 The Sicilian is the most popular and best-scoring response to White's first move 1.e4. Opening 1.d4 is a statistically more successful opening for White be ...
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 f5 *
Budapest Gambit The Budapest Gambit (or Budapest Defence) is a chess opening that begins with the moves: :1. d4 Nf6 :2. c4 e5 Despite an early debut in 1896, the Budapest Gambit received attention from leading players only after a win as Black by Grandmast ...
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e5 *Bulgarian Variation of the
Ruy Lopez The Ruy Lopez (; ), also called the Spanish Opening or Spanish Game, is a chess opening characterised by the moves: :1. e4 e5 :2. Nf3 Nc6 :3. Bb5 The Ruy Lopez is named after 16th-century Spanish priest Ruy López de Segura. It is one ...
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a5


C

*Calabrian Countergambit of the Bishop's Opening 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 f5 *Cambridge Gambit of the
Alekhine's Defence The Alekhine's Defence is a chess opening that begins with the moves: :1. e4 Nf6 Black tempts White's pawns forward to form a broad , with plans to undermine and attack the white structure later in the spirit of hypermodern defence. White's im ...
1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 4.c4 Nb6 5.f4 g5 * Cambridge Springs Variation of the
Queen's Gambit Declined The Queen's Gambit Declined (or QGD) is a chess opening in which Black declines a pawn offered by White in the Queen's Gambit: :1. d4 d5 :2. c4 e6 This is known as the ''Orthodox Line'' of the Queen's Gambit Declined. When the "Queen's Gambi ...
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Nbd7 5.Nf3 c6 6.e3 Qa5 *Carlsbad Variation of the
Slav Defense The Slav Defense is a chess opening that begins with the moves: :1. d4 d5 :2. c4 c6 The Slav is one of the primary defenses to the Queen's Gambit. Although it was analyzed as early as 1590, it was not until the 1920s that it started to be e ...
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 dxc4 5.a4 Bf5 6.Ne5 Nbd7 7.Nxc4 Qc7 8.g3 e5 *
Catalan Opening The Catalan Opening is a chess opening where White plays d4 and c4 and fianchettoes the white bishop on g2. A common opening sequence is 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3, although various other openings can transpose into the Catalan. The ''Encyclopaedia of ...
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.Bg2 *Chelyabinsk Variation of the
Sicilian Defence The Sicilian Defence is a chess opening that begins with the following moves: :1. e4 c5 The Sicilian is the most popular and best-scoring response to White's first move 1.e4. Opening 1.d4 is a statistically more successful opening for White be ...
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e5 6.Ndb5 d6 7.Bg5 a6 8.Na3 b5 * Chicago Gambit (or Irish Gambit) 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nxe5? *Chicago Defense to the Smith-Morra Gambit against the
Sicilian Defence The Sicilian Defence is a chess opening that begins with the following moves: :1. e4 c5 The Sicilian is the most popular and best-scoring response to White's first move 1.e4. Opening 1.d4 is a statistically more successful opening for White be ...
1.e4 c5 2.d4 cxd4 3.c3 dxc3 4.Nxc3 e6 5.Nf3 d6 6.Bc4 a6 7.0-0 b5 8.Bb3 Nc6 9.Qe2 Be7 10.Rd1 Ra7 *Chinese Variation of the
Pirc Defense The Pirc Defence (pronounced ) is a chess opening characterised by the response of Black to 1.e4 with 1...d6 and 2...Nf6, followed by ...g6 and ...Bg7, while allowing White to establish a with pawns on d4 and e4. It is named after the Slovenian ...
1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.Be2 Bg7 5.g4!? *Chinese Variation of the Sicilian Defence, Dragon Variation 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Be3 Bg7 7.f3 0-0 8.Qd2 Nc6 9.Bc4 Bd7 10.0-0-0 Rb8 *Clarendon Court Variation of the
Benoni Defense The Benoni Defense is a chess opening characterized by an early reply of ...c5 against White's opening move 1.d4. Most commonly, it is reached by the sequence: :1. b:Chess Opening Theory/1. d4, d4 b:Chess Opening Theory/1. d4/1...Nf6, Nf6 :2. b:Ch ...
1.d4 c5 2.d5 f5 *Cologne Gambit of the
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.a4 b6 2.d4 d5 2.Nc3 Nd7 *Colorado Defense of the Nimzowitsch Defense 1.e4 Nc6 2.Nf3 f5 *Copenhagen Defense of the
Danish Gambit The Danish Gambit, known as the ' in German and the ' in Dutch (both meaning Nordic Gambit), is a chess opening that begins with the moves: :1. e4 e5 :2. d4 exd4 :3. c3 White will sacrifice one or two pawns for the sake of rapid and the att ...
1.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.c3 dxc3 4.Bc4 cxb2 5.Bxb2 Bb4+ *Cracow Variation of the
Italian Game The Italian Game is a family of chess openings beginning with the moves: :1. e4 e5 :2. Nf3 Nc6 :3. Bc4 This opening is defined by the of the white bishop to c4 (the so-called ""), where it attacks Black's vulnerable f7-square. It is part ...
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 exd4 6.cxd4 Bb4+ 7.Kf1?! *Czech Defence The term used by
Siegbert Tarrasch Siegbert Tarrasch (; 5 March 1862 – 17 February 1934) was a German chess player, considered to have been among the strongest players and most influential theoreticians of the late 19th and early 20th century. Life Tarrasch was born in Bresla ...
for the
Slav Defense The Slav Defense is a chess opening that begins with the moves: :1. d4 d5 :2. c4 c6 The Slav is one of the primary defenses to the Queen's Gambit. Although it was analyzed as early as 1590, it was not until the 1920s that it started to be e ...
, 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 * Czech Defense (or Pribyl System) 1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 c6 *Czech Variation of the
Slav Defense The Slav Defense is a chess opening that begins with the moves: :1. d4 d5 :2. c4 c6 The Slav is one of the primary defenses to the Queen's Gambit. Although it was analyzed as early as 1590, it was not until the 1920s that it started to be e ...
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nf3 dxc4 5.a4 Bf5


D

*
Danish Gambit The Danish Gambit, known as the ' in German and the ' in Dutch (both meaning Nordic Gambit), is a chess opening that begins with the moves: :1. e4 e5 :2. d4 exd4 :3. c3 White will sacrifice one or two pawns for the sake of rapid and the att ...
1.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.c3 *Danube Gambit 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.d5 b5 4.cxb5 a6 5.bxa6 c6 *Dresden Opening 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.c4 *Duisburg Gambit of the QGD 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c5 4.cxd5 cxd4 *
Dutch Defense The Dutch Defence is a chess opening characterised by the moves: :1. d4 f5 Black's 1...f5 stakes a claim to the e4-square and envisions an attack in the middlegame on White's ; however, it also weakens Black's kingside to an extent (especial ...
1.d4 f5 *Dutch Variation of the
Slav Defense The Slav Defense is a chess opening that begins with the moves: :1. d4 d5 :2. c4 c6 The Slav is one of the primary defenses to the Queen's Gambit. Although it was analyzed as early as 1590, it was not until the 1920s that it started to be e ...
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nf3 dxc4 5.a4 Bf5 6.e3


E

*Edinburgh Variation of the Caro-Kann Defence 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3. Nd2 Qb6 *English Attack of the Sicilian Defence, Najdorf Variation 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be3 and 7.f3 *
English Defense The English Defence is a chess opening characterised by the moves: :1. d4 e6 :2. c4 b6 Description White often gains a broad with 3.e4, which Black puts pressure on with moves like ...Bb7, ...Bb4, and sometimes even ...Qh4 and/or ...f5. I ...
1.d4 e6 2.c4 b6 * English Opening 1.c4


F

*Finnish Variation of the Caro-Kann Defence 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 h6 *Florentine Gambit of the
King's Indian Defence The King's Indian Defence is a common chess opening. It is defined by the following moves: :1. d4 Nf6 :2. c4 g6 Black intends to follow up with 3...Bg7 and 4...d6 (the Grünfeld Defence arises when Black plays 3...d5 instead, and is consid ...
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.f4 0-0 6.Be2 c5 7.d5 e6 8.Nf3 exd5 9.e5 *Fort Knox Variation of the
French Defence The French Defence is a chess opening characterised by the moves: :1. e4 e6 This is most commonly followed by 2.d4 d5, with Black intending ...c5 soon after, attacking White's and gaining on the . The French has a reputation for solidity ...
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Bd7 5. Nf3 Bc6 * Franco-Benoni 1.e4 e6 2.d4 c5 *Frankfurt Variation of the
French Defence The French Defence is a chess opening characterised by the moves: :1. e4 e6 This is most commonly followed by 2.d4 d5, with Black intending ...c5 soon after, attacking White's and gaining on the . The French has a reputation for solidity ...
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Be7 5. e5 Ng8 6. Be3 b6 *
French Defence The French Defence is a chess opening characterised by the moves: :1. e4 e6 This is most commonly followed by 2.d4 d5, with Black intending ...c5 soon after, attacking White's and gaining on the . The French has a reputation for solidity ...
1.e4 e6


G

*Genoa Opening (known as
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 is ...
): 1. g4 *Gent Gambit of the Amar Opening (Paris) 1. Nh3 d5 2. g3 e5 3. f4 Bxh3 4. Bxh3 exf4 5. O-O fxg3 6. hxg3 *German Defense of the Polish Sokolsky Opening 1. b4 d5 2. Bb2 Qd6 3. a3 e5 4. Nf3 e4 5. Nd4 Nf6 6. c4! dxc4 7. e3 Be7 8. Bxc4 O-O 9. Nc3 *Glasgow Kiss Variation of the
Slav Defense The Slav Defense is a chess opening that begins with the moves: :1. d4 d5 :2. c4 c6 The Slav is one of the primary defenses to the Queen's Gambit. Although it was analyzed as early as 1590, it was not until the 1920s that it started to be e ...
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e3 Bf5 5.cxd5 cxd5 6.Qb3 Nc6 *Gothenburg Variation of the Sicilian Defence, Najdorf Variation 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 e6 7.f4 Be7 8.Qf3 h6 9.Bh4 g5 *Greek Defense (or Owen's Defense) 1.e4 b6 *Guatemala Defence of Owen's Defence 1.e4 b6 2.d4 Ba6


H

*Hastings Variation of the
Queen's Gambit Declined The Queen's Gambit Declined (or QGD) is a chess opening in which Black declines a pawn offered by White in the Queen's Gambit: :1. d4 d5 :2. c4 e6 This is known as the ''Orthodox Line'' of the Queen's Gambit Declined. When the "Queen's Gambi ...
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Bg5 h6 5.Bxf6 Qxf6 8.Nc3 c6 7.Qb3 *Hungarian Attack: a system popularised by the Hungarian GM Forintos and characterised by an early Nge2 against the
King's Indian Defense The King's Indian Defence is a common chess opening. It is defined by the following moves: :1. d4 Nf6 :2. c4 g6 Black intends to follow up with 3...Bg7 and 4...d6 (the Grünfeld Defence arises when Black plays 3...d5 instead, and is consid ...
. *
Hungarian Defense The Hungarian Defense is a chess opening that begins with the moves: :1. e4 e5 :2. Nf3 Nc6 :3. Bc4 Be7 The Hungarian Defense is a line in the Italian Game typically chosen as a response to the aggressive 3.Bc4. With the move 3...Be7, Blac ...
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Be7 * Hungarian Opening (or
Benko's 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. g3 White's 1.g3 ranks as the fifth most popular opening move, but it is far ...
) 1. g3 *Hungarian Variation of the
Sicilian Defence The Sicilian Defence is a chess opening that begins with the following moves: :1. e4 c5 The Sicilian is the most popular and best-scoring response to White's first move 1.e4. Opening 1.d4 is a statistically more successful opening for White be ...
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Qxd4


I

* Icelandic Gambit 1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Nf6 3.c4 e6!? * Indian Defenses: a complex of chess openings beginning 1.d4 Nf6, including the
Nimzo-Indian Defense The Nimzo-Indian Defence is a chess opening characterised by the moves: :1. d4 Nf6 :2. c4 e6 :3. Nc3 Bb4 Other move orders, such as 1.c4 e6 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.d4 Bb4, are also feasible. In the ''Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings'', the Nimzo-Indian ...
,
Queen's Indian Defense The Queen's Indian Defense (QID) is a chess opening defined by the moves: :1. d4 Nf6 :2. c4 e6 :3. Nf3 b6 The opening is a solid defense to the Queen's Pawn Game. 3...b6 increases Black's control over the central light squares e4 and d5 by ...
,
King's Indian Defense The King's Indian Defence is a common chess opening. It is defined by the following moves: :1. d4 Nf6 :2. c4 g6 Black intends to follow up with 3...Bg7 and 4...d6 (the Grünfeld Defence arises when Black plays 3...d5 instead, and is consid ...
, Bogo-Indian Defense,
Old Indian Defense The Old Indian Defense is a chess opening defined by the moves: :1. d4 Nf6 :2. c4 d6 This opening is distinguished from the King's Indian Defense in that Black develops their on e7 rather than by fianchetto on g7. Mikhail Chigorin pionee ...
, Janowski Indian Defense, etc. * Inverted Hungarian Opening 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Be2 * Irish Gambit (or Chicago Gambit) 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nxe5? *Israeli Gambit (or Halasz Gambit) 1.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.f4 *
Italian Gambit The Italian Gambit is a chess opening that begins with the moves: :1. e4 e5 :2. Nf3 Nc6 :3. Bc4 Bc5 :4. d4 It is often played as an alternative to the quiet and closed lines of the Giuoco Piano or Giuoco Pianissimo openings. Black can: * ...
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.d4?! *
Italian Game The Italian Game is a family of chess openings beginning with the moves: :1. e4 e5 :2. Nf3 Nc6 :3. Bc4 This opening is defined by the of the white bishop to c4 (the so-called ""), where it attacks Black's vulnerable f7-square. It is part ...
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 (Bc5)


J

*Jalalabad Defense 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 c5, or 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e5


K

* Kentucky Opening 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+? Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 *Kiel Variation of the
Scandinavian Defense The Scandinavian Defense (or Center Counter Defense, or Center Counter Game) is a chess opening characterized by the moves: :1. e4 d5 This opening is classified under code B01 in the ''Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings'' (). The Scandinavian ...
1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Nf6 3.d4 Nxd5 4.c4 Nb4


L

*Leipzig Gambit (or Müller-Schulze Gambit) 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nxe5?! *Lemberger Gambit (Lvov Gambit) 1.Nf3 Nf6 2.e4 or 1.Nf3 d5 2.e4 *
Latvian Gambit The Latvian Gambit (or Greco Countergambit) is a chess opening characterised by the moves: :1. e4 e5 :2. Nf3 f5 It is one of the oldest chess openings, having been analysed in the 17th century by Gioachino Greco, after whom it is sometimes ...
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 f5 *Leningrad Variation of the
Dutch Defense The Dutch Defence is a chess opening characterised by the moves: :1. d4 f5 Black's 1...f5 stakes a claim to the e4-square and envisions an attack in the middlegame on White's ; however, it also weakens Black's kingside to an extent (especial ...
1.d4 f5 2.g3 g6 *Lisbon Gambit 1.d4 d6 2.c4 e5 3.dxe5 Nc6 * Lithuanian Variation of the Mikėnas Defense 1.d4 Nc6 2.c4 e5 3.d5 Nce7 *Lodz Variation of the Tarrasch Defense 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c5 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Nf3 Nc6 6.g3 *
London System The London System, also known as the Mason Variation, is an in chess where White opens with 1.d4 but does not play the Queen's Gambit, instead opting to rapidly develop the . This often results in a . The London System can be used against virt ...
, a set of related chess openings characterized by 1.d4 followed by an early Bf4, e.g. 1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Bf4; 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.Bf4; and 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.Bf4


M

*Maltese Falcon Attack (or Gibbins-Wiedehagen Gambit) 1.d4 Nf6 2.g4 Nxg4 3.f3 Nf6 4.e4 *Manhattan Gambit of the
Dutch Defense The Dutch Defence is a chess opening characterised by the moves: :1. d4 f5 Black's 1...f5 stakes a claim to the e4-square and envisions an attack in the middlegame on White's ; however, it also weakens Black's kingside to an extent (especial ...
1.d4 f5 2.Qd3 Nf6 3.g4 *Manhattan Variation of the QGD (also called the Westphalia Defense) 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Nbd7 5.Nf3 Bb4 or 5.e3 Bb4 *Mannheim Variation of the QGA 1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Qa4+ *Mar del Plata Variation of the
King's Indian Defence The King's Indian Defence is a common chess opening. It is defined by the following moves: :1. d4 Nf6 :2. c4 g6 Black intends to follow up with 3...Bg7 and 4...d6 (the Grünfeld Defence arises when Black plays 3...d5 instead, and is consid ...
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. Nf3 0–0 6. Be2 e5 7. 0–0 Nc6 8. d5 Ne7 *Margate Variation of the
Sicilian Defence The Sicilian Defence is a chess opening that begins with the following moves: :1. e4 c5 The Sicilian is the most popular and best-scoring response to White's first move 1.e4. Opening 1.d4 is a statistically more successful opening for White be ...
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.Bg5 e6 7.Bb5 *Marienbad Variation of the
Sicilian Defence The Sicilian Defence is a chess opening that begins with the following moves: :1. e4 c5 The Sicilian is the most popular and best-scoring response to White's first move 1.e4. Opening 1.d4 is a statistically more successful opening for White be ...
1.e4 c5 2.b4 cxb4 3.a3 d5 4.exd5 Qxd5 5.Bb2 *Massachusetts Defense of the Caro-Kann Defence 1.e4 c6 2.d4 f5 * Mediterranean Defense 1.e4 e6 2.d4 Nf6 *Meran Variation of the
Semi-Slav Defense The Semi-Slav Defense is a variation of the Queen's Gambit chess opening defined by the position reached after the moves: :1. d4 d5 :2. c4 c6 :3. Nf3 Nf6 :4. Nc3 e6 The position may readily be reached by a number of different . Black's s ...
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 e6 5.e3 Nbd7 6.Bd3 dxc4 7.Bxc4 * Mexican Defense 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 Nc6 *Miami Variation of the
Italian Gambit The Italian Gambit is a chess opening that begins with the moves: :1. e4 e5 :2. Nf3 Nc6 :3. Bc4 Bc5 :4. d4 It is often played as an alternative to the quiet and closed lines of the Giuoco Piano or Giuoco Pianissimo openings. Black can: * ...
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.d4 Bxd4 5.Nxd4 Nxd4 6.Be3 *Montevideo Defense 1.d4 Nc6 2.d5 Nb8 *Modern Archangel Defense of the
Ruy Lopez The Ruy Lopez (; ), also called the Spanish Opening or Spanish Game, is a chess opening characterised by the moves: :1. e4 e5 :2. Nf3 Nc6 :3. Bb5 The Ruy Lopez is named after 16th-century Spanish priest Ruy López de Segura. It is one ...
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 b5 6.Bb3 Bc5 *Moscow Variation of the
Semi-Slav Defense The Semi-Slav Defense is a variation of the Queen's Gambit chess opening defined by the position reached after the moves: :1. d4 d5 :2. c4 c6 :3. Nf3 Nf6 :4. Nc3 e6 The position may readily be reached by a number of different . Black's s ...
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nf3 e6 5.Bg5 h6 *Moscow Variation of the
Sicilian Defence The Sicilian Defence is a chess opening that begins with the following moves: :1. e4 c5 The Sicilian is the most popular and best-scoring response to White's first move 1.e4. Opening 1.d4 is a statistically more successful opening for White be ...
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bb5+


N

*New Castle Gambit of the (French Defense Tarrasch variation) 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 e5 * Nordic Gambit 1.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.c3 (alternative name for the
Danish Gambit The Danish Gambit, known as the ' in German and the ' in Dutch (both meaning Nordic Gambit), is a chess opening that begins with the moves: :1. e4 e5 :2. d4 exd4 :3. c3 White will sacrifice one or two pawns for the sake of rapid and the att ...
) * North Sea Variation of the
Modern Defense The Modern Defense (also known as the Robatsch Defence after Karl Robatsch) is a hypermodern chess opening in which Black allows White to occupy the with pawns on d4 and e4, then proceeds to attack and undermine this "ideal" center without at ...
1.e4 g6 2.d4 Nf6 3.e5 Nh5 * Norwegian Defense 1.e4 g6 2.d4 Nf6, intending 3.e5 Nh5!? and if 4.g4!?, Ng7 * Norwegian Defense of the
Ruy Lopez The Ruy Lopez (; ), also called the Spanish Opening or Spanish Game, is a chess opening characterised by the moves: :1. e4 e5 :2. Nf3 Nc6 :3. Bb5 The Ruy Lopez is named after 16th-century Spanish priest Ruy López de Segura. It is one ...
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 b5 5.Bb3 Na5 * Norwegian Gambit 1.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.c3 (alternative name for the
Danish Gambit The Danish Gambit, known as the ' in German and the ' in Dutch (both meaning Nordic Gambit), is a chess opening that begins with the moves: :1. e4 e5 :2. d4 exd4 :3. c3 White will sacrifice one or two pawns for the sake of rapid and the att ...
) *Nottingham Variation of the Sicilian Defence, Dragon Variation 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Be3 Bg7 7.Be2 Nc6 8.Nb3 *Novosibirsk Variation of the Dunst Opening 1.Nc3 c5 2.d4 cxd4 3.Qxd4 Nc6 4.Qh4 *Novosibirsk Variation of the
Sicilian Defense The Sicilian Defence is a chess opening that begins with the following moves: :1. e4 c5 The Sicilian is the most popular and best-scoring response to White's first move 1.e4. Opening 1.d4 is a statistically more successful opening for White be ...
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e5 6.Ndb5 d6 7.Bg5 a6 8.Na3 b5 9.Bxf6 gxf6 10.Nd5 Bg7 *Nuremberg Variation of the
Ruy Lopez The Ruy Lopez (; ), also called the Spanish Opening or Spanish Game, is a chess opening characterised by the moves: :1. e4 e5 :2. Nf3 Nc6 :3. Bb5 The Ruy Lopez is named after 16th-century Spanish priest Ruy López de Segura. It is one ...
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 f6


O

*Oxford Gambit of the Four Knights Game 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.d4 Bb4 5.d5 Nd4 *Oxford Variation of the
Vienna Game The Vienna Game is an opening in chess that begins with the moves: :1. e4 e5 :2. Nc3 White's second move is less common than 2.Nf3, and is also more recent. The original idea behind the Vienna Game was to play a delayed King's Gambit with ...
1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.f4 d5 4.fxe5 Nxe4 5.d3


P

*Paris Defence (or Semi-Italian Opening) 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 d6 * Paris Gambit 1.Nh3 d5 2.g3 e5 3.f4!? (intending 3...Bxh3 4.Bxh3 exf4 5.0-0) * Paris Opening (or
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, sinc ...
) 1.Nh3 *Peruvian Variation of the
Queen's Gambit Declined The Queen's Gambit Declined (or QGD) is a chess opening in which Black declines a pawn offered by White in the Queen's Gambit: :1. d4 d5 :2. c4 e6 This is known as the ''Orthodox Line'' of the Queen's Gambit Declined. When the "Queen's Gambi ...
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 c5 *Podebrady Variation of the
Sicilian Defence The Sicilian Defence is a chess opening that begins with the following moves: :1. e4 c5 The Sicilian is the most popular and best-scoring response to White's first move 1.e4. Opening 1.d4 is a statistically more successful opening for White be ...
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.Bg5 e6 7.Nb3 *
Polish Defense The Polish Defense is the name commonly given to one of several sequences of chess opening moves characterized by an early ...b5 by Black. The name "Polish Defense" is given by analogy to the Polish Opening, 1.b4. The original line was :1. d4 ...
1.d4 b5 or 1.Nf3 Nf6 2.g3 b5 *Polish Gambit 1. e4 b5?! 2. Bxb5 c6 * Polish Opening (or Orangutan) 1.b4 *Portuguese Gambit of the
Scandinavian Defense The Scandinavian Defense (or Center Counter Defense, or Center Counter Game) is a chess opening characterized by the moves: :1. e4 d5 This opening is classified under code B01 in the ''Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings'' (). The Scandinavian ...
1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Nf6 3.d4 Bg4 4.f3 Bf5 5.Bb5+ Nbd7 * Portuguese Opening 1.e4 e5 2.Bb5 *Prague Variation of the Tarrasch Defense 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c5 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Nf3 Nc6 6.g3 Nf6 *Prussian Game (or Two Knights Defense) 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6


R

*Riga Variation of the
Ruy Lopez The Ruy Lopez (; ), also called the Spanish Opening or Spanish Game, is a chess opening characterised by the moves: :1. e4 e5 :2. Nf3 Nc6 :3. Bb5 The Ruy Lopez is named after 16th-century Spanish priest Ruy López de Segura. It is one ...
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Nxe4 6.d4 exd4 *Rio de Janeiro Variation of the
Ruy Lopez The Ruy Lopez (; ), also called the Spanish Opening or Spanish Game, is a chess opening characterised by the moves: :1. e4 e5 :2. Nf3 Nc6 :3. Bb5 The Ruy Lopez is named after 16th-century Spanish priest Ruy López de Segura. It is one ...
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.O-O Nxe4 5.d4 Be7 * Romanian Opening (or Dunst Opening) 1.Nc3 *Russian Defense of the
Ruy Lopez The Ruy Lopez (; ), also called the Spanish Opening or Spanish Game, is a chess opening characterised by the moves: :1. e4 e5 :2. Nf3 Nc6 :3. Bb5 The Ruy Lopez is named after 16th-century Spanish priest Ruy López de Segura. It is one ...
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 d6 * Russian Game (or Petrov's Defense) 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6


S

*San Francisco Gambit of the
Sicilian Defence The Sicilian Defence is a chess opening that begins with the following moves: :1. e4 c5 The Sicilian is the most popular and best-scoring response to White's first move 1.e4. Opening 1.d4 is a statistically more successful opening for White be ...
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Na5 4.b4 * Saragossa Opening 1.c3 *
Scandinavian Defense The Scandinavian Defense (or Center Counter Defense, or Center Counter Game) is a chess opening characterized by the moves: :1. e4 d5 This opening is classified under code B01 in the ''Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings'' (). The Scandinavian ...
1.e4 d5 * Scheveningen Variation of the
Sicilian Defence The Sicilian Defence is a chess opening that begins with the following moves: :1. e4 c5 The Sicilian is the most popular and best-scoring response to White's first move 1.e4. Opening 1.d4 is a statistically more successful opening for White be ...
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e6 *
Scotch Four Knights Game The Four Knights Game is a chess opening that begins with the moves: :1. b:Chess Opening Theory/1. e4, e4 b:Chess Opening Theory/1. e4/1...e5, e5 :2. b:Chess Opening Theory/1. e4/1...e5/2. Nf3, Nf3 b:Chess Opening Theory/1. e4/1...e5/2. Nf3/2...Nc ...
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.d4 *
Scotch Gambit The Scotch Game, or Scotch Opening, is a chess opening that begins with the moves: :1. e4 e5 :2. Nf3 Nc6 :3. d4 Ercole del Rio, in his 1750 treatise ''Sopra il giuoco degli Scacchi, Osservazioni pratiche d’anonimo Autore Modenese'' ("On t ...
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Bc4 *
Scotch Game The Scotch Game, or Scotch Opening, is a chess opening that begins with the moves: :1. e4 e5 :2. Nf3 Nc6 :3. d4 Ercole del Rio, in his 1750 treatise ''Sopra il giuoco degli Scacchi, Osservazioni pratiche d’anonimo Autore Modenese'' ("On t ...
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 *
Semi-Slav Defense The Semi-Slav Defense is a variation of the Queen's Gambit chess opening defined by the position reached after the moves: :1. d4 d5 :2. c4 c6 :3. Nf3 Nf6 :4. Nc3 e6 The position may readily be reached by a number of different . Black's s ...
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 (or 3.Nf3) e6 *Semmering Variation of the
Semi-Slav Defense The Semi-Slav Defense is a variation of the Queen's Gambit chess opening defined by the position reached after the moves: :1. d4 d5 :2. c4 c6 :3. Nf3 Nf6 :4. Nc3 e6 The position may readily be reached by a number of different . Black's s ...
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 c6 5.Nbd2 Nbd7 6.Bd3 c5 *Seville Variation of the
Grünfeld Defence The Grünfeld Defence is a chess opening characterised by the moves: :1. d4 Nf6 :2. c4 g6 :3. Nc3 d5 Black offers White the possibility of 4.cxd5, which may be followed by 4...Nxd5 and 5.e4, giving White an imposing central pawn duo. If Whi ...
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 Bg7 7.Bc4 c5 8.Ne2 Nc6 9.Be3 O-O 10.O-O Bg4 11.f3 Na5 12.Bxf7+ *Siberian Attack of the
Indian Defence In the game of chess, Indian Defence or Indian Game is a broad term for a group of openings characterised by the moves: :1. d4 Nf6 They are all to varying degrees hypermodern defences, where Black invites White to establish an imposing presen ...
1.d4 Nf6 2.Qd3 d5 3.Nc3 *
Siberian Trap Siberia ( ; rus, Сибирь, r=Sibir', p=sʲɪˈbʲirʲ, a=Ru-Сибирь.ogg) is an extensive geographical region, constituting all of North Asia, from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. It has been a part of ...
in the Smith-Morra Gambit against the
Sicilian Defence The Sicilian Defence is a chess opening that begins with the following moves: :1. e4 c5 The Sicilian is the most popular and best-scoring response to White's first move 1.e4. Opening 1.d4 is a statistically more successful opening for White be ...
1.e4 c5 2.d4 cxd4 3.c3 dxc3 4.Nxc3 Nc6 5.Nf3 e6 6.Bc4 Qc7 7.0-0 Nf6 8.Qe2 Ng4! 9.h3?? (or 9.Bb3??) Nd4! *
Sicilian Defence The Sicilian Defence is a chess opening that begins with the following moves: :1. e4 c5 The Sicilian is the most popular and best-scoring response to White's first move 1.e4. Opening 1.d4 is a statistically more successful opening for White be ...
1.e4 c5 *
Slav Defense The Slav Defense is a chess opening that begins with the moves: :1. d4 d5 :2. c4 c6 The Slav is one of the primary defenses to the Queen's Gambit. Although it was analyzed as early as 1590, it was not until the 1920s that it started to be e ...
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 * Spanish Game (or
Ruy Lopez The Ruy Lopez (; ), also called the Spanish Opening or Spanish Game, is a chess opening characterised by the moves: :1. e4 e5 :2. Nf3 Nc6 :3. Bb5 The Ruy Lopez is named after 16th-century Spanish priest Ruy López de Segura. It is one ...
) 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 *Stockholm Variation of the
Grünfeld Defence The Grünfeld Defence is a chess opening characterised by the moves: :1. d4 Nf6 :2. c4 g6 :3. Nc3 d5 Black offers White the possibility of 4.cxd5, which may be followed by 4...Nxd5 and 5.e4, giving White an imposing central pawn duo. If Whi ...
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.Bg5 *St. Petersburg Variation of the
Ruy Lopez The Ruy Lopez (; ), also called the Spanish Opening or Spanish Game, is a chess opening characterised by the moves: :1. e4 e5 :2. Nf3 Nc6 :3. Bb5 The Ruy Lopez is named after 16th-century Spanish priest Ruy López de Segura. It is one ...
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O Nxe4 6.d4 b5 7.Bb3 d5 8.dxe5 Be6 9.c3 Bc5 10.Nbd2 *Swedish Variation of the QGD, Tarrasch Defense 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c5 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Nf3 Nc6 6.g3 c4 *
Swiss Gambit The Swiss Gambit is a chess opening which is an offshoot of Bird's Opening (1.f4) and begins with the moves: :1. f4 f5 :2. e4 Published theory The following were the main lines of the Swiss Gambit given by F. A. Lange in 1859: *2...fxe4 3 ...
of the
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.f4 f5 2.e4!? *Swiss Variation of the
French Defence The French Defence is a chess opening characterised by the moves: :1. e4 e6 This is most commonly followed by 2.d4 d5, with Black intending ...c5 soon after, attacking White's and gaining on the . The French has a reputation for solidity ...
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bd3


T

*Tashkent Attack of the
King's Gambit The King's Gambit is a chess opening that begins with the moves: :1. e4 e5 :2. f4 White offers a pawn to divert the black e-pawn. If Black accepts the gambit, White has two main plans. The first is to play d4 and Bxf4, regaining the gambit ...
1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e5 Nh5 5.g4 *Tübingen Gambit of the Dunst Opening 1.Nc3 Nf6 2.g4


U

*Ukrainian Variation of the
Old Indian Defense The Old Indian Defense is a chess opening defined by the moves: :1. d4 Nf6 :2. c4 d6 This opening is distinguished from the King's Indian Defense in that Black develops their on e7 rather than by fianchetto on g7. Mikhail Chigorin pionee ...
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 d6 3.Nc3 e5 4.Nf3


V

*Valencia Opening (or Mieses Opening) 1.d3 e5 2.Nd2 *Venezolana Variation of the Mieses Opening 1.d3 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g3 *Venice Attack of the
Sicilian Defence The Sicilian Defence is a chess opening that begins with the following moves: :1. e4 c5 The Sicilian is the most popular and best-scoring response to White's first move 1.e4. Opening 1.d4 is a statistically more successful opening for White be ...
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.f3 e5 6.Bb5+ or 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e5 6.Bb5+ *Venice Variation of the
Queen's Gambit Declined The Queen's Gambit Declined (or QGD) is a chess opening in which Black declines a pawn offered by White in the Queen's Gambit: :1. d4 d5 :2. c4 e6 This is known as the ''Orthodox Line'' of the Queen's Gambit Declined. When the "Queen's Gambi ...
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 c5 5.cxd5 Qb6 *
Vienna Game The Vienna Game is an opening in chess that begins with the moves: :1. e4 e5 :2. Nc3 White's second move is less common than 2.Nf3, and is also more recent. The original idea behind the Vienna Game was to play a delayed King's Gambit with ...
1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 * Vienna Variation of the Queen's Gambit Declined 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nf3 Bb4 5. Bg5 dxc4 6. e4 *Vinohrady Variation of the
Sicilian Defence The Sicilian Defence is a chess opening that begins with the following moves: :1. e4 c5 The Sicilian is the most popular and best-scoring response to White's first move 1.e4. Opening 1.d4 is a statistically more successful opening for White be ...
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g4 named after a district in Prague * Volga Gambit 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5 (named for the
Volga River The Volga (; russian: Во́лга, a=Ru-Волга.ogg, p=ˈvoɫɡə) is the longest river in Europe. Situated in Russia, it flows through Central Russia to Southern Russia and into the Caspian Sea. The Volga has a length of , and a catch ...
, the national river of
Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-ei ...
) *Voronezh Variation of the
Alekhine's Defence The Alekhine's Defence is a chess opening that begins with the moves: :1. e4 Nf6 Black tempts White's pawns forward to form a broad , with plans to undermine and attack the white structure later in the spirit of hypermodern defence. White's im ...
1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 4.c4 Nb6 5.exd6 cxd6 6.Nc3 g6 7.Be3 Bg7 8.Rc1 0-0 9.b3


W

*Warsaw Variation of the
Dutch Defense The Dutch Defence is a chess opening characterised by the moves: :1. d4 f5 Black's 1...f5 stakes a claim to the e4-square and envisions an attack in the middlegame on White's ; however, it also weakens Black's kingside to an extent (especial ...
1.d4 f5 2.c4 Nf6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.Nf3 O-O 6.O-O d6 7.Nc3 c6 *Westphalia Defense in the
Queen's Gambit Declined The Queen's Gambit Declined (or QGD) is a chess opening in which Black declines a pawn offered by White in the Queen's Gambit: :1. d4 d5 :2. c4 e6 This is known as the ''Orthodox Line'' of the Queen's Gambit Declined. When the "Queen's Gambi ...
: An alternative name for the Manhattan Variation, 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Nbd7 5.Nf3 Bb4 or 5.e3 c5 *Wiesbaden Variation of the
Slav Defense The Slav Defense is a chess opening that begins with the moves: :1. d4 d5 :2. c4 c6 The Slav is one of the primary defenses to the Queen's Gambit. Although it was analyzed as early as 1590, it was not until the 1920s that it started to be e ...
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 dxc4 5.a4 Bf5 6.Ne5 e6 *Wilkes-Barre Variation of the Two Knights Defense 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Ng5 Bc5!?


Y

*Yerevan System of the
Sicilian Defence The Sicilian Defence is a chess opening that begins with the following moves: :1. e4 c5 The Sicilian is the most popular and best-scoring response to White's first move 1.e4. Opening 1.d4 is a statistically more successful opening for White be ...
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 a6 3.Nc3 *Yugoslav Attack in the Sicilian Defence, Dragon Variation 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Be3 Bg7 7.f3 * Yugoslav Defense (or
Pirc Defense The Pirc Defence (pronounced ) is a chess opening characterised by the response of Black to 1.e4 with 1...d6 and 2...Nf6, followed by ...g6 and ...Bg7, while allowing White to establish a with pawns on d4 and e4. It is named after the Slovenian ...
) 1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 *Yugoslav Variation of the
King's Indian Defence The King's Indian Defence is a common chess opening. It is defined by the following moves: :1. d4 Nf6 :2. c4 g6 Black intends to follow up with 3...Bg7 and 4...d6 (the Grünfeld Defence arises when Black plays 3...d5 instead, and is consid ...
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.Nf3 d6 5.g3 0-0 6.Bg2 c5 *Yugoslav Variation of the Benko Gambit 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5 4.cxb5 a6 5.bxa6 g6 6.Nc3 Bxa6 7.e4 Bxf1 8.Kxf1 d6 9.Nge2


Z

*Zagreb Variation of the Sicilian Defence, Najdorf Variation 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.g3 *Zaire Defense of the Queen's Knight Defense 1.d4 Nc6 2.d5 Nb8 3.e4 Nf6 4.e5 Ng8 *Zurich Gambit 1.d4 d5 2.g4 *Zurich Variation of the
Nimzo-Indian Defense The Nimzo-Indian Defence is a chess opening characterised by the moves: :1. d4 Nf6 :2. c4 e6 :3. Nc3 Bb4 Other move orders, such as 1.c4 e6 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.d4 Bb4, are also feasible. In the ''Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings'', the Nimzo-Indian ...
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Qc2 Nc6 A number of less well-accepted ethnic chess opening names (including such gems as the "Anglo-Polish Dutch," 1.c4 f5 2.b4) can be found i
this list of chess opening names


See also

*
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 Defen ...
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List of chess openings This is a list of chess openings, organized by the ''Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings'' () code. In 1966, Chess Informant categorized the chess openings into five broad areas ("A" through "E"), with each of those broken down into one hundred subcat ...
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List of chess openings named after people ''The Oxford Companion to Chess'' lists 1,327 named openings and variants. 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 nam ...


Notes

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External links


Bill Wall's list of chess openingsChess Archaeology
+List of chess openings named after places Openings named after places
Chess openings 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 Defen ...