The King's Pawn Game is any
chess opening
The opening is the initial stage of a chess game. It usually consists of established Chess_theory#Opening_theory, theory. The other phases are the chess middlegame, middlegame and the chess endgame, endgame. Many opening sequences, known as ''op ...
starting with the move:
: 1.
e4
It is the most popular opening move in
chess
Chess is a board game for two players. It is an abstract strategy game that involves Perfect information, no hidden information and no elements of game of chance, chance. It is played on a square chessboard, board consisting of 64 squares arran ...
, followed by 1.d4, the
Queen's Pawn Game
The Queen's Pawn Game is any chess opening starting with the move:
: 1. d4
It is the second-most popular opening move after 1.e4 (King's Pawn Game).
Terminology
The term "Queen's Pawn Game" is usually used to describe openings beginning wit ...
.
Principles
White opens with the most popular of the twenty possible opening moves. Since nearly all openings beginning 1.e4 have names of their own, the term ''King's Pawn Game,'' unlike
Queen's Pawn Game
The Queen's Pawn Game is any chess opening starting with the move:
: 1. d4
It is the second-most popular opening move after 1.e4 (King's Pawn Game).
Terminology
The term "Queen's Pawn Game" is usually used to describe openings beginning wit ...
, is rarely used to describe the opening of the game.
Advancing the king's pawn two squares is highly useful because it occupies a square, attacks the center square d5, and allows the of White's and
queen
Queen most commonly refers to:
* Queen regnant, a female monarch of a kingdom
* Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king
* Queen (band), a British rock band
Queen or QUEEN may also refer to:
Monarchy
* Queen dowager, the widow of a king
* Q ...
.
Bobby Fischer
Robert James Fischer (March 9, 1943January 17, 2008) was an American Grandmaster (chess), chess grandmaster and the eleventh World Chess Championship, World Chess Champion. A chess prodigy, he won his first of a record eight US Chess Champi ...
said that the King's Pawn Game is "Best by test", and proclaimed that "With 1.e4! I win."
Opening categorization and continuations
King's Pawn Games are further classified by whether Black responds with
1...e5 or not. Openings beginning with
1.e4 e5 are called ''Double King's Pawn Games'', ''Double King's Pawn Openings'', ''Symmetrical King's Pawn Games,'' or ''
Open Games'' – these terms are equivalent. Openings where Black responds to
1.e4 with a move other than
1...e5 are called ''Asymmetrical King's Pawn Games'' or ''
Semi-Open Game
A Semi-Open Game is a chess opening in which White plays 1.e4 and Black breaks symmetry immediately by replying with a move other than 1...e5. Hooper & Whyld (1996), p. 365. ''semi-open game''. The Semi-Open Games are also called Single King Pawn, ...
s.''
The ''
Encyclopedia of Chess Openings'' (''ECO'') classifies all King's Pawn Games into volumes B or C: volume C if the game starts with
1.e4 e6 (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. Black usually plays ...c5 soon after, attacking White's and gaining on the . The French has a reputation for solidity ...
) or
1.e4 e5; volume B if Black answers
1.e4 with any other move. The rare instances where the opening does not fall into a more specific category than King's Pawn Game are included in codes B00 (includes the
Nimzowitsch Defence
The Nimzowitsch Defence (named after Aron Nimzowitsch) is a somewhat uncommon chess opening characterised by the moves:
:1. e4 Nc6
This opening is an example of a hypermodern opening in which Black invites White to occupy the of the board ...
and unusual moves after 1.e4), C20 (includes
Alapin's Opening
Alapin's Opening is an unusual chess opening that starts with the moves:
: 1. e4 e5
: 2. Ne2
It is named after the Russo-Lithuanian player and openings analyst Semyon Alapin (1856–1923).
Although this opening is rarely used, it occurred ...
and unusual moves after 1.e4 e5), C40 (includes the
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 16th century by Giulio Cesare Polerio and then the 17th cent ...
and unusual moves after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3), and C50 (includes the
Hungarian Defence, the
Giuoco Pianissimo, and unusual moves after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4).
The Black responses which are given one or more chapters in the ''ECO'' are given below, ranked in order of popularity according to FIDE-rated games on
ChessBase
ChessBase is a German company that develops and sells chess software, maintains a chess news site, and operates an internet chess server for online chess. Founded in 1986, it maintains and sells large-scale databases containing the moves of recor ...
.
Popular continuations
*1...c5, 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. The opening 1.d4 is a statistically more successful opening for Whi ...
, is the most common continuation in modern practice. The Sicilian Defence allows Black to fight for the center by preparing to meet a d2–d4 advance with ...cxd4. Black aims to unbalance the game and fight for a win on move one. The many variations include some of the sharpest and most analysed lines in chess. It has eighty chapters, B20–B99, set aside for it in ''ECO''.
*1...e5 leads to the classical
Open Game
An Open Game (or Double King's Pawn Opening) is a generic term for a family of chess openings beginning with the moves:
:1. b:Chess Opening Theory/1. e4, e4 b:Chess Opening Theory/1. e4/1...e5, e5
White has moved the king's pawn two squares and Bl ...
s, which includes openings such as 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 remains one of the most popular chess openings, featuring many variations. In ...
,
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 may play d4 and Bxf4, regaining the gambit pawn with domination, or direc ...
,
Italian Game
The Italian Game is a family of chess openings beginning 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 ...
,
Scotch Game and
Petrov's Defence. Also in this opening, Black is generally ready to meet a d2–d4 advance with exd4, though some variations offer the chance to holding the centre with ....d6. These openings are covered in chapters C20–C99 in ''ECO''.
*1...e6 is 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. Black usually plays ...c5 soon after, attacking White's and gaining on the . The French has a reputation for solidity ...
, covered in chapters C00–C19 in ''ECO''. Black's restrained response allows White to play 2.d4. This gives White a spatial advantage, with two pawns in the center to Black's one (after the usual 2... d5) and open lines for both of the bishops, while Black blocks in the light squared bishop and stops it from developing. One or the other player will usually resolve the central tension, either by Black playing ...dxe4 or White advancing with e5. In the latter case, Black typically works to undermine White's pawn center with ...c5 and/or ...f6.
*1...c6 is the
Caro–Kann Defence, covered in chapters B10–B19 in ''ECO''. Like the French, this is also considered to be a solid reply, but Black will often need to surrender control over the center (e.g., after 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Black usually plays 3...dxe4). On the other hand, the light-squared bishop will usually not wind up trapped behind its own pawns, as is common in the French.
*1...d6 is usually played with the intention of playing the
Pirc Defence
The Pirc Defence ( ) 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 grandmaste ...
(1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6, ''ECO'' codes B07–B09), a hypermodern defence in which Black allows White to construct a dominant center, with the intention of subverting it later. It can also lead to the
Modern Defence
The Modern Defense (also known as the Robatsch Defence after Karl Robatsch) is a Hypermodern chess, 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" c ...
,
Pribyl System or
Philidor Defence
The Philidor Defence (or Philidor's Defence) is a chess opening characterised by the moves:
:1. e4 e5
:2. Nf3 d6
The opening is named after the famous 18th-century player François-André Danican Philidor, who advocated it as an alternativ ...
.
*1...g6 is the
Modern Defence
The Modern Defense (also known as the Robatsch Defence after Karl Robatsch) is a Hypermodern chess, 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" c ...
. This is related to the Pirc Defence, to which it can transpose. These openings allow White to build up a pawn center with 2.d4, but Black will develop the king's bishop to g7 and strike back at the center. These openings are covered in chapters B06–B09 in ''ECO'', with the
Modern Defence
The Modern Defense (also known as the Robatsch Defence after Karl Robatsch) is a Hypermodern chess, 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" c ...
covered in chapter B06.
*1...d5, the
Scandinavian Defence or Center Counter Defence, is a direct strike at the pawn at e4, forcing the situation in the center. After 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3, however, White gains time by attacking Black's prematurely developed
queen
Queen most commonly refers to:
* Queen regnant, a female monarch of a kingdom
* Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king
* Queen (band), a British rock band
Queen or QUEEN may also refer to:
Monarchy
* Queen dowager, the widow of a king
* Q ...
. Alternatively, Black can play 2...Nf6 (the
Marshall Gambit), when White chooses between 3.d4 Nxd5 4.c4 with a spatial advantage, or 3.c4, when Black usually offers a
gambit with either 3...c6 or 3...e6. The Scandinavian is covered in chapter B01 in ''ECO''.
*1...Nf6 is
Alekhine's Defence
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 imposi ...
, which invites White to attack the knight with 2.e5. Black is often forced to spend time moving the knight several times as it is chased around the board, all the while allowing White to build up a broad pawn center. Black counts on the pawns becoming overextended so that he can later undermine them. The Alekhine is covered in chapters B02–B05 of ''ECO''.
Uncommon continuations
Apart from these eight responses, all other replies from Black are covered together in ''ECO'' chapter B00. A few of these are not entirely obscure, and have been analyzed in detail.
*1...Nc6 is the
Nimzowitsch Defence
The Nimzowitsch Defence (named after Aron Nimzowitsch) is a somewhat uncommon chess opening characterised by the moves:
:1. e4 Nc6
This opening is an example of a hypermodern opening in which Black invites White to occupy the of the board ...
, an example of a opening in which Black invites White to occupy the centre of the board at an early stage with pawns. After 2.d4, there are two distinctive main lines: 2...e5, favoured by
Tony Miles, and 2...d5, introduced and often played by
Aron Nimzowitsch
Aron Nimzowitsch (; , ''Aron Isayevich Nimtsovich''; 7 November 1886 – 16 March 1935) was a Latvian-born Danish chess player and writer. In the late 1920s, Nimzowitsch was one of the best chess players in the world. He was the foremost f ...
.
*1...b6 is
Owen's Defence
Owen's Defence (also known as the Queen's Fianchetto Defence) is an uncommon chess opening defined by the moves:
:1. e4 b6
By playing 1...b6, Black prepares to fianchetto the where it will participate in the battle for the . The downside of t ...
, preparing to develop Black's bishop to b7 to put pressure on White's center.
*1...a6 is the
St. George Defence. Black prepares to advance on the with 2...b5, but allows White to occupy the center with 2.d4. The opening gained some attention after Tony Miles used it to defeat
Anatoly Karpov
Anatoly Yevgenyevich Karpov (, ; born May 23, 1951) is a Russian and former Soviet Grandmaster (chess), chess grandmaster, former World Chess Championship, World Chess Champion, and politician. He was the 12th World Chess Champion from 1975 ...
in 1980.
*1...g5 is the Borg Defence (
"Grob" backwards) or Basman Defence, often played by
Michael Basman. The move weakens the severely, but according to ''
Modern Chess Openings
''Modern Chess Openings'' (usually called ) is a reference book on chess openings, first published in 1911 by the British players Richard Griffith (chess player), Richard Clewin Griffith (1872–1955) and John Herbert White (1880–1920). The fif ...
'' (''MCO''), Black is only somewhat worse.
Rare continuations
The remaining replies to 1.e4 are very rare, and have not received significant and serious attention by masters. ''MCO'' does not cover them, considering them so bad as not to merit discussion. These openings sometimes lead to wild and exciting games, and are occasionally employed by weaker players to get better trained opponents "out-of-". Some have exotic names. Such openings are listed below along with instances where they have been used by strong players.
*1...a5, the Corn Stalk Defence. United States chess player
Preston Ware played the Corn Stalk in eleven recorded tournament games from 1880 to 1882, winning four and losing seven. Its chief fault is the very early and therefore potentially unnecessary development of a peripheral piece.
*1...b5, the O'Neill Gambit. Black has no real compensation for the sacrificed pawn.
*1...f5, Duras Gambit, per the book ''Unorthodox Chess Openings''. This is a pawn
sacrifice
Sacrifice is an act or offering made to a deity. A sacrifice can serve as propitiation, or a sacrifice can be an offering of praise and thanksgiving.
Evidence of ritual animal sacrifice has been seen at least since ancient Hebrews and Gree ...
which gives Black a lead in development after 2.exf5 Nf6, but without much additional
compensation for the sacrificed pawn. Another move in this position is 2...Kf7, dubbed the "Fred", which is considered a joke opening. After 3.Qh5+, Black has to play g6 and ruin their kingside position. The line was played three times in an exhibition match between
Ossip Bernstein
Ossip Samoilovich Bernstein (20 September 1882 – 30 November 1962) was a French chess player and businessman. He was one of the inaugural recipients of the title Grandmaster (chess), International Grandmaster from FIDE in 1950.
Biography
Born ...
and
Oldřich Duras.
*1...h5, the Goldsmith Defence or Pickering Defence. All this move achieves is to waste a tempo and weaken the kingside. It is the reversed version of the Kádas Opening.
*1...f6 is known as the Barnes Defence after
Thomas Wilson Barnes. This move is clearly inferior, taking away the f6-square from the knight and weakening Black's kingside, although Barnes managed to defeat
Paul Morphy with this defence in 1858.
*1...h6, called the Carr Defence in ''Unorthodox Chess Openings''. This defence has also been used by Michael Basman and
Magnus Carlsen
Sven Magnus Øen Carlsen (born 30 November 1990) is a Norwegian Grandmaster (chess), chess grandmaster. Carlsen is a five-time World Chess Championship, World Chess Champion, five-time World Rapid Chess Championship, World Rapid Chess Champio ...
. It is likely to transpose to the Borg Defence after 2.d4 g5.
*1...Na6, called the Lemming Defence in ''Unorthodox Chess Openings'', develops the knight to an inferior square.
*1...Nh6, the Adams Defence or Wild Bull Defence. It can transpose to the old
hippo system.
See also
*
List of chess openings
This is a list of chess openings, organised by the ''Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings'' (''ECO'') code classification system. The chess openings are categorised into five broad areas ("A" through "E"), with each of those broken up into one hundred ...
*
Open Game
An Open Game (or Double King's Pawn Opening) is a generic term for a family of chess openings beginning with the moves:
:1. b:Chess Opening Theory/1. e4, e4 b:Chess Opening Theory/1. e4/1...e5, e5
White has moved the king's pawn two squares and Bl ...
*
Semi-Open Game
A Semi-Open Game is a chess opening in which White plays 1.e4 and Black breaks symmetry immediately by replying with a move other than 1...e5. Hooper & Whyld (1996), p. 365. ''semi-open game''. The Semi-Open Games are also called Single King Pawn, ...
References
Bibliography
*
*
*
{{chess
Chess openings