Chess Openings – Guides and Information

Chess is a game with a deep history, throughout which many different chess openings have been played and mastered. On this page, you’ll find a breakdown of all commonly recognised chess openings and links to learn more about each of them in more detail.

Note: This page is a work in progress. Completed guides are at the top and found throughout. Once all are complete, this page will be listed alphabetically.

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Caro-Kann Defense A classic and solid response to e4, the Caro-Kann is perfect for players of all levels. Find out everything you need to know in our guide below: Complete Caro-Kann Defense Chess Opening Guide Win Rate (Lichess): 48% Black 47% White 5% Draw

London System White’s most accessible and reliable opening setup, beloved by chess players from club level to world champions for its straightforward development and consistent strategic themes. Complete London System Chess Opening Guide Win Rate (Lichess): 44% Black 51% White 5% Draw

Sicilian Defense One of the oldest and most popular openings in chess, the Sicilian Defense is a classic and played by beginners and champions worldwide. Find out everything you need to know in our guide below: Complete Sicilian Defense Chess Opening Guide Win Rate (Lichess): 48% Black 48% White 4% Draw

Italian Game The Italian Game is one of chess's oldest and most respected openings, offering White a perfect blend of classical development, tactical opportunities, and strategic richness. Starting with 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4, White immediately targets the weak f7 square while developing pieces rapidly and maintaining excellent central control. Complete Italian Game Chess Opening Guide Win Rate (Lichess): 46% Black 51% White 3% Draw

Ponziani Opening The Ponziani Opening is one of chess's most underestimated weapons, offering White a surprising alternative to the mainstream Spanish Game after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.c3. This deceptively simple move supports a powerful d4 advance while creating unique strategic imbalances that often catch unprepared opponents off guard. Complete Ponziani Opening Chess Opening Guide Win Rate (Lichess): 46% Black 50% White 4% Draw

King's Indian Defense The King's Indian Defense is Black's most aggressive and dynamic response to 1.d4, offering an explosive counterattacking system that has terrorised White players for over a century. Starting with 1...Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7, Black creates a powerful fianchetto setup while preparing to launch devastating Kingside attacks with moves like ...f5, ...h5, and the classic pawn storm. Complete King's Indian Defense Chess Opening Guide Win Rate (Lichess): 46% Black 50% White 4% Draw

Adams Defense

Alekhine Defense

Alekhine's Defense is Black's most provocative and unconventional response to 1.e4, starting with the bold 1...Nf6 that immediately attacks White's central pawn and invites an aggressive pawn advance. This hypermodern opening deliberately allows White to build a massive pawn center with moves like e5, d4, c4, and f4, while Black aims to prove that this imposing structure is actually a target for counterattack.

Complete Alekhine's Defense Chess Opening Guide

Win Rate (Lichess):

• White wins: 48%
• Black wins: 48%
• Draw: 4%

Amar Opening

Amazon Attack

Amsterdam Attack

Anderssen’s Opening

Australian Defense

Barnes Defense

Barnes Opening

Benko Gambit

The Benko Gambit is Black's most aggressive and strategically sophisticated pawn sacrifice against 1.d4, beginning with 1...Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5, where Black immediately offers a pawn to seize the initiative and create devastating long-term pressure on the Queenside. This modern gambit combines tactical sharpness with deep strategic understanding, creating positions where Black's piece activity and Queenside pressure often provide more than adequate compensation for the sacrificed material.

Complete Benko Gambit Chess Opening Guide

Win Rate (Lichess):

• White wins: 45%
• Black wins: 50%
• Draw: 5%

Benoni Defense

Bird Opening

Bishop’s Opening

Blackmar-Diemer Gambit

Blumenfeld Countergambit

Bogo-Indian Defense

Bongcloud Attack

Borg Defense

Canard Opening

Carr Defense

Catalan Opening

The Catalan Opening is White's most sophisticated and strategically refined response to 1...d5, beginning with 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3, where White fianchettos the light-squared Bishop while maintaining flexible central control. This hypermodern system combines the best elements of Queen's Gambit theory with kingside fianchetto development, creating rich positional battles where understanding pawn structures, piece coordination, and long-term strategic planning determines success.

Complete Catalan Opening Chess Opening Guide

Win Rate (Lichess):

• White wins: 52%
• Black wins: 42%
• Draw: 6%

Center Game

Clemenz Opening

Colle System

Creepy Crawly Formation

Czech Defense

Danish Gambit

Döry Defense

Dresden Opening

Duras Gambit

Dutch Defense

The Dutch Defense is Black's most aggressive and uncompromising response to 1.d4, beginning with the bold 1...f5 that immediately stakes a claim on the kingside while creating sharp, unbalanced positions from move one. This fighting defense deliberately weakens Black's kingside structure in exchange for excellent attacking prospects, piece activity, and the psychological advantage of taking opponents into unfamiliar territory where tactical alertness and strategic understanding matter more than theoretical preparation.

Complete Dutch Defense Chess Opening Guide

Win Rate (Lichess):

• White wins: 50%
• Black wins: 46%
• Draw: 4%

East Indian Defense

Elephant Gambit

English Defense

English Opening

The English Opening is White's most flexible and strategically rich first move alternative to 1.e4 and 1.d4, beginning with 1.c4 that immediately fights for central control while maintaining maximum flexibility for piece development. This hypermodern opening creates positions where understanding pawn structures, piece coordination, and strategic planning matters more than memorizing forcing theoretical variations, making it perfect for players who want to outmaneuver opponents through superior positional understanding.

Complete English Opening Chess Opening Guide

Win Rate (Lichess):

• White wins: 51%
• Black wins: 45%
• Draw: 4%

English Orangutan

Englund Gambit

Formation: Hippopotamus Attack

Formation: Shy Attack

Four Knights Game

French Defense

Fried Fox Defense

Global Opening

Goldsmith Defense

Grob Opening

The Grob Opening is chess's most controversial and misunderstood weapon, starting with the audacious 1.g4 that immediately launches a Kingside pawn storm while completely ignoring classical opening principles. Named after Swiss International Master Henri Grob, this opening deliberately provokes opponents into aggressive responses while creating unique imbalanced positions that reward tactical alertness and psychological warfare.

Complete Grob Opening Chess Opening Guide

Win Rate (Lichess):

• White wins: 48%
• Black wins: 49%
• Draw: 3%

Grünfeld Defense

The Grünfeld Defense is Black's most aggressive and theoretically sharp response to 1.d4, beginning with 1...Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5, where Black immediately strikes at White's pawn center with maximum force. This hypermodern defense deliberately allows White to build an impressive pawn center with e4, then launches a devastating counter-attack against it using pieces and tactical shots that have made it a favorite of world champions and attacking players.

Complete Grob Opening Chess Opening Guide

Win Rate (Lichess):

• White wins: 47%
• Black wins: 48%
• Draw: 5%

Guatemala Defense

Gunderam Defense

Hippopotamus Defense

Horwitz Defense

Hungarian Opening

Indian Defense

Irish Gambit

Kádas Opening

Kangaroo Defense

King’s Gambit

The King's Gambit is chess's most legendary and romantic opening, beginning with the audacious 1.e4 e5 2.f4 that immediately sacrifices a pawn for rapid development and devastating attacking chances. This classical gambit embodies the pure essence of romantic chess - direct piece development, swift king-side attacks, and brilliant tactical combinations that have thrilled chess players for over 500 years. It creates positions where tactical brilliance, attacking instinct, and deep calculation matter more than modern theoretical precision.

Complete King's Gambit Chess Opening Guide

Win Rate (Lichess):

• White wins: 52%
• Black wins: 45%
• Draw: 3%

King’s Indian Attack

King’s Indian Defense

King’s Knight Opening

King’s Pawn Game

King’s Pawn Opening

Lasker Simul Special

Latvian Gambit

Lemming Defense

Lion Defense

Marienbad System

Mexican Defense

Mieses Opening

Mikenas Defense

Modern Defense

Montevideo Defense

Neo-Grünfeld Defense

Nimzo-Indian Defense

The Nimzo-Indian Defense is one of chess's most sophisticated and strategically rich openings, beginning with 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4+. This hypermodern defense immediately pins White's Knight while creating complex positional imbalances that have attracted the world's greatest strategic minds for nearly a century. Black willingly allows White to build a strong pawn center while focusing on piece activity, central control from a distance, and long-term strategic advantages.

Complete Nimzo-Indian Defense Chess Opening Guide

Win Rate (Lichess):

• White wins: 49%
• Black wins: 46%
• Draw: 5%

Nimzo-Larsen Attack

Nimzowitsch Defense

Old Indian Defense

Owen Defense

Paleface Attack

Petrov’s Defense

Philidor Defense

Pirc Defense

The Pirc Defense is Black's most flexible and hypermodern response to 1.e4, beginning with 1...d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 that allows White to build an impressive pawn center while Black develops pieces harmoniously and prepares to strike back with tactical and strategic counterplay. This sophisticated defense creates rich, complex positions where understanding piece coordination, pawn structures, and dynamic counterplay matters more than memorizing forcing theoretical variations.

Complete Pirc Defense Chess Opening Guide

Win Rate (Lichess):

• White wins: 49%
• Black wins: 47%
• Draw: 4%

Polish Defense

Polish Opening

Portuguese Opening

Pseudo Queen’s Indian Defense

Pterodactyl Defense

Queen’s Gambit

The Queen's Gambit is chess's most sophisticated and strategically profound first move system, beginning with 1.d4 d5 2.c4 that offers a temporary pawn sacrifice to gain superior central control and piece development. This classical masterpiece creates rich positional battles where understanding pawn structures, piece coordination, and long-term strategic planning determines success more than tactical calculation, making it the perfect choice for players who want to master the deepest strategic concepts while playing the opening system that has dominated world championship chess for over a century.

Complete Queen's Gambit Chess Opening Guide

Win Rate (Lichess):

• White wins: 53%
• Black wins: 43%
• Draw: 4%

Queen’s Indian Accelerated

Queen’s Indian Defense

Queen’s Pawn Game

Rapport-Jobava System

Rat Defense

Réti Opening

Richter-Veresov Attack

Robatsch Defense

Rubinstein Opening

Ruy Lopez

The Ruy Lopez is chess's most revered and theoretically profound opening, beginning with 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 that immediately targets Black's knight while preparing to establish long-term strategic advantages through superior piece development and central control. This classical masterpiece creates rich, complex positions where understanding pawn structures, piece coordination, and strategic planning matters more than tactical tricks, making it the perfect choice for players who want to master fundamental chess principles while playing the same opening used by world champions for over 400 years.

Complete Ruy Lopez Chess Opening Guide

Win Rate (Lichess):

• White wins: 51%
• Black wins: 44%
• Draw: 5%

Saragossa Opening

Scandinavian Defense

The Scandinavian Defense is Black's most direct and uncompromising response to 1.e4, beginning with the bold 1...d5 that immediately challenges White's central pawn and forces an early confrontation. This ancient defense, also known as the Center Counter Defense, creates unique imbalanced positions where Black exchanges the d5 pawn for rapid piece development and central control, leading to sharp tactical battles that reward aggressive play and tactical alertness.

Complete Scandinavian Defense Chess Opening Guide

Win Rate (Lichess):

• White wins: 49%
• Black wins: 47%
• Draw: 4%

Scotch Game

The Scotch Game is White's most direct and forcing response to 1...e5, beginning with 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 that immediately challenges Black's central pawn and creates open, tactical positions where superior piece development and central control can quickly translate into decisive advantages. This classical opening combines rapid development with immediate central activity, creating rich tactical battles where understanding typical patterns, piece coordination, and dynamic play matters more than memorizing extensive theoretical variations.

Complete Scotch Game Chess Opening Guide

Win Rate (Lichess):

• White wins: 53%
• Black wins: 43%
• Draw: 4%

Semi-Slav Defense

Slav Defense

Slav Indian

Sodium Attack

St. George Defense

Tarrasch Defense

Three Knights Opening

Torre Attack

Trompowsky Attack

Valencia Opening

Van Geet Opening

Van’t Kruijs Opening

Vienna Gambit

Vienna Game

Vulture Defense

Wade Defense

Ware Defense

Yusupov-Rubinstein System

Zaire Defense

Zukertort Defense

Zukertort Opening