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Chess Opening Guides

Alekhine Defense

B02-B05

1.e4 Nf6 2.e5

beginner ♚ Black

Amazon Attack

A45-D00

1.d4 d5 2.Qd3

beginner ♚ Black

Barnes Opening

A00-C20

1.f3

beginner ♚ Black

Benko Opening

A00

1.g3 e5

beginner ♚ Black

Benoni Defense

A40-A79

1. d4 c5

beginner ♚ Black

Bird's Opening

A02-B21

1.f4

beginner ♔ White

Bishop's Opening

C23-C43

1.e4 e5 2.Bc4

beginner ♚ Black

Blackmar-Diemer

D00

1.d4 d5 2.e4 dxe4 3.Nc3

beginner ♚ Black

Blackmar-Diemer Gambit

D00

1.d4 d5 2.e4

beginner ♚ Black

Blackmar-Diemer Gambit (BDG)

D00

1. d4 d5 2. e4 dxe4

beginner ♚ Black

Blumenfeld Countergambit

E10

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 c5 4.d5 b5

beginner ♚ Black

Bogo-Indian Defense

E11

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Bb4+

beginner ♚ Black

Borg Defense

A40-B00

1.d4 g5

beginner ♚ Black

Budapest

A51-A52

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e5

beginner ♚ Black

Caro-Kann Advance Variation

B12

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 Bf5 4. Nf3 e6 5. Be2 Nd7 6. O-O

beginner ♚ Black

Caro-Kann Defence: Classical Variation

B18-B19

1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Bf5 5.Ng3 Bg6 6.h4 Nd7

beginner ♚ Black

Caro-Kann Defense

B10-B19

1.e4 c6

beginner ♚ Black

Caro-Kann Defense

B10-B19

1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5

beginner ♚ Black

Catalan Opening

E00-E10

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3

beginner ♔ White

Center Game

C20-C22

1.e4 e5 2.d4

beginner ♚ Black

Colle System

A04-A40

1. Nf3 c5 2. e3 g6 3. d4 Bg7 4. dxc5 Qa5+

beginner ♚ Black

Dutch Defense

A80-A99

1.d4 f5

beginner ♚ Black

Elephant Gambit

C40

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d5

beginner ♚ Black

English Defense

A40-A50

1.d4 b6

beginner ♚ Black

English Opening

A10-A39

1.c4

intermediate ♔ White

Englund Gambit

A40

1.d4 e5

beginner ♚ Black

Englund Gambit Declined

A40

1.d4 e5 2.d5

beginner ♚ Black

Evans Gambit

C51-C52

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4

intermediate ♔ White

Evans Gambit Accepted

C52

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 Bxb4 5.c3 Ba5 6.d4 exd4 7.O-O

advanced ♔ White

Evans Gambit Declined

C51

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 Bb6

intermediate ♔ White

Facing the Berlin Defense

C65-C67

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.O-O Nxe4 5.d4 Nd6 6.Bxc6 dxc6 7.dxe5 Nf5 8.Qxd8+ Kxd8

intermediate ♔ White

Facing the Marshall Attack

C89

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 O-O 8.c3 d5 9.exd5 Nxd5 10.Nxe5 Nxe5 11.Rxe5 c6

advanced ♔ White

Facing the Traxler Counterattack

C57

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 Bc5

advanced ♔ White

Formation

A00

1. c3 e5 2. a3 d5 3. b3 Nf6 4. Bb2 Nc6 5. a4 Bd6 6. g3 O-O 7. e3

beginner ♚ Black

Four Knights Game

C47-C50

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6

beginner ♚ Black

French Defense

C00-C19

1.e4 e6

beginner ♚ Black

Fried Liver Attack

C57

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 Nxd5 6.Nxf7

beginner ♔ White

Giuoco Piano

C53-C54

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d4

beginner ♔ White

Giuoco Piano Main Line

C54

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 exd4 6.cxd4 Bb4+ 7.Nc3

intermediate ♔ White

Grob Opening

A00

1.g4

beginner ♚ Black

Grünfeld Defense

A56-E60

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5

beginner ♚ Black

Gunderam Gambit

C40

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 c6 3.Nxe5

beginner ♚ Black

Hillbilly Attack

B10

1.e4 c6 2.Bc4 d5

beginner ♚ Black

Hodgson Attack

D00

1.d4 d5 2.Bg5

beginner ♚ Black

Hungarian Opening

A00-A07

1.g3

beginner ♚ Black

Indian Defense

A43-E60

1. d4 Nf6

beginner ♚ Black

Indian Defense

A45-A50

1.d4 Nf6

beginner ♚ Black

Italian Classical

C53

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d3

intermediate ♔ White

Italian Four Knights

C50

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3

beginner ♔ White

Italian Game

C50-C54

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4

beginner ♔ White

Kadas Opening

A00

1.h4 d5

beginner ♚ Black

Kádas Opening

A00

1.h4

beginner ♚ Black

Kangaroo Defense

A40

1.d4 e6 2.c4 Bb4+

beginner ♚ Black

Keres Variation

C68-E40

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Bxc6 bxc6 5.Nc3

beginner ♚ Black

King's Gambit

C30-C39

1.e4 e5 2.f4

beginner ♚ Black

King's Gambit Accepted

C33-C39

1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Bc4 d5 4.Bxd5

beginner ♚ Black

King's Gambit Accepted: Main Lines After 2...exf4

C33-C39

1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3

advanced ♔ White

King's Gambit Declined

C30-C32

1.e4 e5 2.f4 Bc5 3.Bc4

beginner ♚ Black

King's Gambit: Attack from Move 2

C30-C39

1.e4 e5 2.f4

intermediate ♔ White

King's Indian Attack

A00-A08

1.Nf3 d5 2.g3

beginner ♔ White

King's Indian Defence

A16-E60

1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 g6 3.d4

beginner ♚ Black

King's Indian Defense

E60-E99

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. g3

beginner ♚ Black

King's Knight Opening

C40-C44

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3

beginner ♚ Black

King's Pawn Game

B00-C44

1.e4

beginner ♚ Black

King's Pawn Opening

C20

1.e4 e5 2.b3

beginner ♚ Black

Latvian Gambit

C40-C44

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 f5

beginner ♚ Black

Latvian Gambit Accepted

C40

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 f5 3.exf5

beginner ♚ Black

Lion Defense

B00-B07

1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.f3

beginner ♚ Black

Lisitsin Gambit

A04

1.Nf3 f5 2.e4 fxe4

beginner ♚ Black

London System

A48-D02

1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Bf4

beginner ♔ White

London System Main Base Position with ...d5

A45-D00

1.d4 Nf6 2.Bf4 d5

beginner ♚ Black

Max Lange Attack

C55

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d4 exd4 5.O-O Bc5 6.e5 d5 7.exf6 dxc4 8.Re1+ Be6 9.Ng5

advanced ♔ White

Mexican Defense

A50

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 Nc6

beginner ♚ Black

Mieses; Nimzovich Var

D00

1. d4 d5 2. e4 dxe4 3. f3 Nc6

beginner ♚ Black

Mikenas Defense

A00-A40

1.d4 Nc6

beginner ♚ Black

Modern

A42-B06

1.e4 g6 2.Nc3

beginner ♚ Black

Modern Defense

A04-B27

1.e4 g6

beginner ♚ Black

Neo-Benoni

A46

1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 c5 3.c3

beginner ♚ Black

Neo-Gruenfeld

D70-D79

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2

beginner ♚ Black

Neo-Grünfeld Defense

D70-D79

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.f3 d5

beginner ♚ Black

Neo-King's Indian

A48-A49

1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.Nbd2

beginner ♚ Black

Neo-Old Indian

A41

1.d4 d6

beginner ♚ Black

Neo-Queen's Indian

A47

1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 b6 3.Bf4

beginner ♚ Black

Nimzo-Indian Defense

E12-E59

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4

beginner ♚ Black

Nimzo-Larsen Attack

A01-A06

1. b3

beginner ♚ Black

Nimzowitsch Defence

B00

1.e4 Nc6

beginner ♚ Black

Nimzowitsch Defense

B00

1.e4 Nc6

beginner ♚ Black

Nimzowitsch-Larsen

A01

1.b3 d5 2.Bb2

beginner ♚ Black

O'Neill Gambit Accepted

B00

1.e4 b5 2.Bxb5

beginner ♚ Black

Old Benoni

A43-A44

1.d4 c5 2.d5

beginner ♚ Black

Old Indian

A53-A55

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 d6

beginner ♚ Black

Old Indian Defense

A41-A55

1.d4 d6 2.c4

beginner ♚ Black

Open Game

C20-C44

1. e4 e5 2. d3 d5

beginner ♚ Black

Owen Defence

B00

1.e4 b6 2.d4

beginner ♚ Black

Owen Defense

B00

1.e4 b6

beginner ♚ Black

Parham Attack

C20

1.e4 e5 2.Qh5 Nc6

beginner ♚ Black

Petrov Defense

C42-C43

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6

beginner ♚ Black

Petrov's Defence

C42

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6

beginner ♚ Black

Pfrang Gambit

D00

1.d4 d5 2.e4 dxe4 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.f3 e6 5.fxe4

beginner ♚ Black

Philidor Defense

C41

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6

beginner ♚ Black

Pirc Defense

B07-B09

1.e4 d6

beginner ♚ Black

Polish

A00

1.b4 d5

beginner ♚ Black

Polish Opening

A00-A05

1. b4

beginner ♚ Black

Portuguese Opening

C20

1.e4 e5 2.Bb5

beginner ♚ Black

Pterodactyl Defense

A40-B27

1. d4 g6 2. c4 Bg7 3. Nc3 c5 4. e3

beginner ♚ Black

Queen Pawn Game

A48-D00

1.d4 d5 2.Nc3 g6 3.Nf3 Bg7

beginner ♚ Black

Queen's Gambit

D06-D69

1.d4 d5 2.c4

intermediate ♔ White

Queen's Gambit Accepted

D20-D29

1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4

beginner ♚ Black

Queen's Gambit Declined

D02-D69

1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6

beginner ♚ Black

Queen's Indian Defense

E12-E19

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6

beginner ♚ Black

Rapport-Jobava System

D01

1.d4 d5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Bf4

beginner ♚ Black

Rat Defense

A41-C00

1.e4 d6 2.f4

beginner ♚ Black

Réti Opening

A09-A14

1. Nf3 d5 2. c4

beginner ♚ Black

Reti Opening

A04-A12

1.Nf3 c5 2.g3

beginner ♔ White

Richter-Veresov Attack

D01

1.d4 Nf6 2.Nc3 d5 3.Bg5

beginner ♚ Black

Rubinstein Opening

D05

1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.e3 c5 4.Bd3 d5 5.b3

beginner ♚ Black

Ruy Lopez

C60

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5

beginner ♔ White

Ruy Lopez Anti-Marshall

C88

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 O-O 8.a4

advanced ♔ White

Ruy Lopez Breyer System for White

C94

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.c3 O-O 9.h3 Nb8 10.d4 Nbd7 11.Nbd2 Bb7 12.Bc2

advanced ♔ White

Ruy Lopez Closed

C92-C99

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.c3 O-O 9.h3 Na5 10.Bc2 c5 11.d4

advanced ♔ White

Ruy Lopez Deferred Steinitz

C73-C76

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 d6 5.c3 Bd7 6.d4 Nge7 7.Bb3

intermediate ♔ White

Ruy Lopez Exchange Variation

C68-C69

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.O-O f6 6.d4

intermediate ♔ White

Ruy Lopez Morphy Defense

C65

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3

intermediate ♔ White

Ruy Lopez Open Variation

C80-C83

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

advanced ♔ White

Ruy Lopez vs Archangel Defense

C78

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O b5 6.Bb3 Bc5 7.c3 d5 8.d4 Bb6

advanced ♔ White

Ruy Lopez Zaitsev Variation

C92

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.c3 O-O 9.h3 Bb7 10.d4 Re8 11.Nbd2 Bf8 12.a4

advanced ♔ White

Scandinavian Defense

B01

1.e4 d5

beginner ♚ Black

Scotch Classical: How to Beat 4...Bc5 as White

C45

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 Bc5

intermediate ♔ White

Scotch Four Knights: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3

C47

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3

intermediate ♔ White

Scotch Gambit: Attack with 4.Bc4

C44

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Bc4

intermediate ♔ White

Scotch Game

C44-C45

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 Bc5 5.Nb3 Bb6 6.Nc3 Nf6 7.Bg5

beginner ♔ White

Semi-Slav Defense

D30-D49

1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c6

beginner ♚ Black

Sicilian Defense

A00-B99

1.e4 c5

beginner ♚ Black

Sicilian Najdorf

B90-B99

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6

advanced ♚ Black

Simagin Variation

D86-E60

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.g3 Bg7 4.Bg2 d6 5.Nf3 O-O 6.Nc3 Nc6 7.O-O Bg4

beginner ♚ Black

Slav Defense

D10-D19

1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6

beginner ♚ Black

Slav Indian

A40-A50

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c6

beginner ♚ Black

Slow Italian

C50

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.d3 Nf6 5.O-O O-O 6.Re1

beginner ♔ White

Sodium Attack

A00

1.Na3

beginner ♚ Black

St. George Defence

B00

1.e4 a6

beginner ♚ Black

St. George Defense

A00-B00

1.e4 a6

beginner ♚ Black

Tarrasch Defense

D32-D34

1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c5

beginner ♚ Black

Tejler Gambit

D00

1.d4 d5 2.e4 dxe4 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.f3 exf3 5.Qxf3 Qxd4 6.Be3 Qg4

beginner ♚ Black

Torre Attack

A46-D03

1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.Bg5

beginner ♚ Black

Trompowsky

A45-D00

1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5

beginner ♚ Black

Trompowsky Attack

A45

1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5

beginner ♚ Black

Two Knights Defense

C57-C59

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 Bc5 5.Nxf7 Bxf2+

beginner ♚ Black

Van Geet

A00

1.Nc3 d5

beginner ♚ Black

Van Geet Opening

A00-C31

1.Nc3

beginner ♚ Black

Van't Kruijs Opening

A00

1.e3

beginner ♚ Black

Vienna

C25-C28

1.e4 e5 2.Nc3

beginner ♚ Black

Vienna Gambit

C25-C29

1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.f4

beginner ♚ Black

Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense

C25

1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.f4 exf4 4.Nf3

beginner ♚ Black

Vienna Game

C25-C29

1.e4 e5 2.Nc3

beginner ♚ Black

Ware Opening

A00

1.a4

beginner ♚ Black

Zukertort Defense

A04

1.Nf3 Nh6 2.d4 g6

beginner ♚ Black

Zukertort Opening

A04-A41

1. Nf3

beginner ♚ Black