Three things every opening is about
Every opening on this page, from the Italian Game to the Grünfeld Defense, tries to achieve the same three things. They just go about it in different ways.
- The center. The squares d4, e4, d5 and e5 are the middle of the board. A piece in the center reaches further in every direction, and whoever controls the center finds it easier to move their pieces where they are needed.
- Development. Get the knights and bishops off the back rank. Every move in the opening should ideally bring a new piece into play. If you move the same piece several times, your opponent gets ahead.
- King safety. Castle in time. A king left in the middle when the lines open is the most common way to lose quickly.
Open games: 1.e4 e5
Both sides put a pawn in the center. Quick development, open lines and often early fights over f7 and f2.
C50–C54 · chosen by White
Italian Game
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4
The bishop to c4 aims at f7. Classical, logical and perfect to learn first.
C60–C99 · chosen by White
Ruy Lopez
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5
The bishop to b5 presses on e5 from a distance. The masters' favorite since the 1800s.
C30–C39 · chosen by White
King's Gambit
1. e4 e5 2. f4
2.f4 sacrifices a pawn for the initiative. The great attacking opening of the 1800s.
C44–C45 · chosen by White
Scotch Game
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4
3.d4 at once: an open game, free pieces and no long maneuvering.
C42–C43 · chosen by Black
Petrov's Defense
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6
Black strikes back at e4 instead of protecting e5. A solid choice that several world champions have trusted.
C51–C52 · chosen by White
Evans Gambit
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4
White sacrifices the b-pawn for tempo and the center. Romantic chess from the 1800s.
Semi-open games: Black answers 1.e4 with something other than 1…e5
Black lets White take space in the center and strikes back in their own way. Here you'll find the most popular defenses of all.
B20–B99 · chosen by Black
Sicilian Defense
1. e4 c5
1…c5 breaks the symmetry at once. Combative, sharp and loved by Fischer and Kasparov.
C00–C19 · chosen by Black
French Defense
1. e4 e6
1…e6 and 2…d5. Black builds a wall and attacks White's pawn chain at the base.
B10–B19 · chosen by Black
Caro-Kann Defense
1. e4 c6
1…c6 and 2…d5. As stable as the French, but the bishop on c8 gets out.
B01 · chosen by Black
Scandinavian Defense
1. e4 d5
1…d5 at once. Black forces an open game from the first move.
B07–B09 · chosen by Black
Pirc Defense
1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6
Black fianchettoes and lets White take the center, then strikes at it.
B02–B05 · chosen by Black
Alekhine Defense
1. e4 Nf6
1…Nf6 lures White's pawns forward to attack them later. Provocative and hypermodern.
Closed games: 1.d4
The Queen's Gambit, the Indian defenses and systems. Slower and more positional, but just as sharp when things explode.
D06–D69 · chosen by White
Queen's Gambit
1. d4 d5 2. c4
2.c4 challenges d5. The classical d4 opening, with a Swedish variation among its lines.
A46, A48, D02 · chosen by White
London System
1. d4 d5 2. Bf4
A system rather than an opening: the same good setup against almost anything Black does.
E60–E99 · chosen by Black
King's Indian Defense
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6
Let White take the center, strike back with e5 and storm the kingside.
D10–D19 · chosen by Black
Slav Defense
1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6
2…c6: solid as a wall, and the bishop on c8 is free.
E20–E59 · chosen by Black
Nimzo-Indian Defense
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4
3…Bb4: pin the knight, stop e4, and be ready to trade the bishop for doubled pawns.
A80–A99 · chosen by Black
Dutch Defense
1. d4 f5
1…f5: a fight for e4 and an attack on the kingside, at the price of a slightly airy king.
D80–D99 · chosen by Black
Grünfeld Defense
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5
Black lets White build a center and then goes after it. Hypermodern and sharp.
Flank openings
White starts on the side and controls the center from a distance.
Two mates everyone should know
There are two quick mates that every chess player runs into sooner or later, on the right or the wrong side of the board. Learn to recognize them, and you won't lose in four moves.
Fool's Mate: as fast as it gets
Mate after just two moves. White weakens the diagonal to the king with two pawn moves, and Black's queen strikes on h4. It hardly ever happens outside someone's very first game, but it's good to know why: don't move your f- and g-pawns early without a reason.
Scholar's Mate: the queen and bishop against f7
White aims the bishop and the queen at f7, which at the start of the game is protected only by the king. Against a careless reply it is mate on move four. The defense is simple once you know it: protect f7 and develop with tempo against the queen, for example with …g6 and …Nf6 in the right order.
4. Qxf7#
Scholar's Mate. The queen can't be taken, because the bishop on c4 protects it.
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- 2.
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- 4.…
Both lines have been checked against the rules of chess.
Frequently asked questions
Which chess opening is best for beginners?
The one that follows the basic principles: take space in the center, develop your knights and bishops, castle. With White, the Italian Game (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4) is a classic first choice, and the London System is popular because the same setup works against almost anything. With Black, 1…e5 against 1.e4 and 1…d5 against 1.d4 are good places to start.
Do you have to learn opening theory by heart?
No. The most important thing is to understand why the moves are played. If you know what the opening is trying to achieve, you'll find good moves even when your opponent does something unexpected. Learning lines by heart only becomes important at a higher level.
What do the ECO codes mean?
ECO stands for Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings, a reference work that divides the openings into five groups, A to E, with a hundred codes in each. B20–B99, for example, is the Sicilian Defense. The codes make it easy to find an opening in databases and books.
What is the difference between a game, a defense and a gambit?
It is mostly tradition. Openings that White steers are often called a game, an opening or an attack, such as the Italian Game or the English Opening. Openings that Black chooses are often called a defense, and a gambit is an opening where someone sacrifices material, usually a pawn, to gain time or the initiative.
From theory to practice
Openings are best learned by playing them. Choose an opponent who suits your level and try one opening at a time.
20 openings have a page of their own, and every move on them has been checked against the rules of chess.
Updated November 6, 2026
2… Qh4#
Mate. The king can't escape and no piece can block.