Chess Openings

Practical guides to the openings you’ll actually face — the main line, the ideas, and the plans that win games. Then let your AI coach show you where you go wrong in your own.

Featured

Italian GameC50

A classic, principled opening — develop fast, aim the bishop at f7, and fight for the center.

Ruy Lopez (Spanish)C60

The Spanish — long-term pressure on Black’s center and knight. A favourite at every level.

Sicilian DefenseB20

Black’s most popular, most aggressive answer to 1.e4 — unbalanced, fighting chess.

French DefenseC00

Solid and strategic — Black builds a pawn chain and strikes the center with ...d5 and ...c5.

Caro-Kann DefenseB10

Sturdy and low-risk — challenge the center with ...d5 while keeping a sound structure.

Queen’s GambitD06

Not really a gambit — White pressures Black’s center and plays for a lasting space edge.

King’s Indian DefenseE60

Hand over the center, then storm it — Black fianchettoes and launches a kingside attack.

London SystemD02

A low-theory, reliable setup you can play against almost anything — develop and attack on autopilot.

Browse all openings

A Flank & English openings · 74

Irregular Opening Grob Attack Polish Opening Amar Opening Amsterdam Attack Anderssen's Opening Barnes Opening Clemenz Opening Global Opening Grob Opening Hungarian Opening Kadas Opening Lasker Simul Special Mieses Opening Polish Opening, with d5 Polish Opening, with d5 Saragossa Opening Sodium Attack Valencia Opening Van Geet Opening Van't Kruijs Opening Ware Opening Nimzo-Larsen Attack Bird's Opening Bird Opening Reti Opening Reti Opening Reti Opening English Opening English Orangutan English Orangutan Queen's Pawn Game Australian Defense English Defense English Defense Englund Gambit Englund Gambit Declined Horwitz Defense Kangaroo Defense Mikenas Defense Montevideo Defense Polish Defense Zaire Defense Modern Defense Trompowsky Attack Döry Defense Yusupov-Rubinstein System Dory Defense Marienbad System Pseudo Queen's Indian Defense East Indian Defense London System London System London System London System, with Bd3 London System, with Be2 London System, with Be2 London System, with Be2 London System London System Mexican Defense Queen's Indian Accelerated Slav Indian Indian Defense Budapest Gambit Old Indian Defense Benoni Defense Vulture Defense Benko Gambit Benko Gambit Accepted Benko Gambit Benoni Defense Dutch Defense Dutch Defense

B Semi-open games (Sicilian, Caro-Kann) · 42

Nimzowitsch Defense Barnes Defense Borg Defense Carr Defense Duras Gambit Fried Fox Defense Goldsmith Defense Hippopotamus Defense Hippopotamus Defense King's Pawn Game Lemming Defense Nimzowitsch Defense Owen Defense Pirc Defense Pirc Defense Pirc Defense St. George Defense Ware Defense Scandinavian Defense Scandinavian Defense Alekhine Defense Alekhine Defense Alekhine Defense Alekhine Defense Modern Defense Modern Defense Pirc Defense Czech Defense Pirc Defense Caro-Kann Defense Caro-Kann Defense Caro-Kann Defense Caro-Kann Defense Caro-Kann Defense Caro-Kann Defense Caro-Kann Defense Sicilian Defense Sicilian Defense Sicilian Defense Sicilian Defense Sicilian Defense Sicilian Defense

C Open games & the French · 41

French Defense King's Pawn Game Bongcloud Attack Center Game King's Pawn Opening Portuguese Opening Center Game Center Game Accepted Danish Gambit Danish Gambit Accepted Bishop's Opening Vienna Game Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense King's Gambit King's Gambit Declined King's Gambit Accepted King's Knight Opening Elephant Gambit Gunderam Defense Latvian Gambit Latvian Gambit Accepted Philidor Defense Petrov Defense Petrov's Defense Petrovs Defense Petrovs Defense Petrovs Defense Petrovs Defense Petrovs Defense Scotch Game Irish Gambit Ponziani Opening Scotch Game Scotch Game Scotch Game Three Knights Game Three Knights Opening Three Knights Opening Four Knights Game Italian Game Ruy Lopez

D Closed & semi-closed games · 34

Queen's Pawn Game Amazon Attack Blackmar-Diemer Gambit Blackmar-Diemer Gambit Blackmar-Diemer Gambit Accepted Queen's Pawn Game Queen's Pawn Game Rapport-Jobava System Rapport-Jobava System Rapport-Jobava System Rapport-Jobava System, with e6 Richter-Veresov Attack Richter-Veresov Attack Colle System Rubinstein Opening Queen's Gambit Slav Defense Slav Defense Slav Defense Queen's Gambit Accepted Queen's Gambit Accepted Queen's Gambit Accepted Queen's Gambit Accepted Queen's Gambit Declined Queen's Gambit Declined Tarrasch Defense Queen's Gambit Declined Semi-Slav Defense Semi-Slav Defense Accepted Queen's Gambit Declined Queen's Gambit Declined Queen's Gambit Declined Neo-Grunfeld Defense Grunfeld Defense

E Indian defenses · 10

Catalan Opening Queen's Indian Defense Queen's Indian Defense Nimzo-Indian Defense Nimzo-Indian Defense Nimzo-Indian Defense King's Indian Defense Queen's Pawn, Mengarini Attack King's Indian Defense King's Indian Defense