4.

Opening

Topics

Introduction
Most common openings
Open games
Semi open games
Closed games
Semi closed games
Flank opening

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Introduction

Opening is the most important part of a Chess game it determines the

whole game.
Advantage obtained in opening can be kept until the end of the game if
played wisely.
Opening usually lasts first 12 moves with all or most of the pieces still on
board.
Pawns, Knights, Bishops are mostly pieces first introduce, while rooks
come in play later.
Opening goal
Material advantage
Better position
Basic opening rules are not followed if opponent makes mistakes.
In opening a player should try to obtain event the slightest advantage
which could be used later in a game.
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Introduction

Terms used in Opening

The oldest names are called after the countries where they first appeared.
Openings are also called after the players who first played or analyzed them.
Game
Used only for the oldest openings (Vienna game, Scotch game)
Opening
Most common term (with variant) (English opening)
Variant
Used to describe some more common opening (Stanley
variant of a Vienna game)
Defense
Always refers to Black opening (Slavic defense); it does not
have to be always passive
Gambit
Opening including a sacrifice (one or two Pawns)
Gambit can be played by White or Black
Full name contains term accepted or declined depending
whether the sacrifice was accepted or no (Queen gambit
accepted/rejected)

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Introduction

Types of Opening

Open game
Game where both players play with King Pawn 2 squares 1. e4 e5
Semi open game
Only White plays with King Pawn 2 squares, while Black breaks the
symmetry by playing some other move than e5, thus -1. e4 except e5
Closed game
Game starts with 1. d4 d5 (Queen Pawns move 2 squares)
Semi closed game
White plays 1. d4, but Black does not play symmetrical 1. d5.
Flank opening
White attacks the center from the flank rather than to occupy it with
Pawns.
For a beginner it is advisable to play Open games.
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Introduction
Encyclopedia of Chess Openings (ECO) code index

ECO coding is a system of Chess opening with 500 codes, from A to E, each with 100
openings, in use since 1966.
Groups are divided by opening move:
Group A (unusual, English and other openings)
- 1. except 1.e4, 1.d4
- 1.d4 except 1..d5, 1..Sf6
- 1.d4 Sf6 except 2.c4
- 1.d4 Sf6 2.c4 except 2..e6, 2..g6
Group B (Sicilian and other semi closed defenses)
- 1.e4 except 1..c5, 1..e6, 1..e5
- 1.e4 c5
Group C (French defense and open games)
- 1.e4 e6
- 1.e4 e5
Group D (Queen Pawn, Queen gambit and Grunfeld defense)
- 1.d4 d5
- 1.d4 Sf6 2.c4 g6 plus..d7-d5
Group E (Indian defense and Catalonian defense)
- 1.d4 Sf6 2.c4 e6
- 1.d4 Sf6 2.c4 g6 minus..d7-d5
More on: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_chess_openings
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Most common openings

Open games

Semi open games

Queen gambit - declined

Semi closed game

French defense
Sicilian defense
Alekhine defense
Scandinavian defense (Center counter defense)

Closed games

Italian game (Giuoco Piano)

Spanish game (Ruy Lopez)
Scottish game

Indian defense

Flank opening

Reti opening
English opening

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Open games

Italian game (Giuoco Piano )

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Oldest written opening from 1490. In that
time Italy was the strongest country in
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Chess.
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1.e4 e5
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2. Sf3 Sc6
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3. Lc4 Lc5
4
4
Next there are several variants...
3
With passive variant White can play 4. Nc3, 3
5. d3 and rook the King. Black can play the 2
2
same.
1
1
With active variant White can play 4. c3,
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after which Black plays ... Nf6 or ...De7; 5.
d4 exd4
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Open games

Spanish game (Ruy Lopez)

Comes from Ruy Lopez de Segure,
Spanish Bishop who lived in 16th
century.
1.e4 e5
2. Nf3 Nc6
3. Bb5
Early attack on a piece controlling the
center squares.
... a6
4. Ba4 Nf6
5. 0-0!
Black can now play several variants
One is ... Be7
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Open games

Spanish game (Ruy Lopez)

Open defense

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1.e4 e5
2. Nf3 Nc6
3. Bb5
... a6
4. Ba4 Nf6
5. 0-0! Ne4
With this initiative Black
compensates weaker Pawn position,
and White must return the Pawn and
keep the position at the same time.

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Open games

Spanish game (Ruy Lopez)

Steinitz system

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1.e4 e5
7
2. Nf3 Nc6
6
3. Bb5
5
... a6
4
4. Ba4 Nf6
3
5. d3 d6
By defending a Pawn on e4, White keeps 2
an option of rooking on left side,
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depending on the development of the
situation.
This slower variant is less dangerous for
Black.

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Open games

Scottish game
Received a name after a corresponding
Chess match between Edinburgh and
London in period from 1824-1828g.
1.e4 e5
2. Nf3 Nc6
3. d4 exd4
Taking with knight Nxd4 is also
possible, but not very often today.
Next, several variants are possible.
One is 4. Nxd4 Bc5, 5. Be3 Qf6
Other is 4. Nxd4 Nf6, 5. Nc3 Bb4

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Semi open games

French defense

Classic variant

While Black must know well only one

defending variant (the one he plays),
White must know them all. However,
White still have the initiative.
Even though it was known since 1497,
French players analyzed it most.
1. e4 e6
2. d4 d5
3. Nc3 Nf6
4. Bg5
White pins the Black Knight
... Be7
5. e5 Nd7
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Semi open games

French defense

Winawer variant

1. e4 e6
2. d4 d5
3. Nc3 Bb4!
Black attacks already in 3rd move and
pins the Knight.
4. e5 c5
5. a3
White try to chase away the Bishop or
make him take the Knight.
... cxd4 (also Bxc3+)

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Semi open games

French defense

Tarrasch variant

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1. e4 e6
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2. d4 d5
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3. Nd2!
6
White defends the Pawn on e4, prevents 6
the Black to pin the Bishop and enables
5
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move c3 when desired.
4
The only down side is closing the Bishop 4
3
which comes into play later anyhow.
3
Knight can move out of its way later
2
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when necessary.
1
1
... c5
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4. exd5 exd5
5. Bb5+ Nc6
Black has Pawn on d5 which is hard to
defend.
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Semi open games

Sicilian defense

Variant Dragon

Analyzed by Giulio Polerio at the

end of 16th century.
1. e4 c5
Black avoids the symmetry.
2. Nf3 d6
3. d4 cxd4
Black changes Pawns away from the
centre for the one closer to centre.
4. Nxd4 Nf6!
Essential move for Black
development!
5. Nc3 g6
Black can next play Bg6

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Semi open games

Alekhine defense
Former World champion introduced
this defense in Budapest in 1921.
Black lures White to chase his
Knight with excessive Pawn
advancement.
1. e4 Nf6
Provocative move. White must
defend the Pawn or advance.
2. e5 Nd5
Black Knight is at square where it
can be easily attacked.
3. c4 Nb6
4. d4 d6
Black attacks for the first time!
5. exd4 exd4

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Semi open games

Scandinavian defense (Center

counter defense)
First time mentioned by Spanish
Luis Ramirez de Lucena in 1497.
1. e4 d5
Center counter attack.
2. exd5 Qxd5
3. Nc3
White develops and attacks at the
same time opponent Queen.
... Qa5
4. d4 Nf6
Black must develop as soon as
possible.
5. Nf3 Bg4

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Closed games

Queen gambit - declined

First time mentioned in Gottingen writings
in 1490, but adopted in Vienna tournament
in 1873.
1. d4 d5
2. c4
Queen gambit White offers a Pawn to
lure the Black in losing a Pawn controlling
the centre square.
e6
Black does not take the Pawn, because
White could easily gain it back with a
better position.
3. Nc3 Nf6
4. Bg5 Nd7
5. e3 Be7
Second variant is ... Be7, 5. e3 0-0

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Semi closed games

Indian defense
1. d4
Black tries to attack the center
indirectly, instead of moving Pawns in
the center squares.
... Nf6
2. c4
There are several possibilities now.
One is
... c5, 3. d5 b5 (Benko Gambit).
Other is ... e6, 3. Nc3 Bb4 (NimzoIndian defense).
Third possibility is ... g6, 3. Nc3 Bg7
(King Indian defense)
There are many other variants.

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a b c d e f g h

Flank opening

Reti opening
Richard Reti, born in Austria-Hungary,
later played for Czechoslovakia,
introduced this opening in 1920s.
Hyper modern opening which includes
flank attacks of distant pieces and a
fianchetto.
White allows the Black taking over of
centre in order to attack it afterwards!
1. Nf3 d5
2. c4 c6
3. b3 Nf6
4. g3 Bf5
5. Bg2 Nd7

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Flank opening

English opening
Introduced by Howard Staunton in
the mid 19th century, but it spread
only in mid 20th century.
1. c4
Reversed Sicilian defense. If it is good
for Black, it can be good for White as
well!
... e5
2. Nc3 Nf6
3. Nf3 Nc6
This position is also called Game of 4
Knights.
Next it can be played
4. d4 exd4, 5. Nxd4 Bb4

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