King's Pawn Game
Encyclopedia
The King's Pawn Game is any chess opening
starting with the move:
White opens with the most popular of the twenty possible opening moves. Though effective in winning for White (54.25%), it is not as successful as the four next most common openings for White: 1.d4 (55.95%), 1.Nf3 (55.8%), 1.c4 (56.3%), and 1.g3 (55.8%). Since nearly all of these openings have names of their own, the term "King's Pawn Game", unlike Queen's Pawn Game
, is rarely used to describe the opening of the game.
Advancing the king's pawn two squares is highly useful because it occupies a center square, attacks the center square d5, and allows the development of White's king's
bishop
and queen
. Chess legend Bobby Fischer
said that the King's Pawn Game is "best by test".
King's Pawn Games are further classified by whether Black responds with 1...e5 or not. Openings beginning with 1.e4 e5 are called Double King's Pawn Games (or Openings), Symmetrical King's Pawn Games (or Openings), or Open Games
– these terms are equivalent. Openings where Black responds to 1.e4 with a move other than 1...e5 are called Asymmetrical King's Pawn Games or Semi-Open Game
s.
The Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings
classifies all King's Pawn Games into volumes B or C: volume C if the game starts with 1.e4 e6 (the French Defence
) or 1.e4 e5; volume B if Black answers 1.e4 with any other move.
The rare instances where the opening does not fall into a more specific category than "King's Pawn Game" are included in codes B00 (includes the Nimzowitsch Defence
and unusual moves after 1.e4), C20 (includes Alapin's Opening
and unusual moves after 1.e4 e5), C40 (includes the Latvian Gambit
and unusual moves after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3), and C50 (includes the Hungarian Defense, the Giuoco Pianissimo, and unusual moves after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4).
.
Chess opening
A chess opening is the group of initial moves of a chess game. Recognized sequences of opening moves are referred to as openings as initiated by White or defenses, as created in reply by Black. There are many dozens of different openings, and hundreds of named variants. The Oxford Companion to...
starting with the move:
- 1. e4
White opens with the most popular of the twenty possible opening moves. Though effective in winning for White (54.25%), it is not as successful as the four next most common openings for White: 1.d4 (55.95%), 1.Nf3 (55.8%), 1.c4 (56.3%), and 1.g3 (55.8%). Since nearly all of these openings have names of their own, the term "King's Pawn Game", unlike Queen's Pawn Game
Queen's Pawn Game
In the most general sense the term Queen's Pawn Game can refer to any chess opening which starts with the move:It is the second most popular opening move. The name is now usually used to describe openings beginning with the moves 1.d4 d5 where White does not follow through with an early pawn...
, is rarely used to describe the opening of the game.
Advancing the king's pawn two squares is highly useful because it occupies a center square, attacks the center square d5, and allows the development of White's king's
King (chess)
In chess, the king is the most important piece. The object of the game is to trap the opponent's king so that its escape is not possible . If a player's king is threatened with capture, it is said to be in check, and the player must remove the threat of capture on the next move. If this cannot be...
bishop
Bishop (chess)
A bishop is a piece in the board game of chess. Each player begins the game with two bishops. One starts between the king's knight and the king, the other between the queen's knight and the queen...
and queen
Queen (chess)
The queen is the most powerful piece in the game of chess, able to move any number of squares vertically, horizontally, or diagonally. Each player starts the game with one queen, placed in the middle of the first rank next to the king. With the chessboard oriented correctly, the white queen starts...
. Chess legend Bobby Fischer
Bobby Fischer
Robert James "Bobby" Fischer was an American chess Grandmaster and the 11th World Chess Champion. He is widely considered one of the greatest chess players of all time. Fischer was also a best-selling chess author...
said that the King's Pawn Game is "best by test".
King's Pawn Games are further classified by whether Black responds with 1...e5 or not. Openings beginning with 1.e4 e5 are called Double King's Pawn Games (or Openings), Symmetrical King's Pawn Games (or Openings), or Open Games
Open Games
An Open Game is a chess opening which begins with the moves:White has moved the king's pawn forward two squares and Black replies in kind, the result being an Open Game....
– these terms are equivalent. Openings where Black responds to 1.e4 with a move other than 1...e5 are called Asymmetrical King's Pawn Games or Semi-Open Game
Semi-Open Game
A Semi-Open Game is a chess opening in which White plays 1.e4 and Black breaks symmetry immediately by replying with a move other than 1...e5.The Semi-Open Games are also called Single King Pawn Games, and are the complement of the Open Games or Double King Pawn Games which begin 1.e4 e5.-Popular...
s.
The Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings
Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings
The Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings is a classification system for the opening moves in a game of chess. It is presented as a five volume book collection describing chess openings...
classifies all King's Pawn Games into volumes B or C: volume C if the game starts with 1.e4 e6 (the French Defence
French Defence
The French Defence is a chess opening. It is characterised by the moves:The French has a reputation for solidity and resilience, though it can result in a somewhat cramped game for Black in the early stages...
) or 1.e4 e5; volume B if Black answers 1.e4 with any other move.
The rare instances where the opening does not fall into a more specific category than "King's Pawn Game" are included in codes B00 (includes the Nimzowitsch Defence
Nimzowitsch Defence
The Nimzowitsch Defence is a somewhat unusual chess opening, in which Black moves 1... Nc6 in reply to White's 1.e4. It is an example of a hypermodern opening where Black invites White to occupy the centre of the board at an early stage with pawns...
and unusual moves after 1.e4), C20 (includes Alapin's Opening
Alapin's Opening
Alapin's Opening is an unusual chess opening that starts with the moves:Although this opening is rarely used, Ljubojević played against it at Groningen in 1970.Alapin's Opening is offbeat, but perfectly playable for White....
and unusual moves after 1.e4 e5), C40 (includes the Latvian Gambit
Latvian Gambit
The Latvian Gambit is an aggressive but dubious chess opening, which often leads to wild and tricky positions. This opening is uncommon at the top level of over-the-board play, but some correspondence chess players are devoted to it...
and unusual moves after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3), and C50 (includes the Hungarian Defense, the Giuoco Pianissimo, and unusual moves after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4).
Popular continuations
The Black responses which are given one or more chapters in the Encyclopedia of Chess Openings (ECO) are given below, ranked in order of popularity according to ChessBaseChessBase
ChessBase GmbH is a German company that markets chess software, maintains a chess news site, and operates a server for online chess. Set up in 1998, it maintains and sells massive databases, containing most historic games, that permit analysis that had not been possible prior to computing...
.
- 1... c5, the Sicilian DefenceSicilian DefenceThe Sicilian Defence is a chess opening that begins with the moves:The Sicilian is the most popular and best-scoring response to White's first move 1.e4...
, is in modern practice the most common continuation. The Sicilian Defence allows Black to fight for the center by preparing to meet a d2–d4 advance with ...c5xd4. The Sicilian is among the sharpest and most analyzed openings in chess, and it has eighty chapters, B20–B99, set aside for it in ECO. - 1... e5 leads to the classical Open Games, which includes openings like the Ruy LopezRuy LopezThe Ruy Lopez, also called the Spanish Opening or Spanish Game, is a chess opening characterised by the moves:-History:The opening is named after the 16th century Spanish priest Ruy López de Segura, who made a systematic study of this and other openings in the 150-page book on chess Libro del...
, King's GambitKing's GambitThe King's Gambit is a chess opening that begins with the moves:White offers a pawn to divert the Black e-pawn so as to build a strong centre with d2–d4...
, Italian GameItalian GameThe Italian Game is a family of chess openings beginning with the moves:The game's defining move is the White king's bishop's move to c4 in preparation for an early attack on Black's vulnerable f7-square. As such the game is typified by aggressive play, where Black's best chances are often...
, Scotch GameScotch GameThe Scotch Game is a chess opening that begins with the movesWhite aims to dominate the centre by exchanging his d-pawn for Black's e-pawn. Black usually plays 3...exd4, as he has no good way to maintain his pawn on e5...
and Petroff Defense. Also in this opening, Black is ready to meet a d2–d4 advance with e5xd4. These openings are covered in chapters C20–C99 in ECO. - 1... e6 is the French DefenceFrench DefenceThe French Defence is a chess opening. It is characterised by the moves:The French has a reputation for solidity and resilience, though it can result in a somewhat cramped game for Black in the early stages...
, covered in chapters C00–C19 in ECO. Black's restrained response allows White to play 2.d4. This gives White a spatial advantage, with two pawns in the center to Black's one. One or the other player will usually resolve the center tension, either by Black playing ...dxe4 or White advancing with e5. In the latter case, Black typically works to undermine White's pawn center with ...c5 and/or ...f6. - 1... c6 is the Caro-Kann DefenceCaro-Kann DefenceThe Caro-Kann Defence is a chess opening —a common defense against the King's Pawn Opening characterised by the moves:The usual continuation isfollowed by 3.Nc3 , 3.Nd2 , 3.exd5 , or 3.e5 . The classical variation has gained much popularity...
, covered in chapters B10–B19 in ECO. Like the French, this is also considered to be a solid reply, but Black will often need to surrender control over the center (e.g., after 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Black usually plays 3...dxe4). On the other hand, the light-squared bishop will usually not wind up trapped behind its own pawns, as is common in the French. - 1... d6 is the Pirc DefencePirc DefenceThe Pirc Defence |grandmasters]]), sometimes known as the Ufimtsev Defence or Yugoslav Defence, is a chess opening characterised by Black responding to 1.e4 with 1...d6 and 2...Nf6, followed by ...g6 and ...Bg7, while allowing White to establish an impressive-looking centre with pawns on d4 and e4...
, a hypermodern defense in which Black allows White to construct a dominant center, with the intention of subverting it later. - 1... g6 usually leads to related openings called the Pirc Defense (1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6) and Modern DefenseModern DefenseThe Modern Defense is a hypermodern chess opening in which Black allows White to occupy the center with pawns on d4 and e4, then proceeds to attack and undermine this "ideal" center without attempting to occupy it himself...
, respectively. These openings allow White to build up a pawn center with 2.d4, but Black will develop the king's bishop to g7 and strike back at the center. These openings are covered in chapters B06–B09 in ECO. - 1... Nf6 is the Alekhine Defense, which invites White to attack the knight with 2.e5. Black is often forced to spend time moving the knight several times as it is chased around the board, all the while allowing White to build up a broad pawn center. Black counts on the pawns becoming overextended so that he can later undermine them. The Alekhine is covered in chapters B02–B05 of ECO.
- 1... d5, the Scandinavian DefenseScandinavian DefenseThe Scandinavian Defense is a chess opening characterized by the moves:The Center Counter Defense is one of the oldest recorded openings, first recorded as being played between Francesco di Castellvi and Narciso Vinyoles in Valencia in 1475 in what may be the first recorded game of modern chess,...
or Center Counter Defense, is a direct strike at the pawn at e4, forcing the situation in the center. After 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3, however, White gains time by attacking Black's prematurely developed queenQueen (chess)The queen is the most powerful piece in the game of chess, able to move any number of squares vertically, horizontally, or diagonally. Each player starts the game with one queen, placed in the middle of the first rank next to the king. With the chessboard oriented correctly, the white queen starts...
. Alternatively, Black can play 2...Nf6 (the Marshall GambitMarshall GambitThe Marshall Gambit may refer to a number of chess openings named after the American chess master Frank Marshall.*The Marshall Gambit in the Scandinavian Defense...
), when White chooses between 3.d4 Nxd5 4.c4 with a spatial advantage, or 3.c4, when Black usually offers a gambitGambitA gambit is a chess opening in which a player, most often White, sacrifices material, usually a pawn, with the hope of achieving a resulting advantageous position. Some well-known examples are the King's Gambit , Queen's Gambit , and Evans Gambit...
with either 3...c6 or 3...e6. The Scandinavian is covered in chapter B01 in ECO.
Uncommon continuations
Apart from these eight responses, all other replies from Black are covered together in ECO chapter B00 ("Uncommon King's Pawn Opening"). A few of these are not entirely obscure, and have received extensive analysis.- 1... Nc6 is the Nimzowitsch DefenceNimzowitsch DefenceThe Nimzowitsch Defence is a somewhat unusual chess opening, in which Black moves 1... Nc6 in reply to White's 1.e4. It is an example of a hypermodern opening where Black invites White to occupy the centre of the board at an early stage with pawns...
. After 2.d4, there are two distinctive main lines: 2...e5, favored by BritishGreat BritainGreat Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
grandmaster Tony MilesTony MilesAnthony John Miles was an English chess Grandmaster.- Early achievements in chess :Miles was born in Edgbaston, a suburb of Birmingham...
, and 2...d5, introduced and often played by the influential LatviaLatviaLatvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
n-DanishDenmarkDenmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
player and writer Aron NimzowitschAron NimzowitschAron Nimzowitsch was a Russian-born Danish unofficial chess grandmaster and a very influential chess writer...
(1886–1935). - 1... b6 is Owen's DefenseOwen's DefenseOwen's Defence is an uncommon chess opening defined by the moves:By playing 1...b6, Black prepares to fianchetto the queen's bishop where it will participate in the battle for the centre. The downside of this plan is that White can occupy the centre with pawns and gain a spatial advantage...
, preparing to develop Black's bishop to b7 to put pressure on White's center. - 1... a6 is the St. George Defence. Black prepares to advance on the queenside with 2...b5, but allows White to occupy the center with 2.d4. The opening gained some attention after Miles used it to defeat Anatoly KarpovAnatoly KarpovAnatoly Yevgenyevich Karpov is a Russian chess grandmaster and former World Champion. He was the official world champion from 1975 to 1985 when he was defeated by Garry Kasparov. He played three matches against Kasparov for the title from 1986 to 1990, before becoming FIDE World Champion once...
in 1980. - 1... g5 is the Borg Defence ("Grob" backwards) or Basman Defence, often played by IM Michael BasmanMichael BasmanMichael John Basman is an English chess player, chess author and International Master. He was awarded the International Master title in 1980...
. The move weakens the kingside severely, but according to Modern Chess OpeningsModern Chess OpeningsModern Chess Openings is an important reference book on the chess openings, first published in 1911 by the British players Richard Clewin Griffith and John Herbert White...
(MCO), Black is only somewhat worse.
Rare continuations
The remaining replies to 1.e4 are very rare, and have not received significant and serious attention by masters. MCO does not cover them, considering them so bad to not merit discussion. These openings sometimes lead to wild and exciting games, and are occasionally employed by weaker players to get better trained opponents "out-of-book". Some have exotic names, they are listed below along with instances where they have been used by strong players.- 1... a5, the Corn Stalk Defense. United States chess player Preston WarePreston WarePreston Ware Jr. was a U.S. chess player. He is best known today for playing unorthodox chess openings.Ware was born in Wrentham, Massachusetts, and died in Boston, Massachusetts.-Boston Mardarins:...
played the Corn Stalk in eleven recorded tournament games from 1880 to 1882, winning four and losing seven. - 1... Na6, called the Lemming Defense in Unorthodox Chess Openings, develops the knight to an inferior square. The line has been suggested against some older computers, hoping for 2.Bxa6 bxa6, when Black has the bishop pair and a quick fianchettoFianchettoIn chess the fianchetto is a pattern of development wherein a bishop is developed to the second rank of the adjacent knight file, the knight pawn having been moved one or two squares forward....
as compensation for the doubled pawns. However, Black has no justification for playing 1...Na6 if White avoids this line. - 1... f5 is called the Duras Gambit in Unorthodox Chess Openings, and is also known as the Fred Defense. This is a pawn sacrificeSacrifice (chess)In chess, a sacrifice is a move giving up a piece in the hopes of gaining tactical or positional compensation in other forms. A sacrifice could also be a deliberate exchange of a chess piece of higher value for an opponent's piece of lower value....
which gives Black a lead in development after 2.exf5 Nf6. The line was played three times in an exhibition match between Ossip BernsteinOssip BernsteinOssip Samoilovich Bernstein was a Russian chess grandmaster and a financial lawyer.-Biography:...
and Oldřich DurasOldrich DurasOldřich Duras was a leading Czech chess master of the early 20th century...
. - 1... f6 is known as the Barnes Defense after Thomas Wilson BarnesThomas Wilson BarnesThomas Wilson Barnes was an English chess master, one of the leading British masters at the time of Paul Morphy's visit to the UK in 1858....
. Although this move is clearly inferior, taking away the f6-square from the knight and weakening Black's kingside, Barnes managed to defeat Paul MorphyPaul MorphyPaul Charles Morphy was an American chess player. He is considered to have been the greatest chess master of his era and an unofficial World Chess Champion. He was a chess prodigy...
with this defense in 1858. - 1... h5, the Goldsmith Defence or Pickering Defense. All this move does is waste a tempo weakening the kingside.
- 1... h6, called the Carr Defense in Unorthodox Chess Openings. This defense has also been used by Michael Basman, and is likely to transpose to the Borg Defense (after 2.d4 g5).
- 1... Nh6, the Adams Defense or Wild Bull Defense.
- 1... b5, the Polish Gambit, simply loses a pawn to 2.Bxb5.