Open Games
Encyclopedia
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.
Other responses to 1.e4 are termed Semi-Open Game
s, or Single King's Pawn Games.
The term Open Game can also refer to any chess position where ranks, files and diagonals are open, and usually favour tactical gameplay. Bishops are generally stronger than knights, due to their ability to cover longer distances compared to a knight on an open board.
and king's bishop
) for action. The oldest openings in chess follow 1.e4. Bobby Fischer
wrote that 1.e4 was "best by test". On the negative side, 1.e4 places a pawn
on an undefended square and weakens the squares d4 and f4; the Hungarian master Gyula Breyer
melodramatically declared that "After 1.e4, White's game is in its last throes." If Black keeps the symmetry by replying 1...e5, the result is an Open Game .
, preparing for a kingside castling
, and preparing for d2-d4. Black's most common reply is 2...Nc6, which usually leads to the Ruy Lopez
(3.Bb5), Italian Game
(3.Bc4), or Scotch Game
(3.d4), though 3.Nc3 Nf6 (the Four Knights Game
), often played in the late 19th-early 20th century, or, less commonly, 3....g6, (the Three Knights Game), are other possibilities. If Black instead maintains symmetry and counterattacks White's center with 2...Nf6 then the Petrov's Defense
will usually result, though White can avoid the extensive theory of the Petrov by playing 3.Nc3 if he wishes.
The most popular alternatives to 2.Nf3 are 2.Nc3 (the Vienna Game
), 2.Bc4 (the Bishop's Opening
) and 2.f4 (the King's Gambit
). These three openings have some similarities; some of the quieter lines in the Vienna and Bishop's Opening can transpose
to positional variations of the King's Gambit Declined, when White plays f2-f4 before playing Nf3. The King's Gambit was popular in the nineteenth century with grandmaster and amateur alike. White offers a pawn for speedy development, as well as to attack Black's central outpost. The Vienna Game also frequently features attacks on the Black center by means of f2-f4.
In the Center Game
(2.d4), White immediately opens the centre, though if the pawn is to be recovered after 2...exd4, White must prematurely develop his queen. An alternative is to sacrifice
one or two pawns by offering the Danish Gambit
(3.c3). The early development of the queen in the Parham Attack
(2.Qh5) or the Napoleon Opening
(2.Qf3) looks amateurish, though the Parham Attack has been played in a grandmaster tournament by no less a player than Hikaru Nakamura
.
The Philidor Defence
(2...d6), largely fell out of use after World War I
, as Black players sought positions offering more counterchances than the solid, though passive game which generally arises from this opening.
The Portuguese Opening
(2.Bb5), Alapin's Opening
(2.Ne2), Konstantinopolsky Opening
(2.Nf3 Nc6 3.g3), and Inverted Hungarian Opening
(2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Be2) are offbeat tries for White, though none promise any advantage in the face of correct play.
The Damiano Defense (2...f6) may be met by either 3.Nxe5 or 3.Bc4, with advantage; the Elephant Gambit
(2...d5) and the Latvian Gambit
(2...f5) are considered very risky for Black, with the latter usually seen only in correspondence play.
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...
which begins with the moves:
- 1. e4 e5
White has moved the king's pawn forward two squares and Black replies in kind, the result being an Open Game.
Other responses to 1.e4 are termed 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, or Single King's Pawn Games.
The term Open Game can also refer to any chess position where ranks, files and diagonals are open, and usually favour tactical gameplay. Bishops are generally stronger than knights, due to their ability to cover longer distances compared to a knight on an open board.
Analysis
White opens by playing 1.e4, which is the most popular opening move and has many strengths—it immediately stakes a claim in the center, and frees two pieces (the 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...
and king's 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...
) for action. The oldest openings in chess follow 1.e4. 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...
wrote that 1.e4 was "best by test". On the negative side, 1.e4 places a pawn
Pawn (chess)
The pawn is the most numerous and weakest piece in the game of chess, historically representing infantry, or more particularly armed peasants or pikemen. Each player begins the game with eight pawns, one on each square of the rank immediately in front of the other pieces...
on an undefended square and weakens the squares d4 and f4; the Hungarian master Gyula Breyer
Gyula Breyer
Gyula Breyer was a Hungarian chess player. He was a leading member of the hypermodern school of chess theory, which favored controlling the center with pressure from the flanks....
melodramatically declared that "After 1.e4, White's game is in its last throes." If Black keeps the symmetry by replying 1...e5, the result is an Open Game .
Defenses
The most popular second move for White is 2.Nf3, attacking Black's king pawnPawn (chess)
The pawn is the most numerous and weakest piece in the game of chess, historically representing infantry, or more particularly armed peasants or pikemen. Each player begins the game with eight pawns, one on each square of the rank immediately in front of the other pieces...
, preparing for a kingside castling
Castling
Castling is a special move in the game of chess involving the king and either of the original rooks of the same color. It is the only move in chess in which a player moves two pieces at the same time. Castling consists of moving the king two squares towards a rook on the player's first rank, then...
, and preparing for d2-d4. Black's most common reply is 2...Nc6, which usually leads to the Ruy Lopez
Ruy Lopez
The 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...
(3.Bb5), Italian Game
Italian Game
The 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...
(3.Bc4), or Scotch Game
Scotch Game
The 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...
(3.d4), though 3.Nc3 Nf6 (the Four Knights Game
Four Knights Game
The Four Knights Game is a chess opening that begins with the moves:The opening is fairly popular with beginners who strictly adhere to the opening principle: "Develop knights before bishops." It was one of the workhorses in the family of the Open Game, at even the highest levels, until World War...
), often played in the late 19th-early 20th century, or, less commonly, 3....g6, (the Three Knights Game), are other possibilities. If Black instead maintains symmetry and counterattacks White's center with 2...Nf6 then the Petrov's Defense
Petrov's Defence
Petrov's Defence is a chess opening characterised by the following moves:Though this symmetrical response has a long history, it was first popularised by Alexander Petrov, a Russian chess player of the mid-19th century...
will usually result, though White can avoid the extensive theory of the Petrov by playing 3.Nc3 if he wishes.
The most popular alternatives to 2.Nf3 are 2.Nc3 (the Vienna Game
Vienna Game
The Vienna Game is a chess opening that begins with the moves:White's second move is less common than 2.Nf3, and is also of more recent vintage; a book reviewer wrote in the New York Times in 1888 that "since Morphy only one new opening has been introduced, the 'Vienna.The original idea behind...
), 2.Bc4 (the Bishop's Opening
Bishop's Opening
The Bishop's Opening is a chess opening that begins with the moves:White attacks Black's f7-square and prevents Black from advancing his d-pawn to d5....
) and 2.f4 (the King's Gambit
King's Gambit
The 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...
). These three openings have some similarities; some of the quieter lines in the Vienna and Bishop's Opening can transpose
Transposition (chess)
A transposition in chess is a sequence of moves that results in a position which may also be reached by another, more common sequence of moves. Transpositions are particularly common in opening, where a given position may be reached by different sequences of moves...
to positional variations of the King's Gambit Declined, when White plays f2-f4 before playing Nf3. The King's Gambit was popular in the nineteenth century with grandmaster and amateur alike. White offers a pawn for speedy development, as well as to attack Black's central outpost. The Vienna Game also frequently features attacks on the Black center by means of f2-f4.
In the Center Game
Center Game
The Center Game is a chess opening that begins with the moves:The game usually continues 3.Qxd4 Nc6, developing with a gain of tempo due to the attack on the white queen....
(2.d4), White immediately opens the centre, though if the pawn is to be recovered after 2...exd4, White must prematurely develop his queen. An alternative is to sacrifice
Sacrifice (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....
one or two pawns by offering the Danish Gambit
Danish Gambit
The Danish Gambit, known as the in German, and the in Dutch, is a chess opening that begins with the moves:...
(3.c3). The early development of the queen in the Parham Attack
Parham Attack
The Parham Attack is an irregular chess opening beginning with the moves:The opening is named after American chess master Bernard Parham, the first master-level player known to have advocated it...
(2.Qh5) or the Napoleon Opening
Napoleon Opening
The Napoleon Opening is an irregular chess opening starting withIt is a weak opening because it develops the queen too early and subjects it to attack, and deprives the knight of its best square....
(2.Qf3) looks amateurish, though the Parham Attack has been played in a grandmaster tournament by no less a player than Hikaru Nakamura
Hikaru Nakamura
Hikaru Nakamura is an American chess Grandmaster . He has been ranked among the top six players in the world by FIDE....
.
The Philidor Defence
Philidor Defence
The Philidor Defence is a chess opening characterised by the moves:It is named after the famous 18th-century player François-André Danican Philidor, who advocated it as an alternative to the common 2...Nc6...
(2...d6), largely fell out of use after World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, as Black players sought positions offering more counterchances than the solid, though passive game which generally arises from this opening.
The Portuguese Opening
Portuguese Opening
The Portuguese Opening is a chess opening that begins with the movesThe Portuguese is an uncommon opening.In contrast to the Ruy Lopez , by delaying Nf3 White leaves the f-pawn free to move and retains the possibility of playing f4...
(2.Bb5), 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....
(2.Ne2), Konstantinopolsky Opening
Konstantinopolsky Opening
The Konstantinopolsky Opening is a rarely played chess opening that begins with the moves 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.g3.It was introduced in the game Konstantinopolsky–Ragozin, Moscow 1956....
(2.Nf3 Nc6 3.g3), and Inverted Hungarian Opening
Inverted Hungarian Opening
The Inverted Hungarian Opening or Tayler Opening is an uncommon chess opening that starts with the movesThe Inverted Hungarian is even more rare than the already very uncommon Hungarian Defense, although it is perfectly playable for White....
(2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Be2) are offbeat tries for White, though none promise any advantage in the face of correct play.
The Damiano Defense (2...f6) may be met by either 3.Nxe5 or 3.Bc4, with advantage; the Elephant Gambit
Elephant Gambit
The Elephant Gambit is a rarely played chess opening beginning with the moves:...
(2...d5) and 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...
(2...f5) are considered very risky for Black, with the latter usually seen only in correspondence play.
Variations
Examples of open games:- 1.e4 e5 2.Bb5 Portuguese OpeningPortuguese OpeningThe Portuguese Opening is a chess opening that begins with the movesThe Portuguese is an uncommon opening.In contrast to the Ruy Lopez , by delaying Nf3 White leaves the f-pawn free to move and retains the possibility of playing f4...
- 1.e4 e5 2.c3 Lopez OpeningLopez OpeningThe Lopez Opening or MacLeod Attack is a chess opening characterized by the movesWhite's second move prepares to push a pawn to d4, establishing a strong center. Play can potentially transpose to other openings, most likely the Ponziani Opening or the Göring Gambit in the Scotch Game...
- 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Vienna GameVienna GameThe Vienna Game is a chess opening that begins with the moves:White's second move is less common than 2.Nf3, and is also of more recent vintage; a book reviewer wrote in the New York Times in 1888 that "since Morphy only one new opening has been introduced, the 'Vienna.The original idea behind...
- 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bishop's OpeningBishop's OpeningThe Bishop's Opening is a chess opening that begins with the moves:White attacks Black's f7-square and prevents Black from advancing his d-pawn to d5....
- 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nf6 3.d4 Ponziani's Gambit
- 1.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.c3 Danish GambitDanish GambitThe Danish Gambit, known as the in German, and the in Dutch, is a chess opening that begins with the moves:...
- 1.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.Qxd4 Center GameCenter GameThe Center Game is a chess opening that begins with the moves:The game usually continues 3.Qxd4 Nc6, developing with a gain of tempo due to the attack on the white queen....
- 1.e4 e5 2.Ne2 Alapin's OpeningAlapin's OpeningAlapin'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....
- 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 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...
- 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.c3 Ponziani OpeningPonziani OpeningThe Ponziani Opening is a chess opening that begins with the moves:The opening is now considered inferior to 3.Bb5, the Ruy Lopez, and 3.Bc4, the Italian Game, and is accordingly rarely seen today at any level of play. Black's main responses are 3...Nf6, leading to quiet play, and 3...d5, leading...
- 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 without 3...Nf6 Three Knights Game
- 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 Four Knights GameFour Knights GameThe Four Knights Game is a chess opening that begins with the moves:The opening is fairly popular with beginners who strictly adhere to the opening principle: "Develop knights before bishops." It was one of the workhorses in the family of the Open Game, at even the highest levels, until World War...
- 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 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...
- 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 Giuoco PianoGiuoco PianoThe Giuoco Piano is a chess opening beginning with the moves:Common alternatives to 3...Bc5 include 3...Nf6 , 3...Be7 , or 3...d6 .-History:...
- 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 Evans GambitEvans GambitThe Evans Gambit is a chess opening characterised by the moves:The gambit is named after the Welsh sea Captain William Davies Evans, the first player known to have employed it. The first game with the opening is considered to be Evans - McDonnell, London 1827, although in that game a slightly...
- 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Be7 Hungarian Defense
- 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 Two Knights DefenseTwo Knights DefenseThe Two Knights Defense is a chess opening that begins with the moves: in the late 16th century, this line of the Italian Game was extensively developed in the 19th century....
- 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 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...
- 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Be2 Inverted Hungarian OpeningInverted Hungarian OpeningThe Inverted Hungarian Opening or Tayler Opening is an uncommon chess opening that starts with the movesThe Inverted Hungarian is even more rare than the already very uncommon Hungarian Defense, although it is perfectly playable for White....
- 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.g3 Konstantinopolsky OpeningKonstantinopolsky OpeningThe Konstantinopolsky Opening is a rarely played chess opening that begins with the moves 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.g3.It was introduced in the game Konstantinopolsky–Ragozin, Moscow 1956....
- 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d5!? Elephant GambitElephant GambitThe Elephant Gambit is a rarely played chess opening beginning with the moves:...
- 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 Philidor DefencePhilidor DefenceThe Philidor Defence is a chess opening characterised by the moves:It is named after the famous 18th-century player François-André Danican Philidor, who advocated it as an alternative to the common 2...Nc6...
- 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 f5 Latvian GambitLatvian GambitThe 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...
- 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 f6 Damiano Defense
- 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 Petrov's DefencePetrov's DefencePetrov's Defence is a chess opening characterised by the following moves:Though this symmetrical response has a long history, it was first popularised by Alexander Petrov, a Russian chess player of the mid-19th century...
- 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Qf6 Greco Defense
- 1.e4 e5 2.Qf3?! Napoleon OpeningNapoleon OpeningThe Napoleon Opening is an irregular chess opening starting withIt is a weak opening because it develops the queen too early and subjects it to attack, and deprives the knight of its best square....
- 1.e4 e5 2.f4 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...
- 1.e4 e5 2.Qh5!? Parham AttackParham AttackThe Parham Attack is an irregular chess opening beginning with the moves:The opening is named after American chess master Bernard Parham, the first master-level player known to have advocated it...
- 1.e4 e5 2.Bd3?! Tortoise Opening
See also
- Chess openingChess openingA 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...
- List of chess openings
- Encyclopedia of Chess Openings
- King's Pawn GameKing's Pawn GameThe 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 , it is not as successful as the four next most common openings for White: 1.d4 , 1.Nf3 , 1.c4 , and 1.g3...
- Semi-Open GameSemi-Open GameA 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...
(1.e4 other) - Closed GameClosed GameA Closed Game, also called a Double Queen Pawn Opening, is a chess opening that begins with the moves:The move 1.d4 offers the same benefits to development and center control as does 1.e4, but unlike with the King Pawn openings where the e4 pawn is undefended after the first move, the d4 pawn is...
(1.d4 d5) - Semi-Closed GameSemi-Closed GameA Semi-Closed Game is a chess opening in which White opens with the queen's pawn 1.d4 but Black does not make the symmetrical reply 1...d5...
(1.d4 other) - Flank openingFlank openingA flank opening is a chess opening played by White and typified by play on one or both flanks ....
(1.c4, 1.Nf3, 1.f4, and others) - Irregular chess opening