Portuguese Opening
Encyclopedia
The Portuguese Opening is a chess opening
that begins with the moves
The Portuguese is an uncommon opening.
In contrast to the Ruy Lopez
(1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5), by delaying Nf3 White leaves the f-pawn free to move and retains the possibility of playing f4. The trade-off is that White's lack of pressure on e5 leaves Black with a freer hand.
If Black replies 2...Nf6, White can try a gambit
with 3.d4.
Another Black reply is 2...Nc6, possibly hoping White will transpose into the Ruy Lopez with 3.Nf3, but a more popular try is to kick White's bishop with 2...c6.
The game might continue 3.Ba4 Nf6 and now White can play 4.Nc3 or 4.Qe2.
Graham Burgess remarks that it looks like a Ruy Lopez where White has forgotten to play 2. Nf3. However there is more to it than that, it's one of those openings that is not as bad or nonsensical as it first appears and Black should proceed carefully.
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...
that begins with the moves
- 1.e4 e5
- 2.Bb5
The Portuguese is an uncommon opening.
In contrast 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...
(1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5), by delaying Nf3 White leaves the f-pawn free to move and retains the possibility of playing f4. The trade-off is that White's lack of pressure on e5 leaves Black with a freer hand.
If Black replies 2...Nf6, White can try a gambit
Gambit
A 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 3.d4.
Another Black reply is 2...Nc6, possibly hoping White will transpose into the Ruy Lopez with 3.Nf3, but a more popular try is to kick White's bishop with 2...c6.
The game might continue 3.Ba4 Nf6 and now White can play 4.Nc3 or 4.Qe2.
Graham Burgess remarks that it looks like a Ruy Lopez where White has forgotten to play 2. Nf3. However there is more to it than that, it's one of those openings that is not as bad or nonsensical as it first appears and Black should proceed carefully.