Opening
Start the game well, without indigestible theory.
6 articles
Articles & principles
- The 6 Opening FundamentalsControl the centre, develop quickly, castle early, keep the queen in reserve, move each piece only once, finish development before attacking: the 6 fundamentals that carry every opening you play.
- When and Why to CastleCastling is arguably the most profitable move of the entire opening: it tucks your king into safety while waking up a sleeping rook. The art lies in choosing between kingside and queenside, timing the move correctly, and recognising the rare positions where castling means walking straight into danger.
- The Universal Principles of the First Five MovesControl the center, develop your pieces, get your king to safety: discover the four principles that guide your first five moves, and how White’s first-move advantage changes everything.
- Leaving Opening Theory Without PanickingYour opponent just played a move you have never seen. Don’t panic: here is how to return to fundamentals, evaluate calmly and stay in control once theory runs out.
- Remember your openings for goodYou learn an opening, play it once, forget it. Spaced repetition breaks that cycle: revisiting the right moves at the right time, just before you’d forget them — all tuned to your own games.
- Move Order: the Opening Nuance That Changes the GameAt a high level, the opening is not a list of moves to recite: the order matters as much as the moves. The same position reached by two paths is not worth the same — half a move’s difference can grant or deny a whole option.
The opening repertoire
Study any opening move by move — main line, plans and pawn structures, all tied back to your own games.
With White (18)
- Italian Game - 1. e4C50
- Ruy Lopez - 1. e4C60
- Queen’s Gambit - 1. d4D06
- London System - 1. d4D00
- Scotch Game - 1. e4C45
- Catalan Opening - 1. d4E01
- English Opening - 1. c4A10
- Réti Opening - 1. Nf3A09
- Trompowsky Attack - 1. d4A45
- Vienna Game - 1. e4C26
- King’s Gambit - 1. e4C30
- Sicilian Alapin - 1. e4B22
- Englund Gambit - 1. d4A40
- Old Benoni Defense - 1. d4A43
- Bird’s Opening - 1. f4A02
- Nimzo-Larsen Attack - 1. b3A01
- Center Game - 1. e4C22
- Four Knights Game - 1. e4C49
With Black (23)
- Sicilian Defense - 1... c5B20
- Sicilian, Sveshnikov - 1... c5B33
- French Defense - 1... e6C00
- Caro-Kann Defense - 1... c6B10
- King’s Indian Defense - 1... Nf6E60
- Slav Defense - 1... d5D10
- Dutch Defense (Leningrad) - 1... f5A87
- Grünfeld Defense - 1... Nf6D85
- Queen’s Gambit Accepted - 1... d5D27
- Queen’s Gambit Declined - 1... d5D37
- Queen’s Indian Defense - 1... Nf6E15
- Nimzo-Indian Defense - 1... Nf6E20
- Scandinavian Defense - 1... d5B01
- Petroff Defense - 1... e5C42
- Sicilian Najdorf - 1... c5B90
- Pirc Defense - 1... d6B08
- Modern Benoni - 1... Nf6A61
- Modern Defense - 1... g6A41
- Budapest Gambit - 1... Nf6A51
- Old Indian Defense - 1... Nf6A54
- Benko Gambit - 1... Nf6A57
- Alekhine Defense - 1... Nf6B02
- Philidor Defense - 1... e5C41