1.Index
Opening library
38 openings, every move explained.
Pick an opening to read its main lines move by move, with the idea behind each one. Then take it to the trainer and practice it from memory.
- White
- 17
- Black
- 21
- Lines
- 43
2.White
1.e4 openings
11 openings · you play White- C50
Italian Game
The perfect first opening. Fast development, the bishop aims at f7, and the plans are easy to understand.Classical1 line - C92
Ruy Lopez
The "Spanish Game" — 500 years old and still a world-championship favorite. Slow, deep pressure on Black's center.Strategic2 lines - C45
Scotch Game
Hit the center immediately with d4. Open lines, active pieces, and fewer forced memorization paths than the Ruy.Open1 line - C44
Scotch Gambit
A Scotch where White skips 4.Nxd4 and develops the bishop to c4 instead. Fast development and early e5 pushes against an unprepared opponent.Gambit2 lines - C29
Vienna Gambit
Like a King's Gambit with a knight already on c3. Aggressive play down the f-file with less risk.Aggressive1 line - C39
King's Gambit
The swashbuckling gambit of the 1800s. Sacrifice a pawn on move two to rip open the f-file.Romantic1 line - C52
Evans Gambit
A turbocharged Italian. Give up the b-pawn to win time for c3 and d4 and attack before Black castles.Gambit1 line - C57
Fried Liver Attack
Every beginner should know it. If Black recaptures 5...Nxd5 in the Two Knights, White sacrifices on f7 and drags the king out.Trap1 line - C49
Four Knights Game
All four knights come out to their best squares. Simple, healthy, and full of classical principles.Solid1 line - B21
Smith-Morra Gambit
Tired of Sicilian theory? Give a pawn for a huge lead in development and open c- and d-files.Gambit1 line - B22
Alapin Sicilian
The practical anti-Sicilian. c3 prepares d4 so White can recapture with a pawn and keep a full center.Positional1 line
3.White
1.d4 openings
4 openings · you play White- D36
Queen's Gambit
The king of 1.d4 openings. c4 challenges Black's center from the side; the Exchange Variation has crystal-clear plans.Classical2 lines - D02
London System
The same setup against almost anything: d4, Bf4, e3, c3, Nd2, Ngf3, Bd3. Low theory, solid, and very popular.System1 line - E05
Catalan Opening
A Queen's Gambit with a fianchettoed bishop. The g2 bishop rakes the long diagonal toward Black's queenside.Positional1 line - A45
Trompowsky Attack
Bg5 on move two pulls Black out of their theory immediately. White trades bishop for knight to grab the center.Offbeat1 line
4.White
Flank openings
2 openings · you play White5.Black
Defenses against 1.e4
12 openings · you play Black- B90
Sicilian Najdorf
The most respected answer to 1.e4, favored by Fischer and Kasparov. One quiet pawn move — ...a6 — that does a lot.Sharp1 line - B78
Sicilian Dragon
The g7 bishop breathes fire down the long diagonal. Razor-sharp races where both kings are under attack.Sharp1 line - B33
Sicilian Sveshnikov
Black accepts a hole on d5 and a damaged kingside for activity and the bishop pair. Magnus Carlsen's weapon.Dynamic1 line - C02
French Defense
A rock-solid pawn chain and counterattacks against White's center. Black attacks the base of the chain with ...c5.Solid2 lines - B19
Caro-Kann Defense
Super solid and beginner-friendly. Like the French, but the light-squared bishop gets out first.Solid2 lines - B01
Scandinavian Defense
Challenge e4 on move one. Easy to learn, and the same setup works against almost everything.Direct1 line - B08
Pirc Defense
Let White build a big center, then undermine it. Flexible, but requires patience.Hypermodern1 line - B05
Alekhine's Defense
Invite White's pawns forward so they become targets. Cheeky and very instructive.Provocative1 line - C42
Petrov Defense
Symmetrical and famously solid at top level — but it hides a classic trap you must know.Solid1 line - C41
Philidor Defense
Defend e5 with a pawn and build a compact position. Simple ideas, little theory.Solid1 line - C59
Two Knights Defense
The active answer to the Italian. Learn the correct 5...Na5! to avoid the Fried Liver.Counterattack1 line - C67
Berlin Defense
The "Berlin Wall" that Kramnik used to dethrone Kasparov in 2000. Queens come off on move 8.Fortress1 line
6.Black
Defenses against 1.d4
9 openings · you play Black- E99
King's Indian Defense
Let White build a huge center, then launch an all-out kingside attack. Fischer and Kasparov's favorite.Aggressive1 line - E54
Nimzo-Indian Defense
Pin the c3 knight and fight for e4 with pieces. One of the most respected defenses in chess.Strategic1 line - D58
Queen's Gambit Declined
Hold the center with ...e6. Solid and principled — trusted by world champions for 150 years.Classical1 line - D18
Slav Defense
Support d5 with ...c6, keeping the c8 bishop free. The Caro-Kann of 1.d4.Solid1 line - D27
Queen's Gambit Accepted
Take the pawn — then give it back on Black's terms. Free development and a clear plan with ...c5.Classical1 line - D85
Grünfeld Defense
Let White build a massive center, then attack it with everything. Rich, concrete, and very modern.Dynamic1 line - A88
Dutch Defense
Grab e4 from the side with ...f5. Unbalanced from move one, with kingside attacking chances.Aggressive1 line - A70
Modern Benoni
Black accepts less space for a queenside pawn majority and dynamic piece play.Sharp1 line - E15
Queen's Indian Defense
Fight for the light squares — especially e4 — with a fianchettoed queen's bishop.Solid1 line