Chess Openings

Opening Names: White's First Move

opening position

There are exactly 20 possible (half-)moves from the opening position, all listed below.
Frequently the opening name in a published game will be different from the name below when later moves cause that opening to transpose into a better known opening, or when the moves develop into a more specific name.
The two most common opening moves (1. e4, 1. d4) are rarely referred to by name unless the opening so irregular that no other name applies, because later moves usually lead to a more specific and more descriptive opening name.

1. a3

Anderssen [1]
Adolph Anderssen Attack [2]
Anderssen's Opening [4]

1. a4

Ware [1]
"Meadow Hay Opening" [2]
Ware Opening [4]

1. b3

Queen's Fianchetto Opening [2]
Larsen's Attack [4]

1. b4

Sokolsky [1]
Orang Utan Opening [2]
Orang-Utan [2] [7]
Polish Attack [2]
Polish Opening [2] [4] [7]

1. c3

Saragossa [1]
Saragossa Opening [2] [4] [7]

1. c4

English [6]
English Opening [2]

1. d3

Mieses [1]
Pirc Defense Reversed [2]
Mieses Opening [4]

1. d4

Queen's Pawn? (cf. [9])

1. e3

van't Kruijs [1]
Van't Kruys Opening [2]
Van't Kruijs Opening [4]

1. e4

King's Pawn? (cf. [8])

1. f3

Barnes [1]
Gedult's Opening [4]

1. f4

Bird [3]
Bird's Opening [2]

1. g3

Benko [1]
King's Fianchetto Opening [2]
Benko Opening [7]
Robatsch in Reverse [7]

1. g4

Grob [1]
"The Spike" [2] [7]
Grob's Attack [2]
Grob Opening [4]
Kolibri Opening [7]

1. h3

Clemenz [1]
Clemenz Opening [4]

1. h4

Desprès [1]
Deprez Opening [4]

1. Na3

Durkin [1]
Durkin Attack [2]
Durkin's Attack [4]

1. Nc3

Dunst [1]
Dunst Opening [2] [7]

1. Nf3

Réti [5]
Réti Opening [2]

1. Nh3

Amar [1]
"Paris" Gambit [2]
Paris Opening [4] [7]

References

[1]
http://www.chessarch.com/library/0000_eco/a00.shtml (1-27-05)
[2]
Korn, Walter. 1982. Modern Chess Openings, Twelfth Edition (MCO 12). New York: David McKay Company.
[3]
http://www.chessarch.com/library/0000_eco/a02_a03.shtml (1-28-04)
[4]
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/adam.bozon/unusual.htm (1-27-05)
[5]
http://www.chessarch.com/library/0000_eco/a04_a09.shtml (1-28-05)
[6]
http://www.chessarch.com/library/0000_eco/a10_a39.shtml (1-28-05)
[7]
Horowitz, I.A. 1964. Chess Openings: Theory and Practice. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster.
[8]
http://www.chessarch.com/library/0000_eco/b00.shtml (1-28-05)
[9]
http://www.chessarch.com/library/0000_eco/a40.shtml (1-28-05)

HOME
Updated: January 29, 2005
s i m n i a @ e a r t h l i n k . n e t