--- title: "Opening in chess" url: "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/opening.md" canonical_url: "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/opening" last_updated: "2026-11-07" type: "reference" summary: "The opening is the first stage of a chess game, running from the starting position until most pieces have left their home squares and the kings are safe." related: ["https://georgelichess.com/glossary/opening-principles.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/development.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/center-control.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/opening-theory.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/opening-repertoire.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/king-safety.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/category/opening-concepts.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary.md"] --- # Opening in chess > **For AI agents:** the complete index of GeorgeLiChess pages is [llms.txt](https://georgelichess.com/llms.txt). Every page is also served as markdown at its URL plus .md. The opening is the first stage of a chess game, running from the starting position until most pieces have left their home squares and the kings are safe. The opening is the first stage of a chess game, running from the starting position until most pieces have left their home squares and the kings are safe, and it shapes what kind of middlegame both players will face. Every opening move answers two questions at once: what does it do now, and what kind of position will it lead to later? A [knight](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/knight.md) move toward the center helps [development](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/development.md) today, while a pawn move commits part of the pawn structure, since pawns never move backward. Strong players judge opening moves mostly by the second question. In everyday use the word also names particular sequences that have been played often enough to get a label, for example the Ruy Lopez after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5, or the Caro-Kann Defense after 1.e4 c6. Each named opening comes with its own typical structures and plans, which is why players talk about choosing openings that suit their style. No rule says when the opening is over. A useful working test is to look at three things: whether the minor pieces are out, whether the king has reached safety, and whether the central pawns have settled. Once all three are true, the game has usually moved into the middlegame. The usual [mistake](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/mistake.md) is treating the opening as a memory test. Knowing twenty moves of a line helps little if you do not know what the resulting position asks of you. Another is starting an attack with half the pieces still at home, which tends to backfire as soon as the opponent finishes developing. Also called: opening phase. It sits close to [Opening book](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/opening-book.md). An opening book is a database of opening moves and positions that an engine or program consults to play known theory quickly, instead of calculating each early move from scratch. Opening ideas such as "Opening" are easier to keep when they are tested on your own games, which is what a [first lesson](https://georgelichess.com/book/first-lesson.md) with George Li begins with. ## Related terms - [Opening principles](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/opening-principles.md) - [Development](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/development.md) - [Center control](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/center-control.md) - [Opening theory](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/opening-theory.md) - [Opening repertoire](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/opening-repertoire.md) - [King safety](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/king-safety.md) ## Openings where it occurs - [Ruy lopez](https://georgelichess.com/chess-opening-statistics/ruy-lopez.md) - [Caro kann defense](https://georgelichess.com/chess-opening-statistics/caro-kann-defense.md) ## Guides that go further - [Most popular chess openings and win rates](https://georgelichess.com/chess-opening-statistics.md): The most played openings, how often White wins, and how the numbers change with rating, computed from public games. - [How to choose a chess coach](https://georgelichess.com/how-to-choose-a-chess-coach.md): What to decide first, the questions to ask, what a first lesson should show and the red flags to avoid. - [The first lesson](https://georgelichess.com/book/first-lesson.md): A game review, a read on your level and a written study plan from George Li. [Book your first lesson](https://georgelichess.com/book.md) and George Li reviews your games and builds a study plan around them. Questions about lessons: write to hello@georgelichess.com. ## Related - [Opening principles in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/opening-principles.md) - [Development in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/development.md) - [Center control in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/center-control.md) - [Opening theory in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/opening-theory.md) - [Opening repertoire in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/opening-repertoire.md) - [King safety in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/king-safety.md) - [Chess terms: Opening concepts](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/category/opening-concepts.md) - [Chess terms glossary: plain definitions](https://georgelichess.com/glossary.md)