Chess Openings

How to use these pages

Read an opening page the way you would read a coach's notes before a game. Start with the idea, because the idea tells you what to do when the moves run out. Then look at the plans, which are the three or four things you will want to do in the middlegame. Finally look at the typical mistakes, which are the ones you are most likely to make yourself.

Do not try to memorize an opening from a page. Play it, then compare your game with the page, and notice where you left the plan. That gap is what to study next.

The openings

• Caro-Kann Defense: The Caro-Kann Defense explained by an International Master: the idea, the Classical, Advance and Exchange lines, typical mistakes and how it scores.
• Dutch Defense: The Dutch Defense explained by an International Master: the Leningrad and Stonewall setups, plans for both sides, typical mistakes and how it scores.
• English Opening: The English Opening explained by an International Master: the flank setup, the reversed Sicilian, the symmetrical lines and how it scores by rating band.
• French Defense: The French Defense explained by an International Master: the pawn structure, the main variations, plans for both sides and how it scores by rating band.
• Fried Liver Attack: How the Fried Liver Attack works, why it scores so well at club level, how Black avoids it and where White overreaches, from an International Master.
• Italian Game: The Italian Game explained by an International Master: Giuoco Piano, the slow plan, the sharp d4 break, Legal's mate and how it scores by rating band.
• King's Gambit: The King's Gambit explained by an International Master: the pawn sacrifice, accepted and declined lines, plans, typical mistakes and how it scores by rating.
• King's Indian Defense: The King's Indian Defense explained by an International Master: the setup, the ...f5 and ...e5 plans, White's main systems and how it scores by rating.
• London System: The London System explained by an International Master: the setup, plans for both sides, typical mistakes and how it scores at every rating level.
• Pirc Defense: The Pirc Defense explained by an International Master: the setup, White's main systems, Black's counterattack and how it scores at each rating band.
• Queen's Gambit: The Queen's Gambit explained by an International Master: Declined and Accepted lines, the Slav, plans for both sides and how it scores at each rating band.
• Ruy Lopez: The Ruy Lopez explained by an International Master: the idea behind 3.Bb5, the Closed and Berlin lines, plans for both sides and how it scores.
• Scandinavian Defense: The Scandinavian Defense explained by an International Master: the two ways to recapture, plans for both sides, typical mistakes and how it scores.
• Scotch Game: The Scotch Game explained by an International Master: the central break on move three, the main lines, plans, typical mistakes and how it scores.
• Sicilian Defense: The Sicilian Defense explained by an International Master: key moves, plans for both sides, typical mistakes and how it scores by rating band.

How to choose an opening

Choose by temperament first and by theory second. A player who likes open attacks will enjoy the Italian Game, the Scotch or the King's Gambit. A player who likes solid positions will enjoy the Caro-Kann, the French or the Queen's Gambit Declined. A player who wants a setup that works against almost anything can learn the London System. Players who like sharp, double-edged positions will prefer the Sicilian, the Dutch or the King's Indian.

Then count the cost. A sharp opening needs more study than a quiet one, because one wrong move in a sharp position decides the game. At club level it is better to know a solid opening well than a sharp opening half-well.

To compare openings side by side, see best chess openings, ranked by score and the page on the best openings for White. Finally, choose a repertoire and keep it. The most common reason club players stop improving in the opening is that they change it every month. Play the same two openings for a year, review every game, and the positions will start to feel familiar.

What the win rates mean

The win rates on these pages come from the public Lichess database, from rated games between players within 100 rating points of each other. A score of 50 percent means that White and Black did equally well. A score of 53 percent means White took 53 of every 100 points, counting a win as 1 and a draw as one half. The tables also show how large each sample is, and a band with too few games is marked and not read.

These numbers are a guide and not a ranking. A small edge in the score is easily outweighed by how well you know the opening. The opening statistics pages show the same data for every opening family and for each rating band, with the variations inside each family.

Lessons on your openings

A coach can look at the openings you actually play and show you where your preparation ends. These are the lesson packages.