Openings

Learn an opening one move at a time, then play it from memory until it sticks.

Start with one of these

Italian Game 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4
London System 1.d4
Queen's Gambit 1.d4 d5 2.c4
Caro-Kann Defense 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5
Scandinavian Defense 1.e4 d5
Queen's Gambit Declined 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6

Fun traps & viral openings

Stafford Gambit As Black · Dubious
The Cow As White · Meme opening
ICBM Gambit As White · Dubious
Double Bongcloud As White · Meme opening
See all traps & viral openings

All 139 openings

1.e4

Sicilian Defense B20–B99 · 327 named lines
Ruy Lopez C60–C99 · 200 named lines
French Defense C00–C19 · 171 named lines
Italian Game C50–C59 · 156 named lines
Caro-Kann Defense B10–B19 · 92 named lines
Vienna Game C25–C29 · 55 named lines
Alekhine Defense B02–B05 · 53 named lines
Scotch Game C44–C45 · 48 named lines
Petrov's Defense C42–C43 · 43 named lines
Scandinavian Defense B01 · 42 named lines
Bishop's Opening C23–C43 · 40 named lines
Four Knights Game C47–C50 · 40 named lines
Philidor Defense C41 · 38 named lines
Modern Defense A04–B27 · 37 named lines
Pirc Defense B00–B09 · 23 named lines
King's Gambit C30 · 1 named line
King's Gambit Accepted C33–C39 · 128 named lines
King's Gambit Declined C30–C32 · 50 named lines
Nimzowitsch Defense B00 · 41 named lines
King's Pawn Game B00–C44 · 35 named lines
Latvian Gambit C40–C44 · 17 named lines
Center Game C20–C22 · 15 named lines
Ponziani Opening C44 · 13 named lines
Rat Defense A41–C00 · 11 named lines
Latvian Gambit Accepted C40 · 9 named lines
Owen Defense B00 · 8 named lines
Danish Gambit Accepted C21 · 6 named lines
Lion Defense B00–B07 · 6 named lines
Three Knights Opening C46 · 5 named lines
Borg Defense A40–B00 · 4 named lines
Elephant Gambit C40 · 4 named lines
St. George Defense B00 · 4 named lines
King's Knight Opening C40–C44 · 3 named lines
King's Pawn Opening C20 · 3 named lines
Portuguese Opening C20 · 3 named lines
Carr Defense B00 · 2 named lines
Goldsmith Defense B00 · 2 named lines
Ware Defense B00 · 2 named lines
Barnes Defense B00 · 1 named line
Bongcloud Attack C20 · 1 named line
Center Game Accepted C21 · 1 named line
Czech Defense B07 · 1 named line
Danish Gambit C21 · 1 named line
Danish Gambit Declined C21 · 1 named line
Dresden Opening C44 · 1 named line
Duras Gambit B00 · 1 named line
Fried Fox Defense B00 · 1 named line
Gunderam Defense C40 · 1 named line
Hippopotamus Defense B00 · 1 named line
Irish Gambit C44 · 1 named line
Lemming Defense B00 · 1 named line

1.d4

Queen's Gambit Declined D02–D69 · 138 named lines
King's Indian Defense E60–E99 · 109 named lines
Nimzo-Indian Defense E20–E59 · 68 named lines
Dutch Defense A80–A99 · 58 named lines
Grünfeld Defense A56–E60 · 51 named lines
Semi-Slav Defense D30–D49 · 49 named lines
Queen's Gambit Accepted D20–D29 · 48 named lines
Slav Defense D10–D19 · 43 named lines
Catalan Opening E00–E09 · 15 named lines
Englund Gambit A40 · 9 named lines
London System A48–D02 · 4 named lines
Queen's Gambit D06 · 1 named line
Indian Defense A43–E60 · 52 named lines
Queen's Indian Defense E12–E19 · 50 named lines
Queen's Pawn Game A40–E60 · 50 named lines
Benoni Defense A40–A79 · 47 named lines
Tarrasch Defense D32–D34 · 26 named lines
Blackmar-Diemer Gambit Accepted D00 · 22 named lines
Blackmar-Diemer Gambit D00 · 17 named lines
Old Indian Defense A41–A55 · 13 named lines
Bogo-Indian Defense E11 · 10 named lines
Neo-Grünfeld Defense D70–D79 · 10 named lines
Benko Gambit Accepted A57–A59 · 9 named lines
Blackmar-Diemer Gambit Declined D00 · 9 named lines
Trompowsky Attack A45 · 9 named lines
Benko Gambit A57–A59 · 7 named lines
Englund Gambit Declined A40 · 7 named lines
Richter-Veresov Attack D01 · 7 named lines
Benko Gambit Declined A57 · 6 named lines
English Defense A40 · 6 named lines
Torre Attack A46–A48 · 6 named lines
Mikenas Defense A40 · 4 named lines
Rubinstein Opening D05 · 4 named lines
Blumenfeld Countergambit E10 · 3 named lines
Colle System A04–A40 · 3 named lines
Amazon Attack A45–D00 · 2 named lines
Horwitz Defense A40 · 2 named lines
Kangaroo Defense A40 · 2 named lines
Marienbad System A47 · 2 named lines
Mexican Defense A50 · 2 named lines
Polish Defense A40 · 2 named lines
Rapport-Jobava System D01 · 2 named lines
Slav Indian A40–A50 · 2 named lines
Australian Defense A40 · 1 named line
Basque Opening A45 · 1 named line
Blumenfeld Countergambit Accepted E10 · 1 named line
Canard Opening A45 · 1 named line
Döry Defense A46 · 1 named line
East Indian Defense A48 · 1 named line
Montevideo Defense A40 · 1 named line
Paleface Attack A45 · 1 named line
Pseudo Queen's Indian Defense A47 · 1 named line
Queen's Indian Accelerated A50 · 1 named line
Robatsch Defense A41 · 1 named line
Semi-Slav Defense Accepted D44 · 1 named line
Vulture Defense A56 · 1 named line
Wade Defense A41 · 1 named line
Yusupov-Rubinstein System A46 · 1 named line
Zaire Defense A40 · 1 named line

1.c4 and 1.Nf3

English Opening A10–C20 · 128 named lines
King's Indian Attack A05–A08 · 14 named lines
Zukertort Opening A04–A41 · 41 named lines
Pterodactyl Defense A40–B27 · 33 named lines
Réti Opening A09–A14 · 20 named lines
Zukertort Defense A04 · 2 named lines
English Orangutan A15 · 1 named line

Other first moves

Van Geet Opening A00–C31 · 33 named lines
Bird Opening A02–B21 · 27 named lines
Polish Opening A00–A05 · 26 named lines
Grob Opening A00 · 20 named lines
Hungarian Opening A00–A07 · 20 named lines
Nimzo-Larsen Attack A01–A06 · 13 named lines
Kádas Opening A00 · 7 named lines
Ware Opening A00 · 7 named lines
Barnes Opening A00–C20 · 5 named lines
Van't Kruijs Opening A00 · 5 named lines
Mieses Opening A00 · 4 named lines
Sodium Attack A00 · 4 named lines
Amar Opening A00 · 3 named lines
Anderssen's Opening A00 · 2 named lines
Clemenz Opening A00 · 2 named lines
Formation A00 · 2 named lines
Amsterdam Attack A00 · 1 named line
Creepy Crawly Formation A00 · 1 named line
Global Opening A00 · 1 named line
Lasker Simul Special A00 · 1 named line
Saragossa Opening A00 · 1 named line
Valencia Opening A00 · 1 named line

Opening names and lines: Lichess chess-openings (CC0) · Not affiliated with Lichess.