Openings
- Chess Atlas Subsections
- VOL. I • Chess HistoryFrom Chaturanga to Neural Engines
- VOL. II • Classic ChessPieces, Notation & Rules
- VOL. III • Legendary PlayersPantheon of Chess Immortals
- VOL. IV • Great GamesInteractive game studies
- VOL. V • OpeningsOriginal CAISSORA Opening Articles
- VOL. VI • Tactics & StrategyForks, Pins & Board Geometry
Codex of Opening Systems
All 126 opening families in one catalogue: search by name, move or player, and filter by the kind of position.
Character
Key set-ups
48 families
ECO A001.Nh3Tabiya: 5.O-O3 linesAmar Opening
- Flank openings
- Offbeat
A knight on the rim, and a joke that costs a pawn
Study opening- ECO A004.b3Tabiya: 4…Nf61 lines
Amsterdam Attack
- Flank openings
- Set-up systems
- Offbeat
A quiet flank set-up built on e3, c4 and b3
Study opening - ECO A001.a3Tabiya: 2.c42 lines
Anderssen's Opening
- Flank openings
- Offbeat
A move that does nothing, with a name attached
Study opening - ECO A001.f3Tabiya: 2…Nf66 lines
Barnes Opening
- Flank openings
- Offbeat
The most awkward first move there is
Study opening - ECO A001.h3Tabiya: 3.Nf32 lines
Clemenz Opening
- Flank openings
- Offbeat
A move with little to say for itself
Study opening - ECO A002.a3Tabiya: 3.c41 lines
Global Opening
- Flank openings
- Offbeat
Two rim-pawn moves and not a piece in sight
Study opening - ECO A001.g4Tabiya: 3…c620 lines
Grob Opening
- Flank openings
- Sharp play
- Offbeat
The move that gets no forgiveness
Study opening - ECO A001.h4Tabiya: 3.d49 lines
Kádas Opening
- Flank openings
- Offbeat
A rook-pawn first move and a hope of surprise
Study opening - ECO A001…h5Tabiya: 3.Bg21 lines
Lasker Simul Special
- Flank openings
- Offbeat
A rim pawn answers the fianchetto
Study opening - ECO A001.d3Tabiya: 7…Nc64 lines
Mieses Opening
- Flank openings
- Set-up systems
- Offbeat
One quiet move instead of a claim on the centre
Study opening - ECO A001.b4Tabiya: 3.Bxe527 lines
Polish Opening
- Flank openings
- Fianchetto
- Offbeat
The Orangutan strolls down the queenside
Study opening - ECO A001.c3Tabiya: 4.e31 lines
Saragossa Opening
- Flank openings
- Offbeat
A quiet pawn that waits for d4
Study opening - ECO A001.Na3Tabiya: 3.e44 lines
Sodium Attack
- Flank openings
- Offbeat
A chemist's joke on the edge of the board
Study opening - ECO A002.Nd2Tabiya: 6…O-O1 lines
Valencia Opening
- Flank openings
- Offbeat
A quiet d3 and a knight on d2
Study opening - ECO A001.Nc3Tabiya: 4.Ng333 lines
Van Geet Opening
- Flank openings
- Offbeat
Knight on the left: White starts from the wing
Study opening - ECO A001.e3Tabiya: 4.Nf35 lines
Van't Kruijs Opening
- Flank openings
- Offbeat
A quiet move that can become anything
Study opening - ECO A001.a4Tabiya: 3…Nc67 lines
Ware Opening
- Flank openings
- Offbeat
A first move from the edge of the board
Study opening - ECO A152.b4Tabiya: 2.b42 lines
English Orangutan
- Flank openings
- Offbeat
An English that hurries to the wing
Study opening - ECO A401…Na6Tabiya: 3…d51 lines
Australian Defense
- Semi-closed games
- Offbeat
A knight on the rim at move one
Study opening - ECO A401…e6Tabiya: 4…Be72 lines
Horwitz Defense
- Semi-closed games
- Offbeat
A waiting move: French, Queen's Gambit or Dutch, to be decided later
Study opening - ECO A402…Bb4+Tabiya: 4…d52 lines
Kangaroo Defense
- Semi-closed games
- Offbeat
Check on move two and a flexible plan
Study opening - ECO A401…Nc6Tabiya: 5.Nf34 lines
Mikenas Defense
- Semi-closed games
- Offbeat
The knight steps out before White has shown a plan
Study opening - ECO A402…Nb8Tabiya: 4…e61 lines
Montevideo Defense
- Semi-closed games
- Offbeat
The knight goes out and comes straight back
Study opening - ECO A401…b5Tabiya: 2…Bb72 lines
Polish Defense
- Semi-closed games
- Offbeat
The flank pawn goes first, the centre can wait
Study opening - ECO A404…Ng8Tabiya: 4…Ng81 lines
Zaire Defense
- Semi-closed games
- Offbeat
Two knights stepped out and came straight back
Study opening - ECO A412…Bg4Tabiya: 4…e51 lines
Wade Defense
- Semi-closed games
- Offbeat
The bishop comes out first; the pawns can wait
Study opening - ECO A424…Qa5+Tabiya: 5…d633 lines
Pterodactyl Defense
- Semi-closed games
- Fianchetto
- Offbeat
Queen to a5, bishop to g7: Black aims at the dark squares
Study opening - ECO A452.b3Tabiya: 4…c51 lines
Basque Opening
- Semi-closed games
- Offbeat
A bishop on b2 with its own d4 pawn in the way
Study opening - ECO A452.f4Tabiya: 4…c51 lines
Canard Opening
- Semi-closed games
- Offbeat
The f4 pawn against the f6 knight: a Dutch-style set-up with White
Study opening - ECO A452.f3Tabiya: 5.Nxf31 lines
Paleface Attack
- Semi-closed games
- Offbeat
A pawn that takes a square from its own knight
Study opening - ECO A462…Ne4Tabiya: 4…d51 lines
Döry Defense
- Semi-closed games
- Offbeat
A knight jump to e4 on move two
Study opening - ECO A502…Nc6Tabiya: 4…Bb42 lines
Mexican Defense
- Semi-closed games
- Offbeat
A knight on c6 where a pawn usually goes
Study opening - ECO A563…Ne4Tabiya: 5…Nd61 lines
Vulture Defense
- Semi-closed games
- Offbeat
The knight bolts ahead while everyone else is still at home
Study opening - ECO B001…f6Tabiya: 3.Nf31 lines
Barnes Defense
- Semi-open games
- Offbeat
The f6 pawn takes the best square from Black's own knight
Study opening - ECO B001…g5Tabiya: 4…Qb65 lines
Borg Defense
- Semi-closed games
- Offbeat
Grob, back to front
Study opening - ECO B001…h6Tabiya: 3…Nf62 lines
Carr Defense
- Semi-open games
- Offbeat
A waiting move for Black, with no fight for the centre
Study opening - ECO B001…f5Tabiya: 4…Nc61 lines
Duras Gambit
- Semi-open games
- Gambits
- Offbeat
A pawn thrown at e4, and a bet on chaos
Study opening - ECO B002…Kf7Tabiya: 2…Kf71 lines
Fried Fox Defense
- Semi-open games
- Offbeat
The king steps out first, hoping you are not ready
Study opening - ECO B001…h5Tabiya: 3.Nc32 lines
Goldsmith Defense
- Semi-open games
- Offbeat
A rook pawn two steps forward, and the rook has no idea why
Study opening - ECO B001…Nh6Tabiya: 5…O-O2 lines
Hippopotamus Defense
- Semi-open games
- Set-up systems
- Offbeat
A knight on the rim and a bet on patience
Study opening - ECO B001…Na6Tabiya: 3…e61 lines
Lemming Defense
- Semi-open games
- Offbeat
A knight to the rim and a bet on doubled pawns
Study opening - ECO B001…a6Tabiya: 4…e64 lines
St. George Defense
- Semi-open games
- Offbeat
Give up the centre and strike from the wing
Study opening - ECO B001…a5Tabiya: 3…Bb72 lines
Ware Defense
- Semi-open games
- Offbeat
A rook pawn move in place of a fight for the centre
Study opening - ECO C202.Ke2Tabiya: 3…d51 lines
Bongcloud Attack
- Open games
- Offbeat
The king goes for a walk on move two
Study opening - ECO C202.b3Tabiya: 4…Nf63 lines
King's Pawn Opening
- Open games
- Offbeat
A long-diagonal bishop that finds e5 well guarded
Study opening - ECO C202.Bb5Tabiya: 4.Nc33 lines
Portuguese Opening
- Open games
- Offbeat
A Ruy Lopez with the knight left at home
Study opening - ECO C402…Qe7Tabiya: 4…d61 lines
Gunderam Defense
- Open games
- Offbeat
The queen guards the pawn and blocks the bishop
Study opening - ECO D002.Qd3Tabiya: 3…c52 lines
Amazon Attack
- Closed games
- Offbeat
The queen out early, the bishop shut in
Study opening