Openings
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Codex of Opening Systems
All 126 opening families in one catalogue: search by name, move or player, and filter by the kind of position.
Key set-ups
56 families
ECO A101.c4Tabiya: 6…Nb6175 linesEnglish Opening
- Flank openings
- Fianchetto
- Positional play
- Hypermodern
A centre without central pawns
Study opening- ECO A801…f5Tabiya: 6…d669 lines
Dutch Defense
- Semi-closed games
- Fianchetto
- Sharp play
- Closed centre
One pawn step, and e4 is in the fist
Study opening - ECO A092.c4Tabiya: 7…Nc643 lines
Réti Opening
- Flank openings
- Fianchetto
- Hypermodern
The centre from a distance
Study opening - ECO A565.cxd5Tabiya: 7…Bg761 lines
Benoni Defense
- Semi-closed games
- Sharp play
- Asymmetry
White gets the centre, Black gets the wing and the diagonal
Study opening - ECO A483.Bf4Tabiya: 6…Nbd78 lines
London System
- Closed games
- Solid
- Set-up systems
One setup against almost anything
Study opening - ECO A021.f4Tabiya: 7…Nbd728 lines
Bird Opening
- Flank openings
- Sharp play
The Dutch with an extra move
Study opening - ECO A573…b5Tabiya: 8…g624 lines
Benko Gambit
- Semi-closed games
- Gambits
- Sharp play
- Asymmetry
A pawn for open files
Study opening - ECO A001.Nh3Tabiya: 5.O-O3 lines
Amar 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.g3Tabiya: 5…Be720 lines
Hungarian Opening
- Flank openings
- Fianchetto
- Positional play
- Hypermodern
The bishop on g2 before the plan
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 A011.b3Tabiya: 4.Bb518 lines
Nimzo-Larsen Attack
- Flank openings
- Fianchetto
- Hypermodern
The bishop looks over the pawn
Study opening - ECO A041.Nf3Tabiya: 5…O-O47 lines
Zukertort Opening
- Flank openings
- Positional play
The move that promises nothing and keeps everything open
Study opening - ECO A072.g3Tabiya: 7…Nc627 lines
King's Indian Attack
- Flank openings
- Fianchetto
- Set-up systems
The King's Indian Defence, played by White with a tempo in hand
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…b6Tabiya: 6…Nf67 lines
English Defense
- Semi-closed games
- Fianchetto
- Hypermodern
Let them build the centre; we will undermine it
Study opening - ECO A401…e5Tabiya: 6.Nc316 lines
Englund Gambit
- Semi-closed games
- Gambits
- Sharp play
A pawn on credit, the queen on a raid
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 A401.d4Tabiya: 7…Nc682 lines
Queen's Pawn Game
- Closed games
One move, many roads
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 A415…Be7Tabiya: 7…c614 lines
Old Indian Defense
- Semi-closed games
- Solid
An Indian defence where the bishop stays at home
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 A451…Nf6Tabiya: 5…O-O53 lines
Indian Defense
- Semi-closed games
- Hypermodern
Let them build a centre; we shall deal with it later
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 A452.Bg5Tabiya: 4…c510 lines
Trompowsky Attack
- Semi-closed games
- Set-up systems
The bishop is out before you have opened your theory book
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 A463.e3Tabiya: 6.Ne51 lines
Yusupov-Rubinstein System
- Closed games
- Set-up systems
A quiet set-up: e3, Bd3 and a knight on e5
Study opening - ECO A474…c5Tabiya: 6.Nxd42 lines
Marienbad System
- Semi-closed games
- Fianchetto
- Set-up systems
A Queen's Indian set-up with …c5 thrown in early
Study opening