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.
Character
Key set-ups
115 families
ECO A072.g3Tabiya: 7…Nc627 linesKing'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 - ECO A472…b6Tabiya: 3…e62 lines
Pseudo Queen's Indian Defense
- Semi-closed games
- Fianchetto
- Hypermodern
A Queen's Indian with the moves swapped
Study opening - ECO A482…g6Tabiya: 5…d61 lines
East Indian Defense
- Semi-closed games
- Fianchetto
- Hypermodern
The King's Indian, minus the c4 for now
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 A502…b6Tabiya: 4…e61 lines
Queen's Indian Accelerated
- Semi-closed games
- Fianchetto
- Hypermodern
The bishop's diagonal first, the e6 pawn later
Study opening - ECO A502…c6Tabiya: 3…d52 lines
Slav Indian
- Semi-closed games
- Solid
Slav or Indian: Black has not decided yet
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.e4Tabiya: 5…Be738 lines
King's Pawn Game
- Open games
- Classical
The first move that opens most of the book
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…Nc6Tabiya: 5.Be243 lines
Nimzowitsch Defense
- Semi-open games
- Hypermodern
The knight before the pawns
Study opening - ECO B001…b6Tabiya: 4…c58 lines
Owen Defense
- Semi-open games
- Fianchetto
- Hypermodern
A bishop on b7 and a hope that the opponent is unprepared
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 B073…c6Tabiya: 5…e51 lines
Czech Defense
- Semi-open games
- Solid
A Pirc without …g6: c6 first, the rest later
Study opening - ECO B073…Nbd7Tabiya: 6…c66 lines
Lion Defense
- Semi-open games
- Hypermodern
A Philidor that came in through the Pirc door
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 C203.Qxd4Tabiya: 7…Re819 lines
Center Game
- Open games
- Open centre
- Classical
The queen comes out early, and the fight begins
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 C213.c3Tabiya: 5…d58 lines
Danish Gambit
- Open games
- Gambits
- Sharp play
- Open centre
Two pawns for two bishops on open diagonals
Study opening - ECO C232.Bc4Tabiya: 5.Bb341 lines
Bishop's Opening
- Open games
- Open centre
- Classical
The bishop eyes f7 and the f-pawn stays free
Study opening