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ECO A00Flank opening

Hungarian Opening

The bishop on g2 before the plan

  • Fianchetto
  • Positional play
  • Hypermodern

1.g3 prepares to fianchetto the king's bishop. White does not yet say where the knights will go or which central pawns will move. The opening easily turns into a King's Indian Attack, a Catalan or an English, so it is chosen to pull the opponent out of home preparation. The price: Black can grab the centre quickly.

Interactive Opening Board

5…Be7

♚
Black
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♔
White
5…Be7
Speed:

Moves

(10 plies • 5 moves)
5…Be7Tabiya
  1. 1–5moves
  2. 1.
  3. 2.
  4. 3.
  5. 4.
  6. 5.

Defining move

1.g3 — the bishop gets the long diagonal

The move that opens the kingside fianchetto

The g3 pawn opens the way for the bishop to g2, from where it presses along the diagonal at the centre and the queenside. The knight stays undecided: it can go to f3 or e2. But Black gains time to put pawns on e5 and d5 without interference.

Tabiya

A King's Indian Attack set-up

Black has taken the centre with e5 and d5; White has answered with the bishop on g2, a pawn on d3, a knight on f3 and castling. It is a mirror image of the King's Indian Defence. White plans Nbd2 and e4 to challenge Black's centre; Black wants to hold the centre and counterattack on the queenside.

White’s plan

  • Put the bishop on g2, develop the knight and castle.
  • Play d3, Nbd2 and e4 to challenge the centre.
  • Move into a Catalan or an English if Black does not take the centre.

Black’s plan

  • Take the centre with e5 and d5, since White is not interfering.
  • Block the long diagonal of the g2 bishop with pawns, for example d5 and c6.
  • Develop calmly and castle.

History

At the 1962 Candidates Tournament in Curaçao, Pal Benko opened 1.g3 in most of his games with White and beat both Fischer and Tal, which is why the opening is sometimes linked to his name. Viktor Korchnoi used it against Karpov in the 1978 World Championship match.

Notable players

Viktor Korchnoi

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