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
60 families
ECO B20Article1…c5Tabiya: 5.Nc3391 linesSicilian Defense
- Semi-open games
- Sharp play
- Asymmetry
Answer not with a mirror, but with a strike from the side
Study opening- ECO C001…e6Tabiya: 7.Be3212 lines
French Defense
- Semi-open games
- Solid
- Pawn chain
Chain against chain
Study opening - ECO B104…Bf5Tabiya: 7…Nd7110 lines
Caro-Kann Defense
- Semi-open games
- Solid
The bishop first, the pawn after
Study opening - ECO E203…Bb4Tabiya: 7…Nc699 lines
Nimzo-Indian Defense
- Semi-closed games
- Positional play
- Hypermodern
A pin instead of a centre
Study opening - ECO D80Article3…d5Tabiya: 6…Bg759 lines
Grünfeld Defense
- Semi-closed games
- Sharp play
- Big pawn centre
- Hypermodern
Give up the centre, then take it apart
Study opening - ECO D102…c6Tabiya: 8…Nbd752 lines
Slav Defense
- Closed games
- Solid
A pawn on c6, a bishop at large
Study opening - ECO D434…e6Tabiya: 9…c570 lines
Semi-Slav Defense
- Closed games
- Sharp play
The bishop is shut in, but not for long
Study opening - ECO E123…b6Tabiya: 7…Ne473 lines
Queen's Indian Defense
- Semi-closed games
- Fianchetto
- Positional play
- Hypermodern
A bishop on b7 stares across the whole board
Study opening - ECO B00Article3…g6Tabiya: 6.O-O28 lines
Pirc Defense
- Semi-open games
- Fianchetto
- Sharp play
- Big pawn centre
Let them build a centre: we will undermine it from the wings
Study opening - ECO C41Article2…d6Tabiya: 7…c644 lines
Philidor Defense
- Open games
- Solid
A fortress around e5
Study opening - ECO B011…d5Tabiya: 7…e645 lines
Scandinavian Defense
- Semi-open games
- Solid
The queen goes first
Study opening - ECO B021…Nf6Tabiya: 8…Nb656 lines
Alekhine Defense
- Semi-open games
- Sharp play
- Big pawn centre
- Hypermodern
Let the pawns run far from home
Study opening - ECO C422…Nf6Tabiya: 7…Nc650 lines
Petrov's Defense
- Open games
- Solid
- Symmetry
A counterpunch instead of a defence
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 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 C473…Nf6Tabiya: 8…Qe749 lines
Four Knights Game
- Open games
- Solid
- Classical
- Symmetry
Four knights, no hurry
Study opening - ECO B061…g6Tabiya: 6…Nd739 lines
Modern Defense
- Semi-open games
- Fianchetto
- Big pawn centre
- Hypermodern
Let them build, then take it apart
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 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…h5Tabiya: 3.Bg21 lines
Lasker Simul Special
- Flank openings
- Offbeat
A rim pawn answers the fianchetto
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 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 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 A462…Ne4Tabiya: 4…d51 lines
Döry Defense
- Semi-closed games
- Offbeat
A knight jump to e4 on move two
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…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