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1,197 openings · 126 families · ECO A00–E99

Chess Openings Explorer

1,197 openings, gambits, and defenses explained in plain English. Every line includes the moves, the ECO code, the ideas behind it, and which side benefits from knowing it. Start with a famous family below, or browse the full index.

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Sicilian Defense · 1. e4 c5

Most played opening families

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B20 · 1. e4 c5Sicilian DefenseThe Sicilian Defense is Black's most aggressive response to White's king's pawn opening. Instead of mirroring White…
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C60 · 1. e4 e5Ruy LopezThe Ruy Lopez is one of the oldest and most respected openings in chess history. White aims to put immediate pressure…
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E20 · 1. d4 Nf6Nimzo-Indian DefenseThe Nimzo-Indian Defense is one of Black's most respected responses to the Queen's Pawn Opening. By pinning the knight…
D30 · 1. d4 d5Queen's Gambit DeclinedThe Queen's Gambit Declined is one of the most reliable and deeply studied openings in chess. White immediately…B20 · 1. e4 c5SicilianThe Sicilian Defense with 2.d3 is a solid, closed approach where White avoids the immediate open center. Instead of…E61 · 1. d4 Nf6King's Indian DefenseThe King's Indian Defense is a hypermodern opening where Black allows White to build a massive pawn center, only to…A10 · 1. c4English OpeningThe English Opening is a sophisticated flank opening where White fights for the center from the side. By pushing the…D06 · 1. d4 d5QGDThe Baltic Defense is a provocative variation of the Queen's Gambit where Black develops the light-squared bishop…A80 · 1. d4 f5Dutch DefenseThe Dutch Defense is a combative, asymmetrical response to White's queen's pawn opening. By lunging forward with the…A80 · 1. d4 f5DutchThe Dutch Defense is an ambitious, asymmetrical response to the Queen's Pawn Opening. By playing 2.Bg5, White…C00 · 1. e4 e6French DefenseThe French Defense is a solid and counter-attacking choice for Black. By placing a pawn on e6, you prepare to…B10 · 1. e4 c6Caro-Kann DefenseThe Caro-Kann Defense is a rock-solid response to White's king-pawn opening. You aim to challenge the center with d5…

Opening guides

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All openings A to Z

Grouped by opening family. Expand a family to see every named variation we cover.

Alekhine2 lines
Alekhine Defense13 lines
Barnes Opening1 line
Benko Gambit4 lines
Benko Gambit Accepted2 lines
Benko Gambit Declined5 lines
Benoni18 lines
Benoni Defense20 lines
Bird6 lines
Bird Opening5 lines
Bishop's Opening16 lines
Bogo-Indian1 line
Bogo-Indian Defense5 lines
Borg Defense2 lines
Budapest4 lines
Caro-Kann2 lines
Caro-Kann Defence1 line
Caro-Kann Defense28 lines
Carr Defense1 line
Catalan7 lines
Catalan Opening9 lines
Center Game10 lines
Center Game Accepted1 line
Colle8 lines
Creepy Crawly Formation1 line
Danish Gambit Declined1 line
Dutch30 lines
Dutch Defense31 lines
East Indian Defense1 line
English16 lines
English Opening35 lines
Englund Gambit Declined1 line
Evans Gambit Declined1 line
Four Knights3 lines
Four Knights Game7 lines
French8 lines
French Defence1 line
French Defense30 lines
Giuoco Piano1 line
Goldsmith Defense1 line
Grob Gambit1 line
Grob Opening2 lines
Gruenfeld17 lines
Grünfeld Defense22 lines
Hodgson Attack3 lines
Horwitz Defense1 line
Hungarian Opening2 lines
Indian9 lines
Indian Defense20 lines
Italian Game19 lines
KGA3 lines
KGD1 line
King's Gambit2 lines
King's Gambit Accepted26 lines
King's Gambit Declined7 lines
King's Indian26 lines
King's Indian Attack9 lines
King's Indian Defense37 lines
King's Knight Opening3 lines
King's Pawn Game12 lines
Latvian Gambit2 lines
Mexican Defense1 line
Modern2 lines
Modern Defense9 lines
Neo-Gruenfeld3 lines
Neo-Gruenfeld, 5.cxd5 Nxd5 6.e4 Nb6 7.Ne21 line
Neo-Gruenfeld, 5.Nf31 line
Neo-Gruenfeld, 6.O-O1 line
Neo-Grünfeld Defense8 lines
Neo-Indian3 lines
Neo-King's Indian3 lines
Neo-Old Indian2 lines
Neo-Old Indian / Modern2 lines
Nimzo-Indian15 lines
Nimzo-Indian Defense44 lines
Nimzo-Larsen Attack4 lines
Nimzowitsch-Larsen2 lines
Old Benoni2 lines
Old Indian11 lines
Old Indian Defense7 lines
Open Game3 lines
Owen Defence1 line
Petrov's Defense7 lines
Philidor Defense6 lines
Pirc4 lines
Pirc Defense3 lines
Pseudo Queen's Indian Defense1 line
QGA13 lines
QGD32 lines
QGD Tarrasch3 lines
Queen's Gambit1 line
Queen's Gambit Accepted23 lines
Queen's Gambit Declined39 lines
Queen's Indian11 lines
Queen's Indian Defense11 lines
Queen's Pawn8 lines
Queen's Pawn Game11 lines
Rat Defense4 lines
Reti3 lines
Réti Opening7 lines
Richter-Veresov5 lines
Russian Game2 lines
Ruy Lopez46 lines
Scandinavian2 lines
Scandinavian Defense4 lines
Scotch1 line
Scotch Game5 lines
Semi-Slav9 lines
Semi-Slav Defense7 lines
Semi-Slav Defense Accepted1 line
Sicilian38 lines
Sicilian Defense97 lines
Sicilian Defense, classical1 line
Slav17 lines
Slav Defense19 lines
Spanish9 lines
St. George Defense1 line
Tarrasch Defense4 lines
Three Knights3 lines
Three Knights Opening3 lines
Torre Attack5 lines
Two Knights4 lines
Vienna14 lines
Vienna Gambit6 lines
Vienna Game12 lines
Zukertort Opening7 lines

Chess openings FAQ

What is a chess opening?

A chess opening is the sequence of first moves in a game, usually the first 5 to 15 moves. Each named opening carries typical plans, pawn structures, and traps. Knowing the ideas behind your openings matters more than memorizing long lines.

What are ECO codes?

ECO codes come from the Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings. Every opening gets a code from A00 to E99, grouped by move order: A for flank openings, B and C for 1.e4 openings, D and E for 1.d4 openings. They make it easy to look up any line.

Which chess opening should I learn first?

Beginners do well with classical openings that fight for the center: the Italian Game or Ruy Lopez as White, and the Caro-Kann or French Defense as Black. Pick one opening per side, learn its ideas, and only expand once your results are stable.

How does Chessiro help me learn openings?

Chessiro analyzes your real games, spots which openings are costing you rating, and explains each mistake in plain English. You then train the exact positions you got wrong, so your opening study is built from your own games instead of generic theory.

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