Openings
Chess openings explained simply
For each opening: the main variations, the ideas of both sides and the traps to know, to replay on the board.
With White
- Italian Game1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4White’s bishop eyes f7 from move 3. Easy to understand, rich to play: the ideal opening to improve, played up to the very top level.
- Ruy Lopez1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5The bishop attacks the knight that defends e5. Slow but lasting pressure: the world champions’ favorite opening for more than a century.
- Queen’s Gambit1.d4 d5 2.c4The c4 pawn attacks d5 to win the center. It isn’t a real gambit: the pawn almost always comes back. A classic, solid and ambitious opening.
- London System1.d4 d5 2.Bf4Always the same structure, whatever Black plays. Little theory, clear plans: the ideal system to play 1.d4 without memorizing everything.
With Black
- Sicilian Defense1.e4 c5Black fights for d4 without copying White. The game is unbalanced from move one: the most played defense against 1.e4, to play for a win with Black.
- French Defense1.e4 e61…e6 prepares …d5 to challenge White’s center. A solid and combative defense, where Black attacks the opponent’s pawn chain.
- Caro-Kann Defense1.e4 c61…c6 prepares …d5 without locking in the c8 bishop. A solid, logical and easy-to-play defense: ideal to hold firm against 1.e4.
- Scandinavian Defense1.e4 d5Black attacks e4 from move one. Little theory, similar positions: a simple defense to set up against 1.e4.